The statement was delivered as part of the Interactive Dialogue on the Secretary-General’s Report on Cooperation with the UN and its Human Rights Mechanisms. The report outlined how civic space is under threat, and listed the numerous reprisals which civil society organizations and human rights defenders have faced for working with the UN. This includes the delivery of statements, engagement with Special Procedures, and the submissions into UN Reports.
Since January 2025, the US Government has withdrawn from the UN Human Rights Council, stated its intention not to engage with the Universal Periodic Review*, and has initiated by Executive Order a review into the country’s involvement in international organizations. That report is yet to be published. Meanwhile, UN Special Rapporteurs have expressed great concern about threat to the human rights landscape within the US, particularly for Palestinian activists, while Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese has been sanctioned for her comments.
Humanists International has previously expressed concern about attacks against multilateralism. Having been active at the UN since the 1950s, the organization regularly works with civil society colleagues to highlight anything which signals the weakening of commitment to international institutions. As part of this, reprisals represent a particular threat to the most vulnerable actors, who, as the statement said, most need access to human rights bodies.
Commenting on the statement, Humanists International’s Senior Advocacy Officer, Leon Langdon, said the following:
“Reprisals come in many forms, as outlined in the Secretary-General’s report. From attacks and arrests, to stigmatization, human rights defenders face huge risks for engaging in any UN process. These attacks are often seen as isolated incidents carried out by a handful of states, but we argue that they cannot be disaggregated from rhetoric and measures which seek to undermine civil society more broadly, and which threaten multilateralism. The US has historically supported the UN and civil society, but is joining the ranks of countries which could create legitimate worries for the safety of individuals across the world.”
Featured photo by Charles Parker on Pexels.
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