Women Human Rights Defenders

On March 11, 2021, the parallel event took place within the framework of the 46th session of the UN Human Rights C

Within the project “Campaign of political incidence at the international level for the protection of human rights defenders from Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras”, presented by PBI Catalunya and financed by the Provincial Deputation of Barcelona (DIBA), the journalists Xavier Sulé and Marta Saiz are publishing a series of articles resulting from extensive conversations with human rights defenders accompanied by PBI in Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras.

“We oppose development that reduces our forests, that destroys our lands” (…) With the pandemic we will have to live the rest of our lives. “

Jorge Sibas, leader of the Brörán people and Costa Rican defender.

According to the Mesoamerican Women Human Rights Defenders Initiative (Iniciativa Mesoamericana de Mujeres Defensoras de Derechos Humanos)¹

Civil society organizations, government institutions and international community spoke out against threats received by Consorcio Oaxaca and claimed immediate actions by Mexican Government to protect its staff.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador took office after campaigning on a platform focused heavily on combating corruption and insecurity and bringing peace and reconciliation to the Mexican people. 
This report focuses on how the new government can approach an important aspect of this endeavor: creating a safer and more enabling environment for journalists and human rights defenders to carry out their important work.

2018 has been a challenging year for human rights across the world.  Many of those defending human rights have been threatened, attacked and undermined, despite the celebration of 20 years of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.  PBI remains committed to protecting the space in which human rights defenders continue their arduous work in steadfast conviction that only when this protection is truly guaranteed will peaceful and democratic societies advance across the world. 

The past few months have witnessed significant change in Mexico given the election of a new President and the promises and commitments his new government have already laid out.

On 13 July 2017, the first roundtable discussions with regard to the Contingency Plan took place at the Chihuahua State Governor´s Office. The Plan is part of the early warning system for human rights defenders and journalists.

On 15 and 16 June the 4^th annual Statewide Meeting of Women Activists and Human Rights Defenders took place in Oaxaca. The event was organized by Consorcio Oaxaca, an organization that receives PBI accompaniment and attended by 70 human rights defenders from different regions of the state of Oaxaca and Natalia Barreto – an Advisor for Human Rights Cooperation and Culture of the European Union Delegation in Mexico.