Summary

The present report contains an outline of the main activities undertaken by the Special Rapporteur from 1 February 2017 to 31 July 2018, including 183 communications to States and non-State actors, 78 press statements and her second report to the Human Rights Council on the human rights obligations of armed non-State actors with respect to the right to life.

Entitled “Saving lives is not a crime”, the present report is focused on the criminalization and targeting of humanitarian services and actors arising from activities to fight terrorism and deter migration and from the outlawing or stigmatization of sexual and reproductive rights. The Special Rapporteur argues that by obstructing the provision of life-saving services and criminalizing acts of solidarity, States are violating normative pillars of international human rights and humanitarian law. What follows are arbitrary deprivations of life under the convenient banners of fighting terrorism, combating smuggling or guarding social mores.

Some positive, yet ad hoc, developments at the United Nations are identified, along with good practices of Member States, which ought to be expanded and emulated. The Special Rapporteur recommends in particular that the Security Council adopt a resolution exempting humanitarian actions from all counter-terrorism measures. In addition, she recommends, exempting humanitarian acts and acts of solidarity from national smuggling legislation and narrowing the international funding gap for comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services. She calls upon States to end all forms of criminalization, harassment and stigmatization of individuals and organizations providing life-saving services.