Twenty-second International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations

Abstract

Focusing on eight countries in South Asia, this study examines the living tensions between governments and human rights defenders (HRDs). This provides new insights into the processes of governance and democracy in diverse communities. Analysis centres on civil society organisations’ (CSOs) perspectives on the contemporary situation of HRDs in South Asia using submissions to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), the United Nations five-yearly monitoring process. The governments’ UPR discourse shows how their engagement is characterised by performativity and legitimation. They appear to embrace the promotion of HRDs’ rights in a way that advances governments’ political legitimacy on the international stage. Instead, analysis of CSOs’ UPR discourse reveals that HRDs face a raft of rights violations, including threats, violence and murder. Accordingly, new insights are provided into the conference themes of democracy and diversity and, through reference to HRDs and CSOs, questions of representation and voice as well as frames of justice – human rights and the law. The findings show how HRDs’ work is being curtailed by increasing state restrictions on freedom of association and expression. The malaise is compounded by impunity for offenders, corrupt practices and governments’ failure to respond to earlier UPR recommendations. The analysis shows women HRDs are particularly vulnerable to all types of violation. This threat to democracy in the region shows that key reforms are urgently required, including measures to ensure the justiciability of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.