State University — Higher School of Economics
Public Policy Department
MA program «Policy analysis and Public Policy»
Essay for the course «Global Actors»:
Front Line:
The International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders as a Global Actor
Elena Pervushina
Moscow, 2011
Introduction
The organization which I have chosen for consideration is called «Front line: The international foundation for the protection of human rights defenders».
Human rights defenders are often the key agents of change within society. They are at risk because they touch on powerful interests when they promote social justice and human rights for all. The repression against them is a measure of their potential effectiveness. Protecting human rights defenders and expanding the space for civil society to work in is a crucial element in any strategy which seeks to promote good governance, peace, development or human rights.
Mission
The mission of Front Line is to protect, defend, support, and act for and with Human Rights Defenders whose lives and health are at risk because of their peaceful and legitimate activities.
The origin of the organization
Front Line was founded in 2001, under the leadership of the former Executive Director of the Irish section of Amnesty International, encouraged by a number of key leaders in the human rights movement.
Why Аctor?
I think that actor means independent participant of any process. Actor should also have his own strategy and tactic, his own position and opinion, which will not depend on political situation, outside pressure etc. Actor has also financial independence and self-management. Frontline organization responds all these criterions.
Why Global?
The concept «Global» means cases or problems which take place not on local level and not only inside one country, but global means – challenges which appear in the world community. In this connection Global Actor is an independent actor who has necessary resources and and possibilities to accept some of these challenges. So I am sure that Frontline is a successful example of global actor, because they have resourses and they act and help in different countries of the world. It is very important to say that Frontline also use an international mechanism of influence.
Description of actor
Front Line: the International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders is the only international NGO that is exclusively dedicated to the support and protection of human rights defenders. Front Line’s specific aim is to work for the protection of human rights defenders at immediate risk and to provide practical means to improve their security. Since its creation in 2001, Front Line has worked on behalf of more than 600 human rights defenders in over 100 countries.
Front Line provides practical support for human rights defenders through:
international advocacy on behalf of human rights defenders at immediate risk; grants to pay for the practical security needs of human rights defenders; training and resource materials on security and protection, including digital security; rest and respite, including the Front Line Fellowship; opportunities for networking and exchange between human rights defenders, including at the biennial Dublin Platform; the annual Front Line Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk; an emergency 24 hour phone line for human rights defenders operating in Arabic, English, French, Spanish and Russian.
Front Line combines “round-the-clock” practical support with international advocacy, which promotes visibility and the recognition of human rights defenders as a vulnerable group.
In addition, Front Line’s action also includes managing risks and supporting access to the mechanisms of the UN and other bodies. Front Line works closely with UN agencies, institutions and the diverse range of civil society organisations involved in the protection of human rights.
Frontline use an international mechanism of influence through:
United Nations;
African Commission on Human and People's Rights;
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) – Unit for Human Rights Defenders;
Council of Europe – Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights;
OSCE Focal Point for Human Rights Defenders;
The European Union and the Protection of Human Rights Defenders;
International NGOs and Networks.
Front Line engages in advocacy for strengthened protection of human rights defenders with individual Governments and with international and regional organizations.
For Front Line, a human rights defender is “a person who works, non-violently, for any or all of the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights”. As such, it works on behalf of a very broad spectrum of human rights defenders, not only renowned human rights activists but also the many “frontline” human rights defenders working at the grassroots level across the world.
Since its creation in 2001, Front Line has supported human rights defenders in over 100 countries through a highly responsive, fast and flexible program that includes protection, networking, training and supporting access to the mechanisms of the UN and other bodies.
Front Line has taken up over 600 cases of human rights defenders at immediate risk. Front Line’s support has extended to over 100 countries through direct interventions, international advocacy and grant support. In some severe cases Front Line has also facilitated the temporary relocation of human rights defenders in immediate danger.
To date the organisation has disbursed over € 300,000 in grant support to more than 200 human rights defenders in need of medical, legal and security assistance.
Front Line works with human rights defenders to deliver regional & international training in personal security, risk assessment and IT security. In 2006, the foundation conducted training in security in Guatemala, India, Zimbabwe, Yemen, Belarus, the Democratic Republic of Congo and in Jordan for human rights defenders from Syria and Iraq. Front Line also works with women human rights defenders to address the specific risks they face.
Front Line publishes detailed reports of the situation of human rights defenders at risk. To date, it has published reports on the situation of human rights defenders in Brazil, Central Asia, Guatemala, Indonesia, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and the USA.
Every two years Front Line hosts a meeting for 100 human rights defenders. There they share experiences and learn from each other, build contacts and networks, acquire new skills and engage with additional participants drawn from NGOs and inter-governmental organizations such as the UN, the EU, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
Front Line has successfully lobbied the Irish Government to set up a pilot scheme that speedily provides temporary humanitarian visas for human rights defenders that are at immediate risk. The foundation also played a key role in the adoption of EU Guidelines for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders during the Irish Presidency in 2004. Front Line has established an EU office in Brussels to press for more effective implementation of these Guidelines.
Develop Front Line as an Irish based international organization which reflects its internationalism in the geographic reach of our activities, the diversity of our staff,our commitment to multilingualism and the international breadth of our support network.
Front Line will continue to play a facilitating/catalytic role in bringing together human rights defenders, decision makers and those with specific areas of expertise to promote innovative approaches to strengthening protection.
Priority Actions
1. Provide rapid, practical and effective support to human rights defenders at risk:
1.1 Provide fast, flexible and effective 24 hour emergency response that contributes to the protection of HRD at immediate risk.
1.1.1 Maintain and develop research contacts with HRD and others
1.1.2 Increase focus on particularly vulnerable groups including isolated hrds/ working in rural areas, indigenous rights, sexual rights, ESC rights
1.1.3 Sustain and develop 24/7 emergency response system.
1.1.4 Develop capacity to deploy trial observers or short term accompaniment.
1.1.5 Maintain emergency relocation capacity (including humanitarian visas)
1.1.6 Explore alternative strategies to relocation including support in-country.
1.2 Provide practical support that contributes to strengthening HRD capacities to manage security.
1.2.1 Maintain and deepen the training/ security management program with more focus on follow-up and behavioural change of HRD.
1.2.2 Explore opportunities for distance learning opportunities on security to be made available to HRDs.
1.2.3 Develop resources and promote awareness of well-being and stress management techniques for HRD and their families.
1.2.4 Provide grants for security and protection.
1.2.5 Develop Fellowship opportunities which enable individual HRD to develop their capacities and contribute to protection of HRD.
1.2.6 Sustain and develop the Front Line ID cards.
1.2.7 Sustain regular communications with HRD in several languages.
1.3 Support networking and exchange between HRD on the subject of security and protection.
2. Enhance the visibility of human rights defenders and the recognition of the legitimate work that they undertake:
2.1 Maintain and develop the new Front Line website and explore new social networking tools.
2.2 Promote media coverage of HRD and their role as key agents of change and Front Line's work to protect them in Ireland and in their own countries.
2.3 Maintain the Dublin Platform.
2.4 Sustain and develop the Front Line Award for HRD at risk.
2.5 Develop campaigning on long-term cases of HRDs.
2.6 Give personal recognition to every HRD that Front Line works with.
2.7 Identify a partner to explore the possibility of HRD focussed radio programmes on a pilot basis.
3. Strengthen international protection of human rights defenders at risk.
3.1 Support the strengthening of international mechanisms for the protection of HRD.
3.1.1 Promote the visibility and implementation of the UN Declaration on HRD.
3.2.2 Support the strengthening and visibility of the role of the UN Special Rapporteur on HRD.
3.1.3 Promote access of HRD to UN mechanisms ( UPR, HRC).
3.1.4 Promote strengthened regional mechanisms for the protection of HRD and lobby for their effectiveness / implementation.
3.1.5 Promote stronger implementation of the EU Guidelines on the Protection of HRD.
3.2 Support the strengthening of the international constituency of support for the protection of HRD.
3.2.1 Engage non-EU governments to take responsibility for security and protection of HRD.
3.2.2 Develop capacity to engage and influence perpetrators and non-state actors.
3.2.3 Stimulate discourse on the crucial role of HRD with key opinion formers at international level.
4. Further develop Front Line as an effective and sustainable organization that retains agility and innovation in responding to the needs expressed by HRD.
4.1 Sustain and develop the staffing, management and operational systems of the organisation, including digital and information security.
4.2 Develop regional presence with expansion of field-based model.
4.3 Sustain and develop organizational infrastructure, management and communication systems.
4.4 Sustain and develop the size, scope and diversity of Front Line's funding base.
4.5 Support effective functioning of governance structures.
4.6 Further develop diverse and multilingual staff.
4.7 Integrate risk analysis systematically into planning of all missions and other field based activities.
Organizational Structure
Front Line is governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by Irish entrepreneur Denis O’Brien. The composition of the Board includes a diversity of backgrounds that, in the field of international human rights NGOs and agencies, is both unusual and innovative. In addition to having several individuals with extensive skills in a variety of aspects of human rights policy and practice, the Board includes members with substantial expertise in business and finance.
Front Line is also advised by a Leadership Council, currently composed of:
· Hanan Ashrawi Robert Badinter
· Bono His Holiness The Dalai Lama
· Indai Lourdes Sajor Wangari Muta Maathai
· Adolfo Perez Esquivel Desmond Tutu
Front Line, an international charitable foundation, is independent and impartial. Its operating budget amounted to €1.50 million in 2006. The organization is supported by the Irish, Swiss and Norwegian governments, and by the Atlantic Philanthropies, the Sigrid Rausing Trust, the Oak Foundation, the Ireland Funds, Loretta Brennan Glucksman, the Denis O’Brien Foundation, HIVOS, the Open Society Institute and the Urgent Action Fund.
Front Line developed a number of internship and fellowship opportunities. Examples are the Frank Jennings Internship, which provides practical support to the office of the UN Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders, the Front Line Internship to the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the Front Line Peking Intern Programme, organised in collaboration with Peking University.
Measures of success
The negative political context in which Front Line is working makes efforts to protect human rights defenders more urgent but offers slim prospects that they will be less at risk in four years time. Front Line will be effective if:
The human rights defenders Front Line works with have a greater capacity to manage the risks that they face;
International mechanisms to protect human rights defenders are more effective;
There is a measurable positive improvement in at least 35% of the cases of human rights defenders at risk that Front Line takes up.