“In a joint submission, the International Service for Human Rights, the Medical Action Group, the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates and the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact have highlighted the risks human rights defenders working on economic, social and cultural rights face in the Philippines.
Defenders are subject to threats, harassment, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances and murder; all within a deep-rooted culture of impunity. In fact, Front Line Defenders ranks the Philippines as the second most dangerous country in terms of the number of human rights defenders murdered, while Global Witness ranks the Philippines as one of the most dangerous to be a land and environmental defender.
The 59th session of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights will be held in Geneva from 19 September to 10 October 2016. The aim of the review will be to assess the Philippines’ progress towards compliance with the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.”