Human rights monitoring

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By human rights monitoring (including protective accompaniment , but not a human shield ) receive human rights defenders protection so that they can continue to fulfill their human rights work. It is a legalistic approach that is necessary because of the UN resolutionand learns about the EU directive for the protection of human rights defenders. The presence of international civil society observers prevents human rights violations against human rights defenders and generally promotes the implementation of human rights in the respective country. Observation of human rights protects human rights defenders both directly from physical violence and harassment and indirectly by the fact that the state is increasingly fulfilling its human rights obligations at the national and local level as a result of international pressure.

Impact of human rights monitoring

The central instrument of human rights monitoring is the presence in the local conflict. The human rights monitors accompany the human rights defenders in their activities, e.g. B. at demonstrations, political harvest actions, court cases, police stations and peaceful land takeovers. Through this accompaniment, the accompanied experience concrete protection from:

  • Abuses by the military, police and prison staff
  • Use of violence, threats or intimidation of private actors
  • inappropriate police behavior
  • inappropriate conduct by the prosecutor
  • unfair and delayed legal proceedings
  • Stigmatization and persecution as supposed enemies of the state.

Observation of human rights can specifically and effectively help to reduce the practice of local violence, because the presence of observers means that local state and private actors of violence (e.g. security services of companies, private armies) are being observed, who thus shy away from human rights violations or do so less often and appear in a milder form. Those affected find out that they are entitled to rights, that these are increasingly respected by government agencies and that they are less exposed to criminalization. By observing the specific situation on site and asking government agencies about their actions, these agencies are increasingly paying attention to the allegations of human rights defenders and fulfilling their human rights obligations. The reports prepared by the international observers contribute to a critical and informed international public. This information is required by foreign government agencies for their diplomatic relations and by human rights organizations in order to put pressure on the perpetrating state.

Differences from government interventions

Governments or multinational state organizations can also send civilian or military representatives to monitor compliance with peace or human rights in conflict regions. There is no political independence. Examples: OSCE missions , deployment of military observers , election observation by state representatives .

requirements

Assumption of effect

Observation of human rights must adhere to the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of the conflict, neutrality in the context of the conflict and political independence . This makes it possible to be perceived as neutral by all those involved in the conflict and to be able to enter into an effective exchange with state representatives.

Nonviolence

Both human rights defenders (regulated in the UN resolution to protect them) and human rights monitors must be committed to nonviolence .

Commissioned by those affected

In an agreement, the human rights defenders must request specific and clearly defined protective accompaniment by civil society observers.

Willing state

State actors must have a serious will to protect human rights defenders, because human rights monitoring calls on the state to act at all levels. Observation of human rights can strengthen the state if some of its institutions (mostly at the lower level) do not adhere to the guidelines. The state acts with complete sovereignty and is able to enforce human rights with its monopoly on the use of force.

See also

literature

  • Klaus Liebetanz (2008): Peace Brigades International (PBI) - An exemplary response to our time. In: Association newspaper of the community of Catholic soldiers. (GKS), No. 273, Vol. 48, pp. 21-25.
  • Sarah Liedtke (2009): Philippines : Preventing violence with human rights ?. Protecting human rights activists in the Philippines through international accompaniment - In: Graswurzelrevolution, No. 336, Vol. 38, pp. 8–9 ( graswurzel.net ).
  • Liam Mahony, Luis Enrique Eguren: Nonviolent Disruption - Preventing Violence. Rotpunktverlag, Zurich 2002, 400 pages (classic on the theory of nonviolent deterrence through international human rights observation).
  • Anna Mölleken, Martin Peth: First practical experience in international peace work: A handout for students, graduates and career changers. Bonn 2008, 26 pp.
  • Katja Paulke: Dangerous struggle for human rights. In: unique. N3. 62, 2003, pp. 24-25.
  • Peace Brigades International (2012): Menschen.rechte.schützen. (accessed on June 21, 2015; PDF).
  • Jean-David Rochat, Yvonne Joos (2014): PBI and PWS: Preventing violence through international protection. In: Swiss Peace Foundation : KOFF Newsletter. No. 132, pp. 10–11 ( swisspeace.ch PDF; 1.2 MB, accessed on June 21, 2015; brief description of the instruments used to monitor human rights)
  • Johannes Stiebitz, Federal Agency for Civic Education (Ed.): International protection support for human rights defenders. 2014 (accessed June 21, 2015).
  • Ina Uhlich (2009): Main topic: Human rights monitoring in the Philippines. In: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL Magdeburg: Newsletter, pp. 13–15 (accessed on June 21, 2015; PDF, 806 kB)
  • Hannah Wolf (2013): Political persecution on “judicial channels”. P. 1–4 (accessed June 21, 2015, PDF, 325 kB)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ United Nations (1999): Declaration on the right and obligation of individuals, groups and organs of society to promote and protect generally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms - General Assembly resolution A / RES / 53/144. (accessed on June 21, 2015, PDF, 29 kB; UN resolution on the protection of human rights defenders )
  2. ↑ Council of the European Union (2008): Protection of human rights defenders - guidelines of the European Union. (accessed on June 21, 2015 PDF, 145 kB)
  3. ^ Action Alliance Human Rights - Philippines (Ed.) (2014): Human Rights in the Philippines - Claim and Reality. - Cologne, pp. 11-15.
  4. ↑ IPON (2012): IPON and the Instrument of Human Rights Observation. In: Observer. Volume 3, No. 2., p. 47.
  5. ↑ Peace Watch Switzerland (2015): Basics and working approaches of international human rights monitoring by Peace Watch Switzerland (PWS) 2015. - In: Basics and working approaches of international human rights monitoring by Peace Watch Switzerland (PWS) 2015 (accessed on June 21, 2015). (German; PDF, 96 kB)