Governments must view human rights defenders as allies in their quest to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), an expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council has said.
Special Rapporteur Mary Lawlor advocates for these activists worldwide, hundreds of whom are killed each year, including for simply wanting to protect their ancestral lands.
"In my view, human rights defenders breathe life into the Universal Declaration of Human Rights , which, as you know, the UN was founded on," she said in a recent interview with UN News in New York.
Ms. Lawlor sees a parallel between the landmark Declaration and the SDGs , which provide a blueprint for a more just and equitable future for all people and the planet.
The 17 Goals include ending poverty and hunger, ensuring access to quality education, protecting ecosystems and combating climate change.
And with governments keen to achieve them by the 2030 deadline, "why not see human rights, and human rights defenders particularly, as allies that underpin the Sustainable Development Goals ?"
Listen to our interview with the UN Special Rapporteur:
