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A
team from the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights
Defenders (a joint programme of FIDH and OMCT) travelled to Maputo,
Mozambique, to assess the situation of civic space with FIDH’s new
member organisation, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD).
In the run-up to the elections, the team gathered information on the
situation of human rights and defenders in the country.
From
May 29 to June 1, 2023, a team composed of representatives of the
International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its member
organisation in Tanzania, Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC),
visited Maputo, Mozambique. This mission took place within the
framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights
Defenders (a joint FIDH and OMCT programme). Its aim was to
strengthen collaboration on the protection of defenders, particularly
with the new FIDH member organisation in Mozambique, the Centre for
Democracy and Development (CDD), which joined the Federation last
October.
The
team, which sought to gain a better understanding of the situation of
human rights defenders in the country ahead of the 2023 municipal
elections and the 2024 general elections, was able to meet with
representatives of Mozambican civil society, as well as
representatives of the national government and the international
community. The team was also able to discuss the impact of private
sector and extractive industry activities on human rights and
security in the country, particularly in the north of the country,
with the various stakeholders they met.
The
mission provided a better understanding of the scope of CDD's work in
Mozambique, in particular its initiatives relating to protection and
promotion of human rights, youth empowerment, economic and social
rights and the defence and protection of human rights defenders. CDD
also hosts and is currently developing the Secretariat for the
Mozambican Network of Human Rights Defenders (RMDDH).
In
Mozambique, the Observatory identified the need to establish
representations of existing national human rights mechanisms in all
country’s provinces, particularly the Ombudsman’s office, the
National Human Rights Commission and the Human Rights Directorate of
the Ministry of Justice.
The
Observatory welcomes recent developments concerning the draft law
regulating the activities of non-profit organisations in Mozambique
(NPO Bill). It was withdrawn from the agenda of the last
parliamentary session, and it has now been put back on the
consultation table. All stakeholders must therefore carry out a broad
and inclusive consultation process in order to overcome the obstacles
to freedom of association as effectively as possible.
Regarding
the human rights situation in the north of the country, the
Observatory calls for a global approach that tackle the root causes
of the conflict and where all parties - communities, civil society,
private sector and authorities - are consulted. The province of Cabo
Delgado in particular faces security, humanitarian and development
challenges linked to the exploitation of natural resources and
terrorist activities carried out by a group of insurgents. The
Observatory also encourages the development of the national action
plan on Business and Human Rights, and the consultation of civil
society in this process.
Lastly,
the Observatory calls on the Mozambican authorities to respect
fundamental rights and freedoms for an open civic space, as well as
to protect human rights defenders and journalists before and during
the municipal and general elections of 2023 and 2024, respectively.
The development and empowerment of a national network of human rights
defenders in the country is fundamental and will also help to build a
strong civil society.
Following
this mission, the Observatory will publish a report on the situation
of human rights defenders and civic space in Mozambique, which will
include analyses of the pattern of attacks and harassment against
human rights defenders and organisations identified during the
mission, as well as recommendations to the local and national
authorities as well as regional and international human rights
bodies.
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