A/HRC/45/36 99. On 23 July 2020, the Government responded in detail to the note verbale in connection to the present report, drawing attention to the vibrant civil society in the country which is exploited by terrorist organizations purporting to be “human rights defenders”, who are able to access funding to serve violent agendas in communities on the ground. Regarding the alleged “red-tagging” of organizations as terrorist or communist, the Government stressed that OHCHR’s data gathering and analysis methodology needs to be more transparent and take into account the local political context. It noted that the long history of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF)’s exploitation and instrumentalization of human rights spaces is well-known and documented. 100. The Government stated that the remarks by the CEDAW member were made in her independent capacity as a human rights defender, and that qualifying her remarks as a reprisal undermines her right to express her independent positions. The Government stated that it has no policy of censoring, interfering with, or monitoring the activities of independent human rights experts, human rights defenders, and civil society actors. 29. Poland 101. On 4 March 2020, the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, following her visit to Poland, expressed concerns that some professionals in the cultural field were beginning to engage in self-censorship to protect themselves and their institutions (A/HRC/43/50/Add.1, para. 24). The Government of Poland at the Human Rights Council regretted that the report’s conclusions had been drawn based on “one-sided statements by unspecified interlocutors, unsupported by any concrete evidence.”72 In her response, the Special Rapporteur stated that mandate holders “often do not disclose the names of the sources of their information, particularly when people fear reprisals” and that “in the cultural sector in Poland there was some fear of being seen talking to me because of fear of reprisals.”73 She named, for example, reprisals with regard to employment in the cultural sector or being able to receive funding. 30. Russian Federation 102. On 14 January 2020, special procedures mandate holders expressed concern at “raids, seizures of property, prosecution, dissolution and interdiction” relating to multiple human rights and indigenous peoples’ organizations (RUS 9/2019), including the Center for Support of the Indigenous Peoples of the North (CSIPN), within the framework of the ‘Foreign Agent Law’ (see also Annex II). CSIPN and its director have reportedly been targeted for their engagement with the UN (see Annex II). 103. It was reported to OHCHR that the closure of CSIPN will have significant implications for the participation of indigenous peoples from Siberia and the Russian North and Far East in UN activities. It was reportedly one of the last few indigenous organizations in the region with accreditation to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) 74 and was accredited, held observer status or otherwise engaged with other UN entities. 75 On 6 November 2019, the Moscow City Court upheld the request of the Ministry of Justice for the dissolution of CSIPN, reportedly based on the organization’s failure to comply with certain administrative formalities, which mandate holders “considered to be disproportionate punishment for administrative irregularities of this kind (RUS/9/2019).” 72 73 74 75 40 Inter-active dialogue with the Special Rapporteur in the field of Cultural Rights, 18th Meeting, 43rd Regular Session Human Rights Council, 3 March 2020, at http://webtv.un.org/search/id-sr-oncultural-rights-18th-meeting-43rd-regular-session-human-rights-council/6138316455001/?term=&lan=english&cat=Regular%2043rd%20session&sort=date&page=5. Ibid. ECOSOC “special” status 2014, https://esango.un.org/civilsociety/consultativeStatusSummary.do?profileCode=629838. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Environment Assembly of the United Nations Environment Programme, Food and Agriculture Organization, and Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity.