Moldova: UN expert announces visit to probe the situation
of human rights defenders
GENEVA (22 June 2018) – UN Special Rapporteur Michel
Forst has announced his first official visit to the Republic of Moldova, from
25 to 29 June, to assess the situation of human rights defenders and to review
State efforts, progress and challenges in ensuring their protection and in
enabling their important role.
“This visit is a great opportunity to engage in a
constructive dialogue with State authorities and civil society organisations
and identify ways to support a safe and enabling environment for human rights
defenders,” said Mr. Forst.
During his one week visit, at the invitation of the
government of the Republic of Moldova, Mr. Forst will meet State officials,
members of the judiciary and prosecutors’ office, lawyers, journalists, as well
as members of the Ombudsman’s office, human rights defenders and
representatives of civil society organisations. He will visit Chisinau and
Tiraspol.
“I look forward to analysing and addressing the
challenges faced by civil society organisations, identifying the good practices
implemented by the Government and finding ways to support and empower the vital
and legitimate work of human rights defenders.”
The Special Rapporteur will share his preliminary
findings and recommendations at a news conference on Friday, 29 June 2018, at
14:00 local time, at UN House, 131, 31 August 1989 str., in Chisinau. Access to
the news conference is strictly limited to journalists.
The Special Rapporteur will present his findings to the
2019 March session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
ENDS
Mr. Michel Forst (France) was appointed by the Human
Rights Council as the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rightsdefenders in 2014. Mr. Forst has extensive experience of human rights issues
and specifically of the situation of human rights defenders.
He was the
Director General of Amnesty International (France) and Secretary General of the
first World Summit on Human Rights Defenders in 1998.
He is a former UN
Independent Expert on the human rights situation in Haiti.
The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the
Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest
body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name
of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that
address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of
the world.
Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not
UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work.
They are independent from
any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.
UN Human Rights, Country Page: Honduras
For additional information please contact: Adriana
Zarraluqui +41 79-752 0485 (before/during the dates of the visit) /
azarraluqui@ohchr.org)
For media requests and queries relating to the press
conference on 11 May please contact, in Tegucigalpa, Evelyn Molina, Public
Information Officer, consultantmolina@ohchr.org| +504.9441.2869
For media inquiries related to other UN independent
experts:
Jeremy Laurence (+ 41 22 917 9383 / jlaurence@ohchr.org)
This year is the 70th anniversary of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN on 10 December 1948. The
Universal Declaration – translated into a world record 500 languages – is
rooted in the principle that “all human beings are born free and equal in
dignity and rights.” It remains relevant to everyone, every day.
In honour of
the 70th anniversary of this extraordinarily influential document, and to
prevent its vital principles from being eroded, we are urging people everywhere
to Stand Up for Human Rights: www.standup4humanrights.org
Nema komentara:
Objavi komentar