The International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), in its submission to the Human Rights Committee, highlighted that human rights defenders are facing increasing risks globally and that their right to freedom of association must be interpreted in line with established international frameworks, including the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and the “Declaration +25” civil society supplement. ISHR stressed that these standards are essential to ensuring consistent and stronger protection for individuals and organisations working on human rights issues.
The submission emphasized that States have both negative and positive obligations in protecting freedom of association. States must refrain from interfering with the ability of human rights defenders to organise, while also actively ensuring their rights to assemble peacefully, participate in NGOs, communicate with international bodies, and access funding from diverse sources. ISHR underlined that defenders require an enabling environment free from criminalisation, harassment, and stigmatisation in order to carry out their work effectively.
ISHR also raised concerns about the participation of civil society actors in multilateral spaces, particularly highlighting issues related to the practices of the UN Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations. Drawing on findings from UN Special Rapporteurs, the submission pointed to barriers that limit meaningful civil society engagement in global decision-making processes.
Finally, ISHR called on the Human Rights Committee to clarify and strengthen States’ obligations regarding civil society participation at the multilateral level. This includes ensuring access to international forums, preventing and addressing reprisals, removing procedural barriers, and establishing accountability mechanisms through investigations and effective remedies when violations occur.
