the crucial gap

Civil society data efforts is important, the Data Working Group is concerned by the lack of government efforts to document attacks on land and environmental defenders. Of the 162 countries that have submitted Voluntary National Reviews of the Sustainable Development Goals since 2015, only 3 – fewer than 2% – indicated that at least one HRD had been killed or attacked. 7 countries reported zero cases and 94% of countries did not report at all. Given this gap, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights primarily relies on civil society data for SDG 16.10. reporting.

This landmark report highlights the limits of official reporting on the violence faced by defenders.