Part C Engaging regional mechanisms for HRD rights 1 Regional human rights systems and HRD rights Regional human rights systems can bridge the gap between national and international human rights protection, making available remedies that may not be accessible at those levels. They can adapt to the specific concerns of the region and leverage states’ common interests and proximity to influence governments to safeguard rights. Asia Pacific does not yet have a region-wide system to protect and promote human rights. However, by looking at some examples from other regions, NHRIs and other actors can draw learnings and inspiration for building and strengthening Asia Pacific’s own regional and sub-regional systems to protect and promote HRD rights in the region. The main regional human rights systems are established in Africa, the Americas and Europe (within the African Union and the Organization of American States, and the Council of Europe). These regional human rights systems comprise of human rights instruments, such as treaties and declarations. These are complemented by regional human rights mechanisms, such as commissions, special rapporteurs and courts, which work to enforce these instruments locally. Each of these regional human rights systems emphasizes the importance of protecting and promoting the rights of HRDs. All three regional systems have specific mechanisms on HRD rights: The African and Inter-American systems have dedicated rapporteurs on HRDs (the African Commission’s Special Rapporteur on HRDs and the Inter-American Commission’s Rapporteurship on Human Rights Defenders and Justice Operators). Similar to UN special rapporteurs, these receive information on HRD rights, conduct country visits and can make statements and recommendations. The Council of Europe’s Secretary General has a ‘Private Office Procedure’ to investigate alleged reprisals against HRDs for interacting with the Council of Europe. In addition, in each system, other mechanisms provide avenues for NHRIs to engage in protecting and strengthening HRD rights. For instance, the African Commission and the Inter-American Commission (AICHR) receive individual communications/petitions and have the authority to adopt precautionary or urgent measures in cases involving irreparable harm, including violations of HRD rights. Furthermore, strategic litigation on HRD rights can be pursued through the courts in all three regional systems, which have mechanisms for enforcing their rulings. These avenues contribute significantly to the defense and promotion of HRD rights within their respective regions. Currently, around one third of the precautionary measures granted by the Inter-American Commission every year are intended to protect the life and integrity of human rights defenders and justice operators in the region. Source: OAS Resource • 14 ISHR, Reprisals Handbook (2018) Engaging with Regional and International Actors Toolkit