Southern Africa: Capacity-building for HRDs and lobbying for EU Support and Protection

From August 2005 to December 2007 I was a consultant for the Amsterdam-based Netherlands Institute for Southern Africa (NiZA). NiZA collaborated with human rights defenders in the Southern African region. NiZA also built the capacity of local human rights defenders. NiZA aimed to lobby the European Union (EU) to take steps to support and protect local human rights defenders in the region through the implementation of the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders. This work covered Angola, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

Angola

In 2005, I gave advice to NiZA's local partner in Angola, Mãos Livres, who organized a national meeting on human rights defenders in December. I also researched and drafted a report on the situation of human rights defenders in Angola and the activities the EU has so far undertaken to support and protect them. The report was published in March 2006. I advised NiZA and on NiZA's behalf lobbied the Netherlands Government and the EU to take action in relation to the situation of human rights defenders and individual cases. This included violations against staff of SOS Habitat (December 2005, March 2006), members of the opposition political party PADEPA (November 2006), and Sarah Wykes of Global Witness (February 2007). In response to the vilification of human rights organizations by leading government officials in July 2007, I initiated and drafted a joint letter to the EU Presidency signed by NiZA and seven other organizations.

18 August 2006, Luanda, Angola: Representatives of the embassies of Germany and the United Kingdom visit with Luis Araújo, Coordinator of SOS Habitat, during a "human rights vigil" that the Angolan NGO held from 15-20 August 2006 in an area where families forcibly evicted from the neighbourhood of the "Cambambas" have set up makeshift shelters. SOS Habitat had invited the diplomats to visit, while NiZA had also written them, urging them to act on the invitation. The event was reported to be the first public human rights vigil not to be broken up by the Luandan police. Photo credit: SOS Habitat.

14 November 2006, Luanda, Angola: At a meeting organized by NiZA, a representative of the German Embassy (local EU Presidency) outlines the EU policy on supporting and protecting human rights defenders, the "EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders." An Angolan NGO representative also made a presentation on the situation of HRDs in the country, making suggestions for EU action. Finally, I briefly presented the findings of the report I wrote on the situation of HRDs and the EU response. I then facilitated a discussion between HRDs and EU representatives regarding EU action to support and protect HRDs in Angola. The German Embassy representative promised to convey the contents of the discussion to the EU Heads of Mission.

Zimbabwe

From 19-26 May 2007, I carried out a mission to Zimbabwe in order to assess the situation of local human rights defenders and inventorize local efforts to support them. On this basis, I proposed a strategy to NiZA for intensifying its efforts to protect local activists.

Mozambique

In 2006, I carried out research on the situation of human rights defenders in Mozambique and what EU countries have been doing to provide them protection and support. The research resulted in a report containing recommendations for the strengthening of the EU's efforts in this area. The report was distributed to EU institutions and member states and, at the invitation of the Finnish Embassy in Maputo (the EU Presidency), I presented and discussed the findings and recommendations with EU Heads of Mission in December 2006. During 2006, I also assisted NiZA's local partner, the Mozambican Human Rights League, in organizing the country's first national conference on human rights defenders, held from 11-12 December 2006 in Maputo.

14 September 2006, Maputo, Mozambique: working with Custódio Duma of the Mozambican Human Rights League on the design of the First National Conference on Human Rights Defenders in Mozambique, which took place 11-12 December 2006. The programme included testimonies of local HRDs; presentations regarding the UN Declaration on HRDs, international and regional instruments for the protection of HRDs, and experiences in other countries (Brazil); and working group sessions to discuss in a participatory way the situation of HRDs in the country and what should be done to improve it.

12 December 2006, Maputo, Mozambique: A representative of the Finnish Embassy (EU Presidency) presents the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders to approximately 60 participants at the First National Conference on Human Rights Defenders.

12 December 2006, Maputo, Mozambique: Representatives of local NGOs participating in the First National Conference on Human Rights Defenders in Mozambique work on a synthesis of workgroup discussions regarding steps that need to be taken to improve the situation of human rights defenders in the country.