ProtectDefenders.eu, together with the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE), is organising the workshop: "How to improve the protection of threatened lawyers worldwide? Practical tools from the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism", on Thursday 30th March.
This workshop will gather together lawyers, representatives of the EU institutions, Human Rights organisations and lawyers' associations to explore the resources and initiatives at EU level to support threatened lawyers worldwide, including the coming ProtectDefenders.eu online monitoring platform on attacks and threats against Human Rights Defenders and other practical tools for the protection of HRDs/ Lawyers.
Registration is available at: event@ccbe.eu
WORKSHOP — How to improve the protection of threatened lawyers worldwide? Practical tools from the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism
Thursday 30 th March — 14.00-18.00
Press Club, rue Froissart 95, 1040 Brussels
Registrations: event@ccbe.eu
14.00: Registration
14.30: Welcome speech by Ruthven Gemmell WS, President of the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE)
14.40: Keynote address by Mercedes García Pérez, Head of Human rights Division, European External Action Service
14.50 : Session I — INITIATIVES AT EU LEVEL TO SUPPORT THREATENED LAWYERS WORLDWIDE
Moderator: Richard Sédillot, CCBE Human Rights committee member/French National Bar Council (CNB) Vice-Chair of International & European affairs committee
Speakers:
— Threatened lawyers worldwide – Patrick Henry, Chair of the CCBE Human Rights committee
— Testimony: the situation of lawyers in Colombia — Jairo Enríquez Céspedes, President of the Executive Committee of the Colombian Bar
— The European Commission’s support of human rights defenders/lawyers — Sarah Rinaldi, acting Head of Unit "Human Rights, Gender, Democratic Governance", Commission’s Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development (DEVCO)
— The EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism – Joan Audierne, Head of Secretariat ProtectDefenders.eu
Q&A
16.00: Coffee break
16.20 : Session II — NEW ONLINE PLATFORM AND OTHER PRACTICAL TOOLS FOR THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS / LAWYERS
Moderator: Richard Sédillot, CCBE Human Rights committee member/French National Bar Council (CNB) Vice-Chair of
International & European affairs committee
Speakers:
— The new online platform — Javier Roura, Communications Officer ProtectDefenders.eu
— Presentation of the different types of help available — Tommaso Mignani, Grants Coordinator,
ProtectDefenders.eu
— Testimony by a Burundi lawyer relocated in Belgium
— Testimony by an Egyptian lawyer relocated in the United Kingdom (tbc)
— Testimony by a Kenyan lawyer relocated in the Netherlands
Q&A
17.50: Concluding remarks – Patrick Henry, Chair of the CCBE Human Rights committee
18.00: End – Drinks reception
