“Protecting Human Rights, Humanitarian and Development Actors”, 31 Jul 2015

Humanitarian, development and human rights actors are facing increasing risks as a result of their work…The paper sets out a number of ways humanitarian and development actors could benefit from the approaches to protection developed by the human rights community, and vice versa…Global Witness…has documented a rise in attacks against environmental and land defenders. In 2012, three times as many defenders were killed as 10 years earlier. HRDs [Human Rights Defenders] working on socio-economic rights face higher levels of risk than other HRDs...The UN Special Rapporteur on HRDs has drawn attention to the particular risks faced by HRDs working on large-scale development projects…Given the tendency to paint those defending human rights in the context of development as anti-growth, narratives that highlight how human rights supports economic growth are important. Lazala…argues legitimacy is enhanced…by developing arguments to demonstrate how a vibrant civil society is able to benefit business.