The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Michel Frost will be in Hobart this Sat, Oct 8

The Special Rapporteur is conducting an official visit to Australia to assess the environment in which human rights defenders – including journalists, lawyers, activists, environmental defenders, Indigenous rights advocates and refugee advocates – are currently operating. At the end of his visit he will report publicly and to the UN Human Rights Council, with recommendations for improvement. Download below a note with further information about the Special Rapporteur.

The Special Rapporteur focuses on the treatment of human rights defenders themselves, rather than the issues that human rights defenders may advocate for. As such the Special Rapporteur is likely to be interested in information on:

• · The silencing of advocates;

• · The pursuit of whistleblowers;

• · Stripping of government funding for advocacy activities by NGOs;

• · Gag clauses in government funding agreements;

• · Threats to remove tax concessions from NGOs;

• · Anti-protest laws; and

• · Any other legal and practical impediments in using law to protect rights.

You have the opportunity at your meeting with the Special Rapporteur to advocate the case with a UN expert and brief him on any hurdles that you or your organisation faces in doing your work – constraints on free speech, limitations on rights, loss of funding or the chilling effect of certain government policies. You can also suggest the law or policy changes you would like to see to overcome these hurdles.

When: Saturday 8th October 2016

indigenous activists from 3:30 – 5:00p.m.

You are most welcome to come to one or all of the discussions.

Feel free to let your colleagues/friends know of the event and invite them to attend.

We would appreciate if you could RSVP to [email protected]

We really hope to see you there,

Ben

Download …

UNSpecialRapporteurHRD.docx
Benedict Bartl Solicitor