Human Rights Defenders and Diplomats: Reflections from Practice

The Diplomacy Training Program (DTP) and Front Line Defenders are hosting a special series of webinars to build awareness and knowledge of the role of diplomats in defending, promoting and protecting the role of human rights defenders.

In Human Rights Defenders: Guidelines and Reflections from Practice, Swiss diplomat Cecilia Neyroud and Sri Lankan human rights defender Ruki Fernando will share their experiences in how diplomats can use human rights arguments to protect human rights defenders.  This webinar will also explore how HRD guidelines and/or internal documentation can help diplomats promote the safety of HRDs and their work, and uphold wider civil society space, and examine how HRDs can most effectively engage diplomats in defence of universal standards of human rights.

For over 20 years Swiss diplomats have taken various steps to improve the protection of human rights defenders in their diplomacy across the world. Sri Lankan human rights defender, Ruki Fernando, is a direct beneficiary of such interventions and has helped other HRDs engage diplomats.

About the HRD Webinar Series

This webinar series builds awareness of diplomatic action to protect HRDs, its value in challenging growing restrictions on civil society space and defending the defenders.

Webinar 1 introduced the EU guidelines on Human Rights Defenders and their relevance for frontline human rights defenders.

Speakers

Cecilia Neyroud is a senior diplomat with the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs at the Peace and Human Rights Division.  She has extensive experience engaging with the UN's human rights mechanisms and with human rights defenders.  She will draw on her experience and her knowledge of the work of Swiss diplomats across the world to share practical guidance on how diplomats can help protect HRDs and the valuable work they do in defence of fundamental rights.

Ruki Fernando is an experienced and respected Sri Lankan human rights defender. His work for human rights made him a target of previous Sri Lankan governments. His arrest and detention resulted in urgent action by human rights NGOs and diplomats, resulting in his release. Ruki is a writer, human rights defender, and trainer whose knowledge and expertise is called upon by many, including DTP.

Moderator

Álvaro Gomez del Valle is the Senior Advocacy Lead for Front Line Defenders, based in Brussels.  In this role, he supports human rights defenders at risk through targeted advocacy at the national, regional and international level, including with the European Union and the United Nations.  He delivers advocacy workshops for human rights defenders on how to engage with international mechanisms, and how to use the different national Guidelines.  Prior to joining the organisation, he worked at the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), with the European Union in the Lao PDR, and with the Club de Madrid World Leadership Alliance.  He is a graduate of the European Master's Programme in Human Rights and Democratisation.  

Language

This webinar will be hosted in English.

Webinar Brochure

For more information about this webinar, click here to view the brochure.