This Joint Oral statement on the Draft Resolution on Protection of Human
Rights Defenders by Al Haq Law in the Service of Man , Amnesty
International, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development
(FORUM-ASIA), Cairo Institute of Human Rights Studies (CIHRS), Canadian
HIV/AIDS Legal Network, Human Rights Watch (HRW), International
Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and International Service for Human
Rights (ISHR) was made at the 13th Session of the UN Human Rights
Council on 23 March 2010.
This Joint Oral statement on the Draft Resolution on Protection of Human Rights Defenders by Al Haq Law in the Service of Man , Amnesty International, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), Cairo Institute of Human Rights Studies (CIHRS), Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, Human Rights Watch (HRW), International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) was made at the 13th Session of the UN Human Rights Council on 23 March 2010.
 
The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (VDPA) emphasizes the important work of human rights defenders and underlines the need for States and international organizations, in cooperation with non-governmental organizations, to create favourable conditions at the national, regional and international levels to ensure the full and effective enjoyment of human rights (Para.13).
 
We are thus particularly alarmed at the tone of negotiations on the draft resolution on protection of human rights defenders (A/HRC/13/L.24) taking place during this session of the Human Rights Council, with some governments showing themselves to be more concerned with regulating NGOs than protecting human rights defenders. The objective of the resolution is to address the protection needs of human rights defenders. States should act vigorously to protect all human rights defenders from threats, violence, harassment and abuse as is their duty under international human rights law.
 
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