In response to the rise in the attacks, harassment and killings of human rights defenders and activists defending land, environmental and indigenous rights, CIVICUS and Publish What you Pay released a report on the different restrictions and attacks faced by activists.
Based on the findings of the report a workshop was organised in Johannesburg on 7-9 August 2017 and brought together 39 human rights defenders working on environmental, land and indigenous rights. The workshop was held under the theme “protecting environmental, land and indigenous rights activists.” At the end of the workshop, the human rights defenders issued a statement to the UN Special Rapporteurs on human rights defenders, indigenous rights and the right to freedom of assembly and association. The statement highlights the challenges faced by these human rights defenders and it is a call for help for global action to be taken to improve the environment in which these human rights defenders operate.
Read the Statement: