International Advocacy
«The United Nations must focus on delivery rather than process and on people rather than bureaucracy.»
Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General
«In today’s world, pressure is mounting on human rights organizations to step up and strengthen international advocacy work. With our feet firmly planted in the world of civil society, we are definitely facing up to that challenge.»
Gunnar Ekeløve-Slydal, Deputy Secretary General
Meeting rooms and conference halls in Strasbourg, Geneva, Brussels, and Vienna are far removed from the everyday struggle for human rights. Still, the good fight is fought on many levels, including by advocating for adherence to international human rights standards.
In partnership with other stakeholders, the NHC is working to create a strong and diverse civil society which can influence authorities to respect and protect human rights and the rule of law. Our three priority objectives throughout the year have been advocating for civil society organizations’ ability;
to develop the required tools and capacity to challenge domestic and international authorities on human rights;
to advocate for and support groups and individuals at risk in order for them to draw attention to their situation and benefit from assistance programs;
and finally to document human rights violations and advocate for the application of international mechanisms to fight impunity and promote accountability.
In 2023, the NHC reached out further than ever regarding international human rights work. We were invited to meetings at the European Parliament in Brussels devoted to developments in Russia, protecting the country’s civil society, and providing input to the EU-Uzbekistan and EU-Tajikistan human rights dialogues. In the Council of Europe, we attended coordination meetings devoted to the situation of political prisoners in Russia and Belarus. In Strasbourg, we also participated in preliminary talks on establishing international criminal tribunals.
The NHC organized a side event at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) Summer meeting in Vancouver, Canada, about «Mobilization for Justice in Ukraine.» The event was hosted by the Norwegian and the Ukrainian delegation. The side event discussed realistic outcomes of the ongoing justice efforts about the war in Ukraine, including the prospects of prosecuting the Russian leadership for the crime of aggression. The panellists addressed the need for an unequivocal international legal response for all victims and the State of Ukraine.
We submitted formal complaints to the UN Special Rapporteurs on the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression and on Human Rights Defenders, resulting in urgent communications from Geneva to both Bishkek and Dushanbe, as well as briefing the UN Special Rapporteurs on Freedom of Religion or Belief and on Minority Issues ahead of their missions to Tajikistan. Ahead of our participation at the annual meeting of the EBRD in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, we submitted written input on the role of civil society in the region. The NHC and the Coalition for International Criminal Justice (ICJ), of which we are a founding member, were active on international justice issues. In New York, we organized a side event during the ICC Assembly of States Parties on the role of religion in conflicts, presenting legal tools for practitioners within international criminal law.
In our hometown, Oslo, we led coordinating efforts to strengthen the role of the Council of Europe (CoE) based on our partnership with the CURE campaign. In the framework of the Norwegian NGO Forum, we provided input to Norway ahead of sessions at the UN Human Rights Council. During his October visit to Oslo, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr. Volker Turk, attended a seminar at the NHC offices to discuss current challenges with members of the NGO Forum.
Finally, we submitted an application for Participatory Status at the CoE. Despite pushback from authoritarian member states, we kept up the work to obtain observer status in the UN, responding to detailed communications from the United Nations NGO Committee in New York.