How We Support Global Humanitarian Work
Interview with Harry Tallarita, Secretary General of the Confederation of Humanitarian Nations
Journalist: When the CNU receives a report concerning a possible human rights violation, what happens?
Secretary General of the CNU:
The first responsibility of the CNU is not to declare that a violation has occurred, but to ensure that the information received is handled responsibly.
A report may be documented, assessed and classified according to its nature, the persons involved, the territory concerned and the available supporting information.
Where appropriate, the CNU may identify the competent national, regional or international mechanism and facilitate the transmission of information or assist the persons concerned in understanding the available procedures.
Depending on the circumstances and the applicable rules, relevant mechanisms may include United Nations Special Procedures, the Human Rights Council Complaint Procedure, United Nations Treaty Bodies, regional human-rights mechanisms or competent national authorities.
Each mechanism has its own jurisdiction, admissibility requirements and procedures. For this reason, no submission is automatically admissible and no international institution is automatically required to accept or act upon every report received.
The CNU’s role is to document responsibly, identify appropriate channels, facilitate communication and follow developments where possible.
Journalist: What role do CNU Human Rights Defenders play?
Secretary General of the CNU:
Human Rights Defenders are individuals who peacefully promote and defend universally recognized human rights.
Within the CNU, accredited Human Rights Defenders may contribute to observation, documentation, awareness, humanitarian support and the responsible reporting of situations affecting fundamental rights.
Their activities are inspired by the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and by the principles of non-violence, accuracy, independence and respect for applicable law.
The CNU accreditation of an HRD is an internal recognition within the Confederation. It does not create diplomatic status, immunity, law-enforcement authority or special jurisdiction.
At the same time, human rights defenders, like all persons engaged in legitimate and peaceful human-rights activities, are entitled to the protections afforded by applicable national and international human-rights law.
Journalist: Can a CNU Human Rights Defender submit information to international institutions?
Secretary General of the CNU:
Yes, where the relevant mechanism allows it and its procedural requirements are satisfied.
International human-rights mechanisms are not all the same.
Some accept information from individuals, groups or civil-society organizations. Others permit individual communications only where the State concerned has accepted the relevant complaints procedure. Certain mechanisms require domestic remedies to have been exhausted or other admissibility conditions to be met.
For this reason, CNU does not treat every report as an automatic “international complaint”.
Our task is to identify the correct mechanism and to ensure, as far as possible, that information is factual, documented and transmitted in the appropriate form.
Journalist: Can the CNU bring a case before the International Court of Justice?
Secretary General of the CNU:
No.
The International Court of Justice is governed by its own Statute, under which only States may be parties in contentious cases before the Court.
The CNU therefore does not present itself as having direct standing before the International Court of Justice.
Where serious international legal questions arise, the Confederation may document the relevant facts, develop legal analysis, communicate with competent institutions or support other lawful avenues available under international law.
Respect for the jurisdiction and procedural rules of international institutions is an essential part of credible human-rights work.
Journalist: What happens when a report concerns a State or public authority?
Secretary General of the CNU:
The same principles apply: accuracy, neutrality, documentation and respect for jurisdiction.
The CNU does not presume responsibility merely because an allegation has been made.
Where appropriate and lawful, information may be transmitted to competent public authorities, national human-rights institutions, international human-rights mechanisms or other relevant bodies.
The objective is not confrontation with institutions but the protection of individuals, clarification of facts and promotion of effective remedies through lawful channels.
Journalist: What role do embassies play?
Secretary General of the CNU:
Embassies and consular representations can be important institutional interlocutors, particularly where a matter has an international or humanitarian dimension.
The CNU may therefore communicate with diplomatic missions, request meetings, provide information or seek institutional dialogue when appropriate.
However, diplomatic missions have their own legal functions, procedures and competences.
The CNU does not claim that every embassy has a general obligation under international law to receive or process every complaint submitted by a CNU Human Rights Defender.
Where an embassy is an appropriate interlocutor, engagement takes place through respectful institutional dialogue and in accordance with the applicable legal framework.
Journalist: How is the CNU funded?
Secretary General of the CNU:
The Confederation is supported through resources compatible with its Statute and humanitarian purposes.
These may include contributions from confederated members and organizations, voluntary donations, grants, resources connected with humanitarian programmes and projects, and cooperation arrangements with public or private partners.
All resources must be used for institutional and humanitarian purposes and managed according to principles of transparency, traceability and accountability.
The CNU seeks to preserve its operational independence by diversifying support and avoiding forms of funding that could compromise its neutrality or humanitarian mission.
An important part of our model is also based on human capital: volunteers, professionals, organizations and communities contribute time, knowledge and skills to projects that might otherwise require considerably greater financial resources.
Journalist: What legal support does the CNU have when dealing with human-rights cases?
Secretary General of the CNU:
The CNU can draw upon its internal legal structures and qualified professionals who contribute to the examination, documentation and legal framing of matters falling within the Confederation’s activities.
The objective is to determine what can lawfully and realistically be done in each case.
Depending on the circumstances, this may involve legal research, preparation of documentation, referral to qualified external