PBI’s latest International Annual Report launched!
An overview of our work and impact supporting human rights defenders at risk around the world
DOWNLOAD THE REPORT IN ENGLISH HERE AND IN SPANISH HERE!
Today PBI published its 2022 International Annual Review, reflecting upon the challenges facing environmental and human rights defenders around the world, and the impact of their work and PBI’s activities in Latin America, Kenya, Nepal and Indonesia.
The increased militarisation of public security and widespread smearing of defenders were two of the dynamics that affected the ability of activists to work effectively across the regions and communities where PBI operates.
In response, PBI increased its frontline presence in some of the most violent territories, to ensure consistent international observation and implement sophisticated strategies to dissuade State and non-State armed actors from attacking community leaders defending their land against destructive natural resource exploitation, and protect civil society organisations denouncing corruption and abuses. We also supported hundreds of activists in their advocacy with international stakeholders, helping to build networks and initiatives to counter the smears and reprisals defenders face.
The annual report compiles the stories and testimonies of human rights defenders who receive holistic protective accompaniment from PBI so that they can carry out their activism safely and with impact. This includes Indigenous leader Bernardo Caal Xol, who was released from prison following advocacy, accompaniment and observation from PBI. It also covers the work done with women’s rights defenders in Kenya who report that capacity-strengthening work by PBI has enhanced not only their physical security, but also their wellbeing, resilience, and mental health.
In 2022 PBI provided holistic protective accompaniment to 1,874 individuals, 53 organisations and 822 communities globally. Our activities included a mixture of physical protective presence, capacity building, advocacy, communications and narrative work, as well as psychosocial support. Over two thousand people benefitted from PBI workshops to strengthen capacity in holistic security, peace-building, conflict resolution, psychosocial support, gender rights, solidarity-based action, and intersectionality. The human rights work of the defenders who PBI supported and protected in 2022 reached over 200,000 people across the world.
In 2021, PBI worked alongside brave communities and individuals working on a broad range of human rights issues, including land, environmental and Indigenous rights, civil and political rights, women’s rights and gender equality, and the promotion of peace and justice.
Our front line teams in Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico and Nepal worked with our amplifying offices in a range of other countries to match the needs of front line activists with international support from lawyers, UN mechanisms, foreign governments, fellow defenders, researchers and others.
As well as protecting and connecting threatened defenders, PBI campaigns alongside them for structural changes to tackle the root causes of human rights and environmental violations. In 2022, this included coalition advocacy calling for the EU and UK to better regulate business behaviour by making it mandatory to carry out human rights and environmental due diligence. It also meant lobbying governments to strengthen their protection policies for defenders at risk.
Indeed, building and contributing to coalitions is a fundamental element of PBI’s work, as we seek to build an exponential impact in the face of concerted attempts by governments to undermine rights and those who defend them. Whether local (such as Nairobi’s WHRD Toolkit Organisers), national (such as Mexico’s Espacio OSC) or global (such as the ALLIED alliance of environmental defenders), we are constantly playing facilitating, supporting and participatory roles in movements that build strength in numbers, and provide opportunities to share strategies and capacities.
PBI’s UK office supported this international work in a range of ways, including:
Recruiting field volunteers to carry out holistic protective accompaniment in PBI’s front line projects.
Hosting defenders from Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Kenya, Mexico and Nepal who visited London to successfully campaign for support and action from UK politicians, civil servants, lawyers and NGOs.
Collaborating with the University of Dundee’s Human Rights Defender Fellowship to provide respite and advocacy opportunities for defenders from Afghanistan, Kenya, Indonesia, Zimbabwe and elsewhere.
Building bridges between grassroots activists and human rights lawyers in the UK and beyond, who provided technical support and advice.
Successfully advocating for the UK government and its embassies to take action in support of threatened defenders and the issues they work on.
Working with the Corporate Justice Coalition to grow political, business and civil society support for a UK law on mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence to rein in irresponsible business behaviour.
Fundraising for PBI’s international work with human rights defenders at risk.
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