STAND UP! Security guide for human rights defenders in Africa DEFENDDEFENDERS.ORG 1 – STAND UP! SECURITY GUIDE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS IN AFRICA Stand Up! Security guide for human rights defenders in Africa Published February 2017 East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project | Human Rights House Plot 1853 | Lulume Road | Nsambya | P.O. Box 70356 | Kampala | Uganda Phone: +256 (0)393 265 820 | +256 (0)414 510 263 E-mail: [email protected] | [email protected] Web: www.defenddefenders.org This publication is available online in PDF-format at: www.defenddefenders.org/our-publications Made possible by the generous support of Open Society Initiative for Eastern Africa (OSIEA), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and Soleterre - Strategie die pace ONLUS. Attribution should be made to: DefendDefenders (East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project). This report is distributed at no charge. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. PREFACE Stand up! The rights of our families, social movement, and in your digital communities, and fellow citizens must life. be protected. And YOU are the one to defend them! They have the right to Book One covers personal, physical, live in peace, to enjoy liberty, to speak and organisational security planning. freely, to live in healthy environments, Learn the essential framework for to enjoy democratic process... in short security analysis and planning as well to enjoy the promises of states made as the support mechanisms available in the Universal Declaration of Human at the regional and international level Rights. for human rights defenders. But these rights are not claimed easily Book Two covers digital security in Africa. Human rights defence is not for your devices, accounts, and “a walk in the park”. Human rights communications. Extend the lessons defenders across the continent are of security management into the threatened, harassed, imprisoned, digital realm with risk assessment of dislocated, and even killed because of your electronic workspace and learn their convictions and the work they do the essential steps to lock down your challenging the status quo. human rights work as you do it from Have you read the news? From your phone, computer, email, websites, Algeria to Zimbabwe we see an A-Z social media accounts and more. of repressive and heavy-handed measures restricting civic space to Turn the recommendations in these associate, assemble, and express for two books into action in your life the common good. While there are and support your colleagues and differences in severity, even in the communities to do the same and most advanced, open, and stable of you will see tangible results in the democracies you will find pushback form of more safety consciousness, when your work threatens the interest better communication and planning of the powerful. within communities of human rights defenders, and robustness of response You hold in your hands a tool to reduce when threats do manifest themselves your exposure to the risks inherent in as attacks. your goals. Use it to better understand the opposing and supporting factors Stand up! Let’s do it together, and let’s in your environment, identify your do it safely. vulnerabilities, and create new capabilities to stand up to adversity. This tool is composed of two books written to meet the range of security concerns you may face in your personal life, in the life of your organisation or BOOK I PROTECTION AND SECURITY MANAGEMENT BOOK I Table of contents Introduction 8 Concepts Definition 9 • Who is a human rights defender? • Definition of security, safety and protection • Why is security management important for human rights defenders? • Common obstacles and impediments to human rights defenders’ safety and security • Security management steps Context analysis 12 • Why it is important to undertake a context analysis • Key factors to consider when carrying out a context analysis Security Incidents 14 • Examples of security incidents • How to react to security incidents Threat Analysis 16 • Definition of threat • Why are human rights defenders threatened? • Case studies Risk Assessment 18 • Definition of Risk • Common examples of risks in the sub-region • Risk assessment steps • Vulnerabilities • Capacities • Factors contributing to increasing risk levels for human rights defenders • Common mistakes about risk management Security Planning 21 • What is a security plan? • Security policy and security plan • How to develop and implement a security plan? • Implementation of the security plan • Practical ways of putting in place security measures Existing protection mechanisms for human rights defenders 23 • UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders • The Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights • National mechanisms for human rights defenders protection Annex 25 • Summary of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders INTRODUCTION Physical and organisational security management The adoption of the United Nations This manual reflects DefendDefenders’ Declaration on Human Rights Defenders experiences over the past 11 years, in 1998 and the establishment of the focused on ensuring defenders’ safety, mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur security and protection through on the situation of human rights trainings on security management, defenders in 2000 constitute major technical support, security guidelines milestones in the protection of human for defenders most at risks and rights defenders around the world. organisational support. It was However, defenders continue to face developed by the Security Management threats and risks despite the existence team within the Protection Department of these mechanisms. of DefendDefenders, with support from colleagues, national human rights Across Africa, human rights defenders defenders coalitions and HRDs in the working to promote and protect human sub-region. rights in volatile political contexts face major risks, such as killings, This manual adds to the existing physical attacks and assaults, arrests, materials on security management as intimidation and shrinking civic space. it contextualises security management States constantly fail to investigate knowledge and tools for defenders in violations against defenders. the region of East and Horn of Africa sub-region and the entire the continent. To ensure their security and the continuity of their work, defenders have taken steps to manage individual and organisational security by assessing risks and putting in place effective strategies to mitigate potential threats. Dedicating time and resources to managing security helps HRDs to continue their human rights activities and ensure their safety and security. DefendDefenders’ (the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Porject) contextualised manual on security is intended to serve as a tool for human rights defenders in the East and Horn of Africa sub-region to equip them with necessary strategies and responses to the often volatile environment they operate in. 8 – STAND UP! SECURITY GUIDE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS IN AFRICA CONCEPT DEFINITIONS WHO IS A HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER? For the purpose of this manual, security Human rights defenders are people is defined as ‘‘the state of being free who, individually or with others, act from intentional harmful acts’’ while to promote or protect human rights safety is defined as ‘‘the state of being enshrined in the United Nations free from unintentional harmful acts’’ Universal Declaration of Human both security and safety include the Rights 1948 (UDHR). The 1998 United element of danger. Protection are Nations Declaration on Human Rights measures taken by HRDs or other Defenders refers to “individuals, actors to enhance security2 and safety. groups and associations contributing to the effective elimination of all violations Examples of protection measures: of human rights and fundamental • Visitors access procedure; freedoms of people and individuals.”1 • Closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance and alarm; Anyone can be an HRD regardless of • Electric fencing; educational background, professional • Fire extinguisher; qualifications, gender, age, race, • First aid kit. social group, or nationality. If a street vendor or a banana seller denounces "During the September 2013 demonstrations the mistreatment of fellow sellers by local tax authorities, s/he is considered in my country, HRDs were killed, detained, and an HRD. In some cases, HRDs can be found in both private and government tortured by police and national security because sectors. All actions taken by HRDs must be peaceful. we did not think about our security, we did not DEFINITION OF SECURITY, SAFETY, do risk assessments and never thought about AND PROTECTION security strategies to mitigate imminent risks." Understanding the concepts of security, safety and protection, and the WHY IS SECURITY MANAGEMENT similarities and differences between IMPORTANT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS these concepts, will help HRDs conduct DEFENDERS? risk assessments and develop and implement effective security strategies HRDs, as people who stand up to protect and measures. the rights of others are subjected to 1 The Declaration’s full name is the “Declaration on the risks, and their fundamental human Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society rights are regularly violated. to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights