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3. Your opportunities to engage

3.14 Scenario! – Opportunities to engage with the Special Procedures

Test what you've learnt!

Read the scenario and reflect on the questions below.

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Scenario

Uziopia

Over the last 5 years in Uziopia, there has been an increase in restrictive measures which monitor and limit the activities of civil society organisations. The latest law that was passed prevents organisations from accessing foreign funding. Penalties for breaking this law go from high fines for a first offence, to imprisonment for repeat offences.

These measures have in practice almost exclusively been implemented in relation to human rights organisations. While meetings are not prohibited, many hotels and institutions that previously provided meeting rooms are no longer willing to rent them out to human rights organisations. Observers, including some diplomats, suspect government intimidation.

Human rights defenders working with marginalised groups face particular challenges. For example, several leading women’s rights activists who have been peacefully campaigning for greater gender equality were recently publicly denounced by a group of five Members of Parliament who called for them to “shut their mouths or have their mouths shut for them permanently”.

Based on this scenario decide:

  • What do you think the UN system should do?
  • Remember that you can reach out to more than one Special Procedure and can suggest different activities to address the different aspects of the scenario
  • Remember to think beyond the official activities that Special Procedures can undertake
  • Why might Special Procedures not be able to do what you would like? How can you overcome those obstacles?

Download the scenario here.


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