Below is the statement on the sidelines of the regional workshop "Towards Empowering and Secure Environment for Human Rights Defenders in Arab Region” organized by the Office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and Media Center of the United Nations in Cairo held between the 26th -27th of January, 2015 in which the Gulf centre for Human Rights has participated.

We are the human rights defenders gathered here in Tunisia:

Call on the Arab governments to pay special attention to the rights and fundamental freedoms guaranteed in the United Nations Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, adopted by consensus by the UN General Assembly on 9 December 1998, and to recognize the legitimacy of the activities of human rights defenders, their right to freedom of association and to carry out their activities without fear of reprisals.

We would particularly draw your attention to Article 6 (c) which states that:

"Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others: To study, discuss, form and hold opinions on the observance, both in law and in practice, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and, through these and other appropriate means, to draw public attention to those matters.”

And to Article 12.2, which provides that:

 "The State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration.”

We also urge the Arab governments to immediately release all the detained human rights defenders as well as prisoners of conscience who are imprisoned solely due to their legitimate and peaceful work to promote human rights in the region.

No creativity or a prosperous future without the maintenance of public freedoms and the support and protection of human rights defenders and here we call on the United Nations and international institutions, to activate the United Nations human rights mechanisms and to do everything possible in their power to support and protect human rights defenders in the region.

Human rights defenders gathering in Tunisia

January, 2015.

(gc4hr.org)