On December 9, Swapon Das, of DALIT Khulna, Bangladesh and Rini Elizabath Babu, took part in the EU event in Brussels “A Spotlight on Human Rights Defenders: Enhancing the Common Agenda for Protection”.

IDSN delegates spoke about caste discrimination at several workshops and Swapon Das also took part in meetings with the European External Action Service, Members of the European Parliament and other EU officials. He also met with Mary Lawlor, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders and the Vice Chair of the Human Rights sub-committee MEP Marta Temido (see photo). They also met several Brussels based civil society organisations and had interactions with many other participants.

This high-level event included contributions from the EU High Representative and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Two panels focused respectively on policies and mechanisms aiming at support to human rights defenders, and on improving the protection of those of them at risk.

The event was a great opportunity for knowledge sharing and was organised by the European Parliament, UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Human Rights and Democracy Network and ProtectDefenders.eu

IDSN was again disappointed that one of our proposed delegates from Bangladesh nominated to attend this important had her visa denied due to increasingly restrictive visa rules apparently deemed ‘to be at risk of not returning to their home countries’. This is a major loss in relation to ensuring direct representation of Dalit women at such an important global event focused on protection of human rights defenders.