By Shriya Khadilkar, UNA-NCA Program Assistant
On Friday, October 11th, UNA-NCA in partnership with the Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center at Howard University, the Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center at Howard University Law School, and Front-Line Defenders hosted an event featuring a conversation with Mary Lawlor, who currently serves as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs). Ms. Lawlor was joined by Professor Justin Hansford, who currently serves as the Director of the Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center.
Ms. Lawlor and Professor Hansford conversed in a conversational style about Lawlor’s experiences as a human rights defender. Hansford is a member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent. He facilitated the Black Audit Project, which measures how well black people are doing with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Hansford began by asking “What your fourth report on human rights defenders is and how it will coincide with the United Nations Sustainable development goals?” Lawlor exclaimed that there is “only a single mention of human rights defenders” in the United Nations Report on Sustainable Development.
Following that Hansford then asks about “ How the rights of minorities affect the ability of human rights advocates to carry out their duties”. Lawlor responded with anecdotes of her experience with many human rights defenders around the world.
Her first example was of an HRD from Brazil whose work in a community facing issues with minority rights helped begin to restore those rights, though with more work left to be done. Furthermore, she brought it back locally to the U.S. sharing about how human rights defenders in Louisiana worked to stop cancer from affecting different areas disproportionately than others. She mentioned how factories that emit toxic residue into the air were linked to a high rate of cancer in the area. The majority of these factories were built in areas with a predominantly Black population and human rights defenders must consider the geography of the region when addressing minority rights. To end off the question, she also mentioned that minorities were often used as scapegoats and human rights defenders must not fall into that trap themselves.
Ms. Lawlor continued the discussion by saying that “I recognized that there are a lot more people interested in this work now than there were when I started working in the NGO and UN sectors.” Citing that more than 10 million people work in this field and it's only expected to grow.
Hansford then asked Lawlor about her experience as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders and how her past four years in this position have impacted her. Ms. Lawlor stated that the most important thing to know about this role is that it is a people-centered approach. She needs to focus on the good of the people in order to be able to mandate it as the United Nations Rapporteur for Human Rights Defender. She then follows up by saying that this is not just a one-sided role. Lawlor encourages the idea that everyone has a role in protecting these HRDs and it is something that not even AI can replace. Lawlor states that people have their eyes and ears on the ground enabling them to move from the local to the international level. Ms. Lawlor claims that simply having someone listen to her does not change their mind. Helping people change requires a collaborative effort. Lawlor explains that one must be resilient and willing to do whatever it takes to achieve one's goals, particularly in the human rights domain.
Finally, she emphasizes the importance of gathering information about human rights from independent institutes or embassies to ensure that it is accurate and unbiased. In today's world, misinformation spreads quickly, and Lawlor emphasizes the importance of knowing where your information comes from. With that, Lawlor and Hansford conclude the interview and invite questions from the audience.
One question came from a Howard student asking about the next steps that need to be taken to protect human rights defenders. Lawlor answered that we must keep persevering and making sure that human rights are uplifted.
Another question came from a Harvard graduate, who inquired about how “the global south and the growth of the global north is harming Indigenous people in the global south, as well as how human rights defenders can intervene.” Lawlor responded with future plans to write two reports on the subject and make it a priority to acknowledge these injustices.
Overall, the event provided an insightful understanding of human rights defenders and what needs to be done to protect them. Making sure that human rights advocates are regarded as significant members of society was one of the main lessons learned. The event also emphasized the value of humanitarian work and defenders, as these tasks cannot be replaced by computers in the future. Defenders of human rights are essential to preserving a better world. Learn more about Human Rights Defenders and their work through the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
