In a July 29 statement, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Honduras (OHCHR) called on civil society organizations and Honduran government agencies to hold a discussion on how to strengthen the National Protection System. Honduras is one of five countries in the Americas region that has a National Protection System for human rights defenders and journalists. The System was created in 2015 under the Law for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, Journalists, Social Communicators, and Justice Operators. 

The OHCHR, while acknowledging that the existence of the National Protection System is an important advance, said it was “still necessary to deepen efforts to generate an enabling environment for the defense of human rights and the exercise of freedom of expression.” By July 29th, the OHCHR had recorded 66 violent incidents against at least 82 human rights defenders and 24 journalists in 2022 alone. The incidents include ten murders, eight human rights defenders, and two journalists.