Land and environmental rights defenders in danger - Side Event
Channel: ISHRGlobal
Date: 05/12/2013

Human rights defenders play a critical role in exposing and ensuring accountability for business-related human rights violations. Despite this, around the world, there is an increase in attacks, judicial harassment, restrictions, surveillance, intimidation and reprisals against defenders who work on land and environment issues associated with business activities.

A side-event held on Tuesday 3 December, will pay special attention to the challenges engendered by the increasing criminalisation or repression of those peacefully denouncing adverse human rights impacts of corporate projects, discussing the role of both States and companies.

Calling upon States and all other stakeholders to give full recognition to the legitimate role and important work carried out by defenders, the event will be an opportunity to explore ways to improve the security of these advocates at extreme risk as well as to prevent and combat impunity for such attacks and violations.

Panellists

Jorge Luis Morales, lawyer and member of the Verapaz Union of Peasant Organisations (UVOC), Guatemala

Samuel Nguiffo, Secretary General of the Centre for Environment and Development (CED), Cameroon 

Pavel Sulyandziga, Chair of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights

Harriet Berg, Minister-Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Norway in Geneva

Moderator

Debbie Stothard, Coordinator, Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma (Altsean), Malaysia and FIDH Secretary General