Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the safety and security of human rights defenders throughout the world.

​Regrettably human rights defenders remain under attack in many parts of the world. In 2018 over 300 defenders were killed and thousands more imprisoned, attacked or tortured around the world. This is why, at the high-level meeting on human rights defenders at the UN on 18 December, we called on governments to allow human rights defenders to fight for human rights; allow civil society the space to engage with and, where needed, challenge governments without fear or reprisal; and to create an environment where democracy can flourish. In November we co-sponsored a new UN General Assembly resolution on freedom of assembly and association, further strengthening support for civil society and human rights defenders. Throughout 2019 our network of embassies and high commissions will continue to work with Human Rights Defenders using the UK Guidelines on Working with Human Rights Defenders, which were updated again in 2018, to inform their work. Last year on International Human Rights Day Lord Ahmad hosted key human rights defenders.