ODIHR roundtable event in Podgorica focuses on situation of human rights defenders

The situation of human rights defenders in Montenegro was the main topic of discussion during a roundtable event organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on 30 August 2018 in Podgorica.

The event brought together 37 participants (23 women and 14 men) from state institutions, leading civil society organizations working on human rights issues and intergovernmental organizations. Participants examined the current challenges facing human rights defenders and discussed recommendations on addressing them in a gender-sensitive, inclusive and sustainable manner.

“At today’s event participants discussed how the standards enshrined in the ODIHR Guidelines on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders are being implemented in practice, enabling human rights defenders to carry out their important work,” said Omer Fisher, Head of the ODIHR Human Rights Department. The Guidelines offer guidance to OSCE participating States on how to implement their obligations on the protection of human rights defenders in line with international standards and OSCE commitments.

“Human rights defenders, whose role is to protect all against human rights violations, are vulnerable to human rights abuses too. We also need protection,” said Fana Delija, Executive Coordinator at the Center for Roma Initiative Niksic (CRINK). “This meeting is important to raise awareness about our risks and vulnerabilities and discuss ways to overcome them.”

Blanka Radošević Marović, Director General for Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms at Montenegro’s Ministry for Human and Minority Rights, said: “Ensuring workable and efficient protection and promotion of human rights and freedoms is the focus of our Ministry. It is our obligation to continuously evaluate the efficiency of our legal framework and policies in this area and create enabling conditions for human rights defenders.”

The event was organized on the margins of a country visit ODIHR undertook to monitor the implementation of its Guidelines. The findings of this and other similar country visits will be published in a report in 2019. The report will highlight challenges and good practices in the protection of human rights defenders in OSCE participating States.