Defenders Ireland Launch 
ABColombia launches the international campaign and the new report ‘Climate of Fear: Colombia Human Rights Defenders Under Threat’ in Ireland.
Thursday 29 October 2009, Buswells Hotel, Dublin.
Panellists: Sally O’Neil (Regional manager for Latin America, Trócaire), Eduardo Carreño (Human rights lawyer for the Colombian Lawyers’ Collective José Alvear Restrepo - CCAJAR), James McIntyre (Director, Human Rights & Conflict Resolution Units, Department for Foreign Affairs), Sophie Haspeslagh (Programme & Advocacy Manager, ABColombia), Jim Loughran (Head of Media & Communications, Front Line). The event was chaired by journalist and broadcaster Rodney Rice.
At a public event in Dublin chaired by journalist and broadcaster Rodney Rice, ABColombia joined forces with Christian Aid, Trócaire and Front Line to launch an international campaign to protect human rights defenders under threat in Colombia. Human rights defenders in Colombia are regularly targeted with systematic stigmatisation, threats, sexual violence, unfounded criminal proceedings, violent attacks and killings carried out by all actors in the Colombian conflict.
The event organisers called upon Ireland and the EU to prioritise the grave situation of human rights defenders in their relations with Colombia.
Speaking at the event, Sally O’Neill, Trócaire’s Regional Manager for Latin America said “in the context of the protracted armed conflict in Colombia which has forced the displacement of over 4 million Colombians and the deaths of thousands of civilians, the work of human rights defenders is crucial to ensuring that the rights of the victims of the armed conflict and poor and vulnerable groups in Colombia are protected.”
ABColombia’s partner organisations in Colombia have regularly been the subject of killings, harassment, threats and intimidation in connection with their activities in defence of human rights.
Eduardo Carreño, a long term partner of ABColombia, gave a testimony on the situation faced by human rights defenders in Colombia today. CCAJAR was the specific target of an illegal intelligence operation carried out by the Presidential security service (DAS), involving members of the DAS monitoring the lawyers' activities.
Eduardo said that “the DAS actions do not appear to have been limited to collecting information but also to intimidating us.” He also highlighted the extremely high levels of impunity in violations committed against defenders and victims’ organisations.
James McIntyre highlighted the importance that Ireland attaches to human rights defenders, ‘the unsung heroes’, at the European Union and international levels. Ireland remains committed to ensuring the full implementation of the EU guidelines on human rights defenders, adopted under the Irish presidency of the EU in 2004 and has also raised concerns around the protection of defenders at the UN Council, within the framework of the Universal Periodic Review.
Sophie Haspeslagh presented the 5 focus areas of the international campaign (more information on the campaign), an initiative born out of the increased climate of fear faced by Colombian defenders today. She highlighted the need for the international community to bring sustained and coordinated pressure on the Colombian government to acheive positive and lasting changes for the country's human rights defenders.
So far 227 organisations from 26 countries have signed on to the campaign.
Jim Loughran emphasised the importance of the role of human rights defenders in promoting democracy, stating that they “offer us the best possibility of a better future”. He lamented the fact that 1.02 per cent of investigations resulting in sentences should be celebrated as a success and recalled that “the level of danger faced by human rights defenders is often a reflection of their success”. Jim called on the need for the EU Guidelines to have a practical application, not just remain as a diplomatic tool.
The event was attended by a cross section of political parties, civil society and trade union representatives and in the discussion that followed, Deputy Michael D Higgins, president of the Labour party and spokesperson on Foreign Affairs expressed the support of the Labour Party for the campaign.
Senator Ivor Callely, chair of the Oireachtas Sub Committee on Human Rights invited the event organisers to make a presentation to the Sub Committee on Human Rights on the situation faced by human rights defenders in Colombia.
Senator Deirdre de Burca noted the importance of the current EU trade negotiations with Colombia and emphasised the role the EU member states can play in ensuring that human rights concerns are taken into account during these negotiations.
Nessa Childers MEP welcomed the campaign and emphasized the key role that European parliamentarians can play to influence the EU’s relations with Colombia.
Ciaran Cuffe TD, Green Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Aengus O’ Snodaigh TD, Sinn Fein spokesperson on Foreign Affairs also attended, as did representatives of ICTU and Socialist Party MEP Joe Higgins.
The campaign is calling on the EU to act on a more institutionalised and common base to ensure that the situation of human rights defenders in Colombia remains at the top of the EU's trade political and diplomatic agenda.
Read the report
Download the Campaign Recommendations to the Irish government and the European Union here (pdf)
Join the campaign to protect human rights defenders in Colombia
Read about the Uk launch of the Campaign
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