Joining forces to better support and protect Environmental Human Rights Defenders in Europe

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Joining forces to better support and protect Environmental Human Rights Defenders in Europe

8 October 2024, UN House, 7th floor conference room

Closing remarks by Elena Kountouri Tapiero, Acting Regional Representative,

OHCHR Regional Office for Europe, Brussels

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Let me begin by thanking all participants for a very rich and lively exchange.

As mentioned in the opening, this meeting is one step in our organisations’ joint reflections on, and efforts to, better supporting and protecting environmental Human Rights Defenders in wider Europe region.

In consultation with partnering organizations, we will review the key takeaways of today’s discussions and come up with suggested follow-up actions and next steps, including on the initiative of a European Forum for environmental Human Rights Defenders, and how to take it forward.

I already noted down 3 key takeaways based on what I could hear today (apologies for having to attend part of the meeting online) , which should guide our joint reflections on how to jointly step up action to better support and protect environmental Human Rights Defenders:

  • against the background of increasing and diverse challenges facing Human Rights Defenders and particularly environmental defenders, and a rich but fragmented protection landscape, collective efforts are key to advance protection on the ground: there is a clear potential for additional synergies and cooperation among different international, regional and national institutions, bodies and mechanisms, to better partner up with and support civil society efforts on a holistic protection ecosystem
  • there is a call to further explore the role of the EU in terms of political engagement and countering negative narratives, promoting participation and dialogue, ensuring effective implementation and enforcement of relevant laws, as well as financial support
  • there is a need to strengthen outreach and meaningful direct engagement with frontline environmental Human Rights Defenders in the region, with particular attention to the needs of young defenders and more generally intersectional challenges affecting particular categories of defenders, including racism

    • Also, whatever we will come up with in terms of follow-up, we need to do it not only for but with environmental Human Rights Defenders. The concept of co-creation is key. And this is why we are committed to follow-up this meeting by creating, among others, additional spaces for consultation and exchange with frontline and grassroots defenders and movement leaders.

    One step in that direction is a spotlight event for and with Human Rights Defenders which our Office will be co-organizing with the European Parliament, and in partnership with Protect Defenders.eu and the civil society Human Rights and Democracy Network – and leveraging our close cooperation with the European Commission and the EU External Action Service – here in Brussels to mark the International Day of Human Rights Defenders, on 9 December.

    We will reach out soon with a save the date and invitations for that event and make sure that discussions you had today will feed into the policy dialogue we aim at facilitating in that occasion, to collectively reflect on how to step up a multi-actors engagement and commitment to Human Rights Defenders in the next EU term.

    Thank again to everyone for your contributions. We very much look forward to continue engaging with you all further on this important matter.


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