At the 43rd regular session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC43, 24 February-20 March 2020), states will consider a resolution extending the mandate of the top UN expert on human rights defenders (HRDs), the Special Rapporteur on the situation of HRDs.

In a letter published today, DefendDefenders joins dozens of civil society organisations in calling on all states to support the adoption of this resolution by consensus, that is, without any opposition. Signatories call on states to resist any attempt to undermine the mandate of the Special Rapporteur or dilute state obligations.

We call on member and observer states of the Council to:

• Participate positively in the negotiations on the resolution;
• Present early co-sponsorship of the text (i.e., signal their intention, at an early stage, to endorse the resolution);
• Resist any attempts to dilute the mandate or state obligations; and
• Support consensus renewal of the mandate.

The list of signatories continues to grow and is updated on a rolling basis (see ISHR‘s website).

Read the full letter in English or in French.