A/HRC/60/62
meetings, the related opportunities and risks of reprisals, and good practices for Council
members to support safe civil society engagement with the Council.
22.
In its regular consultations with members of the Security Council as they prepare to
assume their monthly presidency of the Council, the Department of Political and
Peacebuilding Affairs systematically draws attention to issues related to the participation of
civil society representatives in Security Council meetings, including risks of intimidation and
reprisals, and directly engages with presiding Council delegations, together with OHCHR, to
promote best practices.
23.
The Office of Counter-Terrorism developed a standard operating procedure for the
implementation of the Human rights due diligence policy on United Nations support to
non-United Nations security forces, which involves conducting human rights risk
assessments that consider, among other factors, possible intimidation and reprisals for
cooperation with the United Nations.
24.
In September 2024, the United Nations Youth Office launched a dedicated module on
preventing and responding to intimidation and reprisals related to cooperation with the
United Nations as part of its youth-friendly online training course on engaging safely at the
United Nations. Nearly 2,000 young people have registered since its launch, and the module
is actively promoted ahead of major United Nations events involving youth participation. In
collaboration with OHCHR, the United Nations Youth Office, organized dedicated
preparatory sessions on safe engagement with the United Nations ahead of the Youth Action
Day of the Summit of the Future on risk prevention and response. For the Economic and
Social Council Youth Forum 2025, it disseminated a guidance note on safe and meaningful
youth participation in United Nations events.25
25.
During the reporting period, the Special Rapporteur on environmental defenders under
the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and
Access to Justice in Environmental Matters held several regional consultations with
environmental defenders from outside the territories of States Parties to the Convention who
were facing harassment linked to the operations of companies headquartered in States Parties.
Ahead of the consultation for Western and Central Africa in September 2024, a participant
was threatened with reprisals.
IV.
Ensuring access to the United Nations, its representatives and
mechanisms in the field of human rights
26.
Previous reports have addressed obstacles facing individuals and organizations who
addressed United Nations forums.26 Reports of attempts by representatives of Member States
to block or delay the accreditation of civil society representatives continued to be received.
Attempts by representatives of States to prevent, interrupt or discredit civil society’s
interventions at United Nations meetings were also documented. Incidents of intimidation
and harassment on United Nations premises, including at United Nations Headquarters, were
documented, in particular affecting Indigenous Peoples. Incidents included individuals being
photographed or recorded without their consent or government representatives addressing
civil society representatives in an intimidating manner, before, during or after their
participation in United Nations forums.
27.
Some United Nations peace operations27 reported that individuals and communities
seeking to access and engage with them, including to share information, faced challenges and
obstacles. In its resolutions, the Security Council has continued to urge States and all parties
to ensure full and unhindered access and freedom of movement for peace operations,
25
See https://ecosoc.un.org/sites/default/files/2025-04/SAFE-AND-MEANINGFULPARTICIPATION-IN-UN-EVENTS_UN-Youth-Office-Guidance.pdf.
26 See A/HRC/42/30, A/HRC/45/36, A/HRC/48/28, A/HRC/51/47, AHRC/54/61 and A/HRC/57/60.
27 The term peace operations in this context is used to refer to both peacekeeping operations and special
political missions.
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