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News — PRETORIA - The ’s (UP) recently co-hosted a roundtable discussion in conjunction with the to address increasing safety concerns for human rights defenders. The event featured United Nations , who is visiting South Africa in response to various civil society organisations having raised the alarm.

“We know that 300 to 400 human rights defenders – a conservative estimate – are killed every year,” said Lawlor in her opening remarks, adding that addressing the killing of human rights defenders is her first priority and their long-term imprisonment is her second. “It’s just so cruel when people are locked away on charges such as terrorism, or subversion of the state or anti-government activities,” she said.

The discussion centred on the protection of human rights defenders, especially in Africa, and touched on the status and challenges of human rights violations on the continent. The roundtable also sought to strengthen collaboration between the UN and UP.

“Something that should be much more prominent is the news media,” said , Dean of UP’s . “We seem to be focusing on the Global North a lot, but as we know, in Africa, there are a lot of hostilities going on at the moment. We have huge appreciation for people who act as human rights defenders, no matter in what capacity.”

She added that she is very proud of the work of UP’s Centre for Human Rights, which has made significant contributions to the advancement of human rights in Africa.

Lawlor stated that she is mandated to do three things: implement a UN declaration of human rights defenders; keep up with the trends of human rights defenders around the world; and dialogue with governments – this includes encouraging them to ensure that human rights defenders in their country receive fair treatment.

Human rights defenders are now able to lodge anonymous complaints to the UN if they are treated unfairly by their government. The complaint remains confidential for 60 days in order to give the government in question a chance to respond to the complaint, after which it is made public. An assistant to Lawlor explained that human rights defenders have been under-represented in the African context especially.

The discussion provided valuable insight into the struggles that human rights defenders are facing, especially in the Global South. In an era marked by globally significant conflicts, it is vital to ensure that those who dedicate their lives to the protection of others are protected in turn.