In spring 2008, the UN Human rights Council appointed Margaret Sekaggya, until then Chairperson of Uganda Human Rights Commission as Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights Defenders. Sekaggya took up her function as Special Rapporteur in May. The mandate runs for a period of three years.
The mandate Sekaggya now holds was established in 2000 by the UN Commission on Human Rights (as a special procedure) to support implementation of the 1998 Declaration on human rights defenders (“ Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of society to promote and protect universality recognized Human Rights and Fundamental freedoms”)
The plight of a human rights defender
“Human rights defenders are fundamental actors in efforts to implement the overall international human rights framework” said Sekaggya in her lecture to the human rights fraternity in Uganda. She went on to commend human rights defenders for establishing, promoting and sustaining democracy, maintaining international peace and security, and providing or advancing a people-oriented agenda for development. She also indicated that human rights defenders sometimes operate at great risk to their safety and many times also the safety of their families. She also said that human rights defenders have suffered harm and face grievous threats to their life, liberty, security, independence and credibility. She mentioned the state apparatus, oppressive laws and other tools of repression continually being used against defenders in an attempt to deter them from the valuable work they contribute to the promotion of human rights.
Defenders in many parts of the World are subjected to assassinations, disappearances, arbitrary arrest and detention, torture and ill treatment. In several countries false cases were registered against defenders as a tactic of harassment. They suffer restrictions on their freedoms of movement, expression, association and assembly. Defenders have been subjected to false accusations, unfair trial and conviction. Added to these are vilification campaigns and propaganda against human rights defenders. In many instances such propaganda is initiated by agencies of the State and distributed by unscrupulous use of the media. A number of human rights defenders are living in self-imposed exile after having to flee their country to safeguard their lives or liberty. Reprisals and repressive measures have been taken against individuals and groups who have reported human rights abuse to international bodies, including the United Nations Human Rights mechanism. Finally, Sekaggya committed herself to working for the protection of human rights defenders by soliciting the intervention of appropriate mechanisms in cases brought to her communication and also strengthen relationships with regional mechanisms for human rights defenders, and encouraging the development of networks and coalitions of human rights defenders.
