Commissioner Sinkevičius gives a speech at the High-Level Public Panel Discussion: Defend the defenders

UNGA High-Level Panel discussion

Ladies and gentlemen, it's a great pleasure to be with you this evening.

And of course, we should start by remembering what a privilege this is.

Tonight, we are honouring the most courageous defenders of our planet – environmental human rights defenders.

In certain parts of the world today, a gathering such as this one would simply not be possible.

Defenders, like activists and unionists, are under threat in many places. But the situation is particularly difficult for environmental defenders.

The numbers are truly shocking. Last year, Global Witness counted 177 defenders who lost their lives in the course of their work. One every 2 days.

And these assassinations are just the tip of the iceberg – we can only imagine how many more defenders suffer threats, harassment and intimidation.

The situation is particularly daunting in Latin America. But effectively protecting environmental human rights defenders is a huge task all around the world. Despite what we might think, no continent has a slate that's entirely clean.

For the EU, protecting and supporting these defenders is a major priority.

All around the world, on a daily basis, EU Delegations are actively protecting and liaising with defenders of the land and of environmental human rights.

We have a flagship initiative – protectdefenders.eu – and in September last year, we committed an additional EUR 30 million to the project.

It includes a 24/7 hotline for defenders who face immediate risk. The funds can finance a wide range of measures, including legal representation, protection measures, and medical costs.

Looking at the Global Witness report, it's striking that more than two thirds of those victims were defending the world's forests.

We all know how much these forests need defending.

If we don't protect them, we'll never reach our goals for climate and biodiversity.

They're essential for the global water cycle, and they are a livelihood for millions of people.

And very often, in particular for indigenous people, the forest is simply home.

When it comes to ending the attacks on these valiant defenders, we all have a role to play. Local authorities, governments, the global community, and the private sector as well.

I am very happy to say that the EU's new deforestation legislation requires all companies concerned to assess compliance with human rights standards and includes the important principle of free and prior informed consent.

Very soon, our legislation on corporate due diligence will complement this further, with obligations on human rights, and by extending environmental due diligence to all products.

I sincerely believe that these laws will help create a better future.

But tonight, we honour the people who put their lives on the line to defend our planet.

Without them, without their courage and commitment, our planet would be in far worse shape than it is today.

My thanks to the organisers for bringing us together tonight – and thanks above all to those defenders, for doing this service for us all.

Rest assured, the EU will continue to support you, and your work, all around the globe.

Thank you.