The President of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has called democracies of the Americas "total disgrace" for failing to protect those who defend the rights to land, territory and environment, after hearing the testimonies of defenders / as representing a coalition of 39 organizations at a hearing in Washington.
The coalition also launched a new report , which covers 17 countries, documents the specific and high risks faced by defenders / human rights as working on issues related businesses. The President stressed that the protection of this group of defenders / as is a priority for the Commission, but also recognized that a continued lack of resources severely undermines the ability of the Commission to respond appropriately.
The coalition of national, regional and international organizations - working throughout the Americas - had asked the audience to highlight the role of business in violations against defenders / as rights to land, territory and the environment. The report is complementary, and contains recommendations addressed to the Commission, states, companies, and international mechanisms.
"Through our analysis as a broad coalition, we were able to present to the Commission evidence of a pattern of attacks against defenders of land, territory and environment throughout the Americas, with clear examples of collusion between companies, the state and even organized crime, in order to silence defenders, "said Ben Leather International Service for Human Rights (ISHR).
In its recommendations, the coalition called on the Commission to incorporate a focus on this group of defenders in their work, while defining - in collaboration with civil society - protection measures that meet their particular needs and in particular those of communities and groups of people defenders. In addition, the coalition called on the Commission to convene a meeting between defenders and companies to talk about the responsibilities of the latter in terms of creating a safe and supportive environment the defenders.