《人权捍卫者宣言》简介
《人权捍卫者宣言》是联合国第一份承认人权捍卫者工作的重要性以及承认给予开展保护人权运动更好保护的需要的文件，《宣言》的全称是《个人、群体和社会机构在促进和保护普遍公认的人权和基本自由方面的权利和义务宣言》，于1998年12月9日被联合国大会采用。
《宣言》包含了人权活动者的权利条款，以及在国家保证这些权利时应履行的义务。另外，《宣言》包括了人权捍卫者的义务的条款，以及其它能够影响人权实现的人的义务。
《人权捍卫者宣言》在联合国大会的所有185名成员国适用。作为一部《宣言》，它对这些国家虽然没有法律的约束力。然而，它所包含的一系列的国际原则和人权标准，在其它国际文书中是具有法律约束力的——如《公民权利和政治权利国际公约》所规定的基础权利。同时，《宣言》对联合国成员国有极大的道德权威，因为这些国家都一致同意《宣言》的所有条款，是各成员国非常强有力的承诺。它反映了国家意图遵守的规范，即使国家不必这样做。
然而，仅仅是《宣言》的存在已经是非常重要了。它表达了国家已经接受了有关保护人权捍卫者的国际规范，即使国家还没有像签署和认可条约或公约一样签署和认可《宣言》。国家已经在精神上接受《宣言》的约束即使他们的实践没有必要与《宣言》的条款相一致。
General Assembly
Resolution A/RES/53/144
adopting the Declaration on human rights defenders
Elaboration of the
Declaration on human rights defenders began in 1984 and ended with the adoption
of the text by the General Assembly in 1998, on the occasion of the fiftieth
anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A collective effort
by a number of human rights non-governmental organizations and some State
delegations helped to ensure that the final result was a strong, very useful
and pragmatic text. Perhaps most importantly, the Declaration is addressed not
just to States and to human rights defenders, but to everyone. It tells us that
we all have a role to fulfil as human rights defenders and emphasizes that
there is a global human rights movement that involves us all. The Declaration’s
full name is the “Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of
Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally
Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms” – with this longer title
is frequently abbreviated to “The Declaration on human rights defenders”.
1. Legal character
The Declaration is not, in
itself, a legally binding instrument. However, it contains a series of
principles and rights that are based on human rights standards enshrined in
other international instruments that are legally binding – such as the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Moreover, the Declaration
was adopted by consensus by the General Assembly and therefore represents a
very strong commitment by States to its implementation. States are increasingly
considering adopting the Declaration as binding national legislation.
2. The Declaration’s
provisions
The Declaration provides
for the support and protection of human rights defenders in the context of
their work. It does not create new rights but instead articulates existing
rights in a way that makes it easier to apply them to the practical role and
situation of human rights defenders. It gives attention, for example, to access
to funding by organizations of human rights defenders and to the gathering and
exchange of information on human rights standards and their violation. The
Declaration outlines some specific duties of States and the responsibilities of
everyone with regard to defending human rights, in addition to explaining its
relationship with national law. Most of the Declaration’s provisions are
summarized in the following paragraphs. It is important to reiterate that human
rights defenders have an obligation under the Declaration to conduct peaceful
activities.
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