communications, Author at Franciscans International

A Shelter on the Journey

Along Panama’s migration routes, families arrive exhausted, children on their shoulders, searching for safety after days in the Darién jungle. In the city of David, Franciscans and other Church-based organizations offer a moment of rest, food and accompaniment to those who have nowhere else to turn. For most, this journey is not a choice, but a last resort, driven by conflict, persecution, poverty, and the escalating impacts of climate change.

Ahead of Panama’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in November 2025, Franciscans International, together with the Franciscan Network for Migrants – Panama and other partner organizations, submitted a joint alternative report documenting serious human rights violations against migrants. These organizations are part of the Human Mobility Observatory in the Darién and Other Alternative Routes, a collective effort that monitors the situation of people on the move and advocates for their rights. In this context, FI actively participated in the UPR pre-sessions for Panama, promoting the recommendations included in the joint submission.

Danger and Denial of Justice

The Darién Gap, an area covering the south of Panama and part of Colombia, has become a mirror of the Americas’ migration challenges. Between 2020 and 2022 crossings surged nearly 4.000 percent, reaching a historic peak of 520.085 people making the passage in 2023 alone.

Instead of safety, migrants face further dangers: robbery, extortion, kidnapping, disappearances, and sexual violence are all frequent. Doctors without Borders (MSF) reported that they have assisted over 1.300 victims of sexual violence between April 2021 and January 2024. The actual number of victims is likely much higher, as fear and stigma keep many silent.

These risks are even greater for those in already vulnerable situations, particularly women and girls, who have been disproportionately affected by sexual violence.

Access to justice remains elusive. According to Panama’s Ombudsman, 88 percent of crimes committed against migrants in the Darién go unreported due to fear, lack of information, and mistrust. Even when cases are reported, justice is not guaranteed. The case of Jesús Vélez Loor, an Ecuadorian migrant tortured during detention in 2002, illustrates this reality. Despite a 2010 ruling by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ordering Panama to investigate and provide justice, the case remains unresolved.

From Protection to Criminalization

Instead of strengthening protection systems, Panama has responded with punitive measures. Under “Operation Controlled Flow,” migrants exiting the Darién Gap were confined in Migrant Reception Stations (ERM), which UN experts and regional human rights bodies denounced as de facto detention centers with inhumane conditions. Although these centers were closed in early 2025, no alternative reception or protection system has been established.

In 2024, in an effort to curb the passage of migrants through the Darién, Panama signed an agreement with the United States that eventually helped the Panamanian government deport over 1.500 so-called “irregular” migrants. In February 2025, Panama agreed to receive third-country nationals expelled from the United States, despite the absence of a full and fair assessment of their refugee claims prior to removal. These included, for instance, nationals of Afghanistan, Iran, and China, who had credible fears of persecution in their countries of origin.

The Reverse Flow

In recent months, a new trend has also emerged: thousands of people, blocked from reaching the United States, are now returning southward. This “reverse flow” has left many stuck without resources, documentation, or safe passage.

These systemic failures have had devastating consequences for families and children in transit. “Families arrive exhausted and traumatized, only to be divided. While some can access return programs, others, especially children without valid documents, are left trapped in dangerous conditions,” explained Vivian Cianca, volunteer psychologist at the Franciscan Network for Migrants – Panama.

In February 2025 alone, over 2.000 people attempted to return, many via dangerous maritime routes. Some boats overturned, leaving survivors traumatized and families mourning loved ones.

Franciscan and church networks remain committed to providing assistance. Yet as Vivian noted: “The lack of a comprehensive State response based on human rights, including care for people in return situations, leaves the vast majority in a state of vulnerability.”

Why It Matters

Panama’s migration crisis reflects regional and global patterns: borders are increasingly militarized, migrants face criminalization, and humanitarian organizations encounter growing restrictions. Bilateral agreements to control migration made without transparency and specific human rights monitoring clauses risk undermining international protection standards.

FI and its partners have used their presence at the UN to amplify grassroots voices. Their joint UPR submission urges Panama to:

Adopt a human rights–based approach to migration.

End de facto detention and ensure dignified, open shelters.

Guarantee access to justice, especially for survivors of violence.

Make asylum accessible, fair, and efficient, including work permits for applicants.

Building on this momentum, FI has facilitated multiple platforms for civil society to present recommendations on behalf of migrants, asylum seekers, and people in transit. These efforts have created opportunities for grassroots organizations and States to engage in constructive dialogue, turning local realities into concrete advocacy at the international level.

Franciscans International is looking for a new colleague who can manage the processes of all our projects, including fundraising, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting.

Does this sound like a challenge you would like to take on? Send us your application by 19 October 2025!

You can find out more about the position and how to apply here.

A Changing Landscape: From Forest to Fire

In Croatia, environmental degradation and migration challenges have created a crisis of human dignity. From waste-burning pits that poison communities to migrants caught between bureaucracy and indifference, everyday lives are marked by injustice. At the intersection of these struggles stands a Franciscan brother who refuses to look away.

Brother Benjamin Milkovic OFM, serving with the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Office in Croatia, carried the concerns of communities affected by environmental deregulation and of migrants to the international stage, using the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of his country as a platform. The UPR is more than a diplomatic process; it is a moment when the calls of those who are otherwise unheard can be amplified on the world stage.

Can you tell us about yourself and the changes you have witnessed?

I grew up in the small village of Brestanovci, surrounded by forests that felt endless. As a child, I remember running freely among the trees, playing in nature, that was part of who we were. But today, most of the forest is gone. Deforestation and illegal waste burning have scared our land.

I have watched it unfold year after year, feeling the loss not just in the land, but in the silence where birds used to sing and children used to play. What hurts most is knowing that the children growing up now will not have the same chance to be shaped by nature the way I was.

You talked about illegal waste. What are the issues there?

Not far from where I used to live, a small community has been deeply affected by waste-burning pits: open areas where trash is burned without regulation. The smell is unbearable. Children and families are affected, and still there are no fines, no regulations, especially for big businesses. The government looks away.

I have seen how environmental neglect becomes social injustice. How children are denied their rights to clean air, to safe play, to a future rooted in nature. This is not just a Croatian story. It is a global one.

What changes have you observed regarding migration in Croatia?

The migration landscape in Croatia is changing quietly, steadily, and profoundly. Croatia is a country of transit. Migrants pass through, often exposed to smuggling and trafficking. And yet, every person is a creature of God, worthy of care and compassion.

Every Sunday at Mass, I see more foreign faces. Though the liturgy is conducted in Croatian, they still come. They do not speak the language, but they pray with reverence and hope. I also see how collaboration in our community has been key to responding to growing needs that the State cannot, or is too slow to, address.

How is your community responding to these challenges?

We have begun discussing the possibility of offering Mass in English so that everyone can feel truly included in the spiritual life of our community. At my church, I run a youth program. I hope to open it to foreign youth as well, to help them build community, cultivate values, and grow into good people.

What inspired you to take these concerns to the UN?

My inspiration comes from Francis, his call to care for our common home and treat all fellow creatures with dignity and respect.

This is not something I just do for advocacy; it is a way of living the Gospel that has both social and environmental dimensions.

Despite challenges, what gives you hope?

In all of this, I see a deeper truth. Our response to migration and environmental injustice reflects our values. And I believe we can do better. We must do better.

When I see migrants praying with hope despite not understanding the language, when I see communities organizing to demand clean air, when I see young people eager to build bridges across cultures, I see the Kingdom of God breaking through.

How was your experience presenting to the UN?

Standing before the international community with Franciscans International, I carried the voices of the unheard to make States aware of our shared responsibility, our right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, and the dignity of each human being, especially migrants.

As Croatia human rights record is reviewed at the UN, Br. Benjamin’s voice joins a global chorus of Franciscans working at the intersection of environmental and social justice, proving that the message of St. Francis remains as urgent today as it was 800 years ago.

The Human Rights Council convenes for its 60th session between 8 September and 8 October 2025. You can find all our statements delivered during this session below as they become available. Our past advocacy interventions are available here.

Item 4: General Debate – Mozambique (23 September)

A recent flare-up of insurgent attacks in Cabo Delgado has displaced 40.000 people, adding to the more than half a million internally displaced who continue to face widespread human rights violations. The decision to resume liquified natural gas projects in the region, and the prioritization of securing economic sites over protecting civilians, has created an untenable situation for civilians. In a joint statement, we urged the Council to monitor and provide regular updates on the situation in Mozambique. We also called on the government to ensure unimpeded humanitarian aid, protect civilians in accordance with international law, and regulate transnational corporations operating in the conflict areas.

• Full statement (English)

Item 3: General Debate – Sri Lanka (18 September)

Six years after Surach Nilanga’s son was killed during the Easter Sunday attack at the Shangri-La hotel, he is still waiting for justice. In a joint statement at the Human Rights Council, he urged the Sri Lankan government to facilitate a thorough, independent, and speedy investigation with a view to ensuring accountability and to cooperate with international initiatives. Speaking in support of other victims, he also called for adequate and just reparations for families after a comprehensive economic, social, and psychological assessment.

• Full statement (English)

Item 3: Interactive Dialogue on the Secretary General’s Report on a Just Transition (18 September)

Franciscans International welcomed the Secretary General’s report affirming just transition as a cornerstone of international environmental law, in line with the recent advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice. While valuing the human rights focus of the report, we stressed the need for a need for a deeper systemic critique and a vision of socio-ecological transformation beyond the current economic model that caused the climate crisis in the first place.

• Full statement (English)

Item 3: Interactive Dialogue with the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances – The Philippines (16 September)

More than a decade since the adoption of the Anti-Enforced Disappearance Act, implementation remains grossly inadequate. Perpetrators remain shielded, and the disappeared remain unaccounted for. Under current administration, 54 enforced disappearances have been documented, mostly directed against activists and human rights defenders. In a joint statement, we called for the full and effective implementation of the act, support for victims and their families, and an end to impunity by holding State actors accountable.

• Full statement (English)

Item 2: General Debate – Indonesia (10 September)

Recent demonstrations in Indonesia have been met a violent crackdown by security forces. Civil society estimates that there have been at least 3.000 arbitrary arrests and has documented inappropriate and excessive use of force, including unwarranted use of teargas and other less-lethal crowd-control weapons. This reaction reflects a broader authoritarian drift in Indonesia, as further symbolized by the proposed Indonesian Armed Forces Act. In a joined statement, we called on the government to comply with the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials, investigate allegations of excessive use of force in an impartial manner, and hold perpetrators accountable.

• Full statement (English)

Item 2: Interactive Dialogue with the High Commissioner for Human Rights – Sri Lanka (8 September)

Despite repeated promises of accountability, critical reports regarding the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks remain undisclosed to the public, raising serious concerns about transparency and justice. Welcoming the recommendations by the High Commissioner for Human Rights on accountability in Sri Lanka, we urged authorities to make the reports of all Committees investigating the attacks publicly available and expedite all related legal cases.

• Full statement (English)

Thumbnail: UN Photo / Jean-Marc Ferré

In October 2017, a series of insurgent attacks in Mozambique’s northern Cabo Delgado province sparked a conflict that has displaced over 600.000 people. Franciscans initially responded to crisis by setting up support structures for the waves of internally displaced persons (IDPs), trying to address the lack of food, water, housing, education, and the pravalence of trauma among those escaping the violence.

Since then, the fighting between poorly trained Mozambican forces and insurgents has transformed into a protracted, low intensity conflict with no immediate end in sight. Aside from sporadic attacks against communities perpetrated by insurgents, an increasing number of human rights violations committed by government forces without accountability have shattered the trust those they are meant to protect. The conflict is not only fueled by the presence of natural gas, oil, and other natural resources, but also a shift in local dynamics, where communities do not benefit economically from the activities of transnational. Instead, local artisan laborers have been driven from their regular activities, further increasing tensions in a province that has long been marginalized politically, socially, and economically.

Franciscans International recently traveled to Mozambique where we visited the Corane IDP camp and met with community leaders, civil society representatives, and other stakeholders. We also used the opportunity to provide a human rights workshop ahead of Mozambique’s upcoming Universal Periodic Review (UPR). Bringing together different branches of the Franciscan family, the training covered a range of issues including documentation and strategies to strengthen existing networks and addressing the changing role of Franciscans responding to the conflict.

Since FI’s previous visit in 2022, shrinking civic space in Mozambique has severely hampered independent monitoring and reporting, with media outlets barred from visiting Cabo Delgado. The limited presence of government institutions, including the judiciary, due to the conflict further impedes access to reliable information. Amid dwindling international humanitarian support, the Franciscans and other church networks are among the few that can provide support and document human rights violations.

In the next few months, FI will work closely with Franciscans brothers and sisters in Mozambique as they prepare a submission for the UPR, a UN mechanism through which the human rights records of all Member States are examined on a rotating basis. Their report will include key observations and recommendations on business and human rights, the situation of internally displaced people and the security situation in Cabo Delgado. FI is also preparing a new report on the situation, which is expected to be published at the end of 2025.

In a landmark opinion issued on 23 July, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) found that all States have a duty to ensure the protection of the climate system from harmful greenhouse gas emissions. The opinion makes it clear that these obligations apply not only to States that are party to relevant treaties, such as the 2015 Paris Agreement, but extend to all States under customary international law.

As part of this, all States have the obligation to use “all means at their disposal to prevent activities carried out within their jurisdiction or control from causing significant harm.” Critically, this includes the regulation of private actors. The ICJ also found that any breach would constitute an internationally wrongful act entailing State responsibility, noting the provision of fossil fuel subsidies as a possible example.

The advisory opinion followed a 2023 resolution by the UN General Assembly, requesting the ICJ to consider State obligations under international law to ensure the protection of the climate system and other parts of the environment, as well as the legal consequences when States have caused significant harm. While a core group of 18 countries led by Vanuatu proposed the resolution, their decision to do so followed a persistent campaign by the Pacific Island Students Fighting for Climate Change and the World Youth for Climate Change.

“Franciscans International welcomes the decision by the ICJ as both a milestone in our struggle for climate justice and a reminder of what sustained civil society engagement can achieve. We were particularly happy to see the Court consider the right to a healthy environment, which is a core issue for Franciscans,” said Budi Tjahjono, FI’s International Advocacy Director. “Following this opinion, States have no excuse left to avoid taking meaningful action.”

The ICJ also elaborated on the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment (R2HE) as a human right, noting that it “results from the interdependence between human rights and the protection of the environment.” It concluded that “the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is essential for the enjoyment of other human rights.”

At the United Nations, FI is consistently raising the climate crisis and its consequences for the enjoyment of the R2HE. Recent cases include the consequences of fossil fuel activities in Verde Island Passage in the Philippines and in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique. In Solomon Islands, FI supports the Franciscans to address the impacts of climate change on coastal communities. Meanwhile in Brazil and Guatemala, Franciscans calls for accountability from both the State and private sector for the human rights violations linked to mineral extraction for the energy transition. The ICJ findings, notably its conclusion that State obligations extend to private actors, will be another important foundation for our advocacy.

The advisory opinion is already hailed as milestone, and will be used by activists, civil society organizations, and others to help ensure that States uphold their international obligations and that climate impunity and environmental injustice are halted. As underscored by the Court, climate change is an “existential problem… that imperils all forms of life and the very health of our planet” – it is time that States meet the perilous moment we are in.

Despite being home to a vibrant civil society comprising more than 60.000 organizations, human rights defenders (HRDs) in the Philippines who are critical of the government or push for accountability for grave violations, continue to face harassment and attacks. Between July 2016 and March 2024, 305 journalists and HRDs were killed. With only one known conviction to date, a climate of impunity fuels the risks they face.

Following her country visit in February 2024, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression Ms. Irene Khan warned that while the new administration of President Marcos has shown positive signs on improving the country’s human rights record, these are insufficient to turn the page on the past. Her findings were echoed in a written statement submitted to the Human Rights Council by Franciscans International, which identified ‘red-tagging’ as one of the most pervasive and dangerous practices in the Philippines.

Red-tagging – accusing a victim of links with communist rebels or terrorist groups – is widespread and, despite a ruling by the Supreme Court that it threatens the right to life, is practiced routinely by government officials. One of the numerous victims of this practice is Angelito Cortez OFM, a Friar Minor from Manila.

During the so-called ‘war on drugs’ waged by the previous administration, Brother Angelito took on a leading role in the church’s efforts to denounce the rampant extrajudicial killings that rocked the country. Together with other Franciscan sisters and brothers, he provided pastoral support and sanctuary to some of the families of the more than 26.000 victims. During the 59^th session of the Human Rights Council, he joined Ms. Khan during a side event to share the consequences of his work.

“I received multiple death threats — clear, direct, and coordinated. One message warned: ‘We were ordered to have you killed. Four of us are already deployed in Manila. But when we found out you are a priest, we paused. We don’t want your family hurt.’ They knew where I lived. They tracked my movements. They monitored my family. And I believed them,” said Brother Angel. “Because of this terror, I had no choice but to voluntarily exile myself to an undisclosed country.”

Although Brother Angelito was eventually able to return to Manila, the wider threat persists and is even expanding. Red-tagging has moved into online spaces, where doxing and harassment can escalate into violence in offline spaces. The result has been a chilling effect that drives some HRDs to self-censor or stop their activism altogether. Land and environmental defenders are at particular risk, including those working with Franciscans to protect the Verde Island Passage from new energy infrastructure or those who oppose the Manila Bay Reclamation project.

“The previous administration has set the bar so low that many would say anything that comes after must be better and therefore more acceptable,” said Ms. Khan during the side event. But among the people in the Philippines, especially activists at the frontlines, they tell you it’s not better, precisely because of the embedded and institutionalized impunity.”

In its statement, FI made several recommendations to bring an end to red-tagging. These include making the practice a criminal offence, instituting appeal processes for organizations that have been red-tagged, and immediately abolishing the National Task Force to end Local Communist Armed Conflict – an agency that has been at the forefront of red-tagging HRDs since its creation in 2018. FI also supported calls by Ms. Khan has on the government to issue an executive order denouncing the practice.

“Make no mistake: red-tagging is not a harmless label. It is a death sentence. It gives a green light to surveillance, harassment, arbitrary arrests, and extrajudicial killings,” warned Brother Angelito. “It is a direct assault on the right to dissent and the right to speak freely — the very essence of freedom of expression.”

Across the Americas, migration is increasingly met with criminalization instead of protection. Militarized borders, mass deportations, and arbitrary detention have supplanted rights-based approaches. These escalating trends have been reinforced since the Trump administration took office in January and were at the center of a side event organized by Franciscans International during the 59th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

“The criminalization of migration is the norm, not the exception,” said Jesús Vélez Loor, an Ecuadorian national who was arrested in Panama in 2002 and sentenced to two years in prison for having entered the country irregularly, before being deported. In detention, he endured torture, cruel and degrading treatment, and did not have access to a lawyer. In 2010, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled that Panama had violated the rights of Jesús Vélez Loor and ordered reparations. While he received monetary compensation, key measures – such as investigating his torture and implementing structural reforms – remain unfulfilled.

Jesús’s experience is far from unique and highlights a broader regional trend where migration increasingly invites punitive responses.

“It is one of the most disturbing trends observed during my mandate,” said UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants Gehad Madi, who spoke during the event. During his recent visit to Panama, Madi reported a heightened military and security presence across the Darién Gap, including closed jungle trails, razor wire, and army checkpoints. “These policies do not stop migration. They only increase suffering,” he said.

Another major concern that was highlighted is the increasing externalization of migration processes, where countries pay other States to receive migrants on their behalf. A notorious example is the agreement between the United States and El Salvador to deport migrants to CECOT, a high-security prison originally designed for gang members.

Jessica Vosburgh, representing the Center for Constitutional Rights, described the case of a Venezuelan man who, after seeking asylum in the US, was deported to El Salvador, without being able to consult a lawyer. “He is now detained with no contact with his family. We’re trying to determine whether he is under US or Salvadoran custody.”

“This is the most extreme example”, says Madi about the agreement with El Salvador, “but it shows a trend spreading across the Americas.”

In February 2025, two hundred people from various countries, including Russia, Vietnam, and India, were arbitrarily detained in Costa Rica after being deported from the United States. Held in the Temporary Migrant Care Center (CATEM) in Corredores, their passports were confiscated, and they were kept without access to proper information, legal counsel, or interpretation. Many did not understand their legal status or the reason for their detention. After legal challenges, a Costa Rican court ordered their release this June.

In this increasingly hostile context and rhetoric against migrants, many abandon their journey to the United States and attempt to return home. However, they often find this impossible. “There is a reverse movement in migration,” Madi observed. “Migrants are now moving south. But, trapped between borders, they are unable to return to their country of origin.” Stranded at border zones, they are frequently left without food, shelter, legal assistance, or interpretation. In the absence of humanitarian support, “their situation risks becoming invisible to the international community.”

RFM Colombia launches new publication

Contributing to a broader reflection on the many challenges faced by migrants and refugees in the Americas, FI hosted two representatives from the Red Franciscana para Migrantes (RFM) in Colombia to share information on the situation of Venezuelan migrants based in Colombia and the Franciscan efforts to support them through a “culture of encounter.”

As part of their advocacy, the RFM Colombia presented a new publication that, based on extensive community interviews, documents discrimination pertaining to healthcare, education, and protection. It also highlights the limitations of Colombia’s Temporary Protection Statute and calls for stronger institutional coordination and accountability.

The Human Rights Council convenes for its 59th session between 16 June and 9 July 2025. You can find all our statements delivered during this session below as they become available. Our past advocacy interventions are available here.

Item 6: Universal Periodic Review – Bosnia and Herzegovina (2 July)

While welcoming the support for recommendations related to the rights of migrants and the right to a healthy environment, FI also urged the acceptance of recommendations to reinforce institutions that aimed at guaranteeing human rights. Recalling the findings of the Special Rapporteur on the rights to peaceful assembly and association, which indicated that the constitutional situation in the country is fraught, we called on the government to adopt and implement recommendations to strengthen the office of the Ombudsman.

• Full statement (English)

Item 6: Universal Periodic Review – Madagascar (1 July)

The lack of measures targeting extreme poverty in the context of climate change helps fuel internal migration in Madagascar. Although climate-induced extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, local authorities lack the necessary resources and technical expertise to support these displaced communities. During Madagascar’s UPR, we welcomed the launch of a national strategy for human safety that contains a human rights-based approach, including the right to a healthy environment.

• Full statement (French)

Item 6: Universal Periodic Review – Italy (30 June)

Franciscans International commended Italy’s openness to engage with civil society during the review process and welcomed the acceptance of recommendations related to climate adaptation, prisoners’ rights, and the inequitable distribution of health services. Regarding human mobility, we reiterated our call on Italy to uphold international law and ensure that migrants have access to safe and lawful routes, respecting their dignity. Mindful of Italy’s commitment to continuing consultations with civil society and its intention to provide a mid-term report, we expressed our hope that the accepted recommendations will be implemented within a reasonable time frame.

• Full statement (English)

Item 3: Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on climate change (30 June)

Welcoming the latest report of the Special Rapporteur on the imperative of defossilizing our economies, we echoed many of her key findings, including that fossil fuel companies have benefited from undue protection under bilateral investment agreements, contracts, and investor-state agreements. This situation must change. Effective national, regional, and international mechanisms must be established and enforced to hold corporations accountable for human rights violations. Accordingly, Franciscans International urged States to actively participate in the ongoing negotiations for a binding treaty on business and human rights.

• Full statement (English)

Item 3: Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants (20 June)

In a joint statement, we expressed our alarm over the global trend by States to adopt policies that increase the dehumanization and criminalization of migrants. These have resulted in growing numbers of migrants who go missing or who suffer preventable deaths and disappearances. It has also manifested in detention and removal procedures through confidential agreements with third countries that fail to respect procedural safeguards. We commended the Special Rapporteur for his three-pronged approach to prevent disappearances and called on the Council to ensure that migration policies and frameworks are based on international human rights law and prioritize protection.

• Full statement (English)

Item 3: Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on summary, arbitrary and extrajudicial executions (18 June)

In the Philippines, the families of those killed in the so-called “war on drugs” continue to suffer threats, harassment, and reprisals. As they pursue justice, they’ve also been met with online attacks designed to discredit and intimidate – a trend that intensified after the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte. In a joint statement, we called on UN Member States – including the Philippines – to ensure the protection and support of families seeking redress. We also urged the government to extend an invitation to the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions to conduct an official country visit.

• Full statement (English)

Written statements

Shrinking Civic Space in the Philippines: Attacks against Human Rights Defenders and Civil Society Organizations

Despite a vibrant civil society comprising over 60.000 organizations, the environment for those critical of state policies and working on issues related to grave human rights violations and accountability remains extremely challenging in the Philippines. Attacks against and harassment of human rights defenders are frequent and occur with impunity. Documenting many such cases with local partners, Franciscans International offered a set of recommendations to the government to strengthen civic space and protect those working to defend human rights.

• Full statement (English)

Human Rights of Migrants

According to IOM estimates, at least 52.500 people have died during migration linked to humanitarian crises since 2014. These numbers are almost certainly a vast underestimation of the actual number of missing people whose fate remains unknown: for 2024 alone, the non-governmental organization Caminando Fronteras found that 9.757 migrants were lost trying to cross between Africa and the Canary Islands. Franciscans International reintegrated the need for States to provide migrants with safe and viable routes to their destination and called for multi-disciplinary efforts in identifying and informing the families of migrants who have been found, either alive or dead.

• Full statement (English)

Human Rights Situation in Sri Lanka: Accountability, Truth and Justice with regard to the 2019 Easter Sunday Attacks

Six years after the Easter Sunday Attacks, the exact number of people killed in the bombings remains uncertain, with a difference of 56 victims across different investigations and inquiries by authorities. The impact on their families has been profound, as they are ineligible to receive compensation or support. Although more than 40 criminal cases have been filed relating to the attacks, most remain ongoing. Notably, those against powerful officials have repeatedly been delayed. Ahead of the 59^th session of the Human Rights Council, Franciscans International submitted several recommendations to ensure transparency, accountability, and justice for the victims of the attacks.

• Full statement (English)

Thumbnail photo: UN Photo / Jean Marc Ferré

From the depths of the ocean to the blood that runs through our veins, plastic permeates our world. Over 400 million tons of plastic are produced every year, with half of it intended for single-use applications. Rather than recognize and address the harm it has caused, the petrochemical industry, with its profit margins under pressure from renewable energy, is pushing to ramp up production. World Environment Day 2025 highlights the extent of global plastic pollution and its devastating impacts on the ecosystem and public health. It is also a reminder of the scale of the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution as not only an environmental, but also a human rights emergency.

In a world where people are already facing the daily impacts of these crises, there has been a clear galvanization on environmental issues at the United Nations in recent years. The recognition of a healthy environment as a human right and the establishment of a Special Rapporteur on climate change – decisions Franciscans International advocated for – are just two examples of UN Member States responding to calls from the grassroots. However, the stark reality is that we are quickly running out of time. Facing an increasingly bleak scenario of climate and environmental catastrophe, we need States to break with past practices and act – and we need them to act now.

A critical first step is the rejection of corporate capture of international processes, especially at UN forums. Over 1.700 fossil fuel lobbyists participated in the 2024 UN Climate Conference in Azerbaijan (COP29), compared to 1.033 delegates representing the world’s ten most climate-vulnerable nations. During this year’s negotiations on a proposed global plastic treaty, lobbyists from the fossil fuel and chemical industries are expected to form the largest delegation. Non-governmental organizations supported by business interests have also been structurally working to undermine UN efforts to regulate transnational corporations under international human rights law. At a time when the wealth of a single company can eclipse the economy of entire nations, States have a responsibility to safeguard the spaces meant to rein in their harmful activities.

A second step is not to repeat the crimes of the past, nor to continue ongoing human rights violations in our search for and use of resources. As States and institutions embrace the language of a “just transition”, finding the resources required often replicates old patterns of exploitation and colonization under a new green label. In Brazil – to name just one example – our partners are sounding the alarm about extractive projects that are accelerated in the name of clean energy, without considering the environmental risk and consulting or receiving the free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous communities.

The growing demand for cobalt, nickel, and other critical minerals is now extending this threat to the ocean floors. Deep-sea mining is promoted as necessary for a “green economy”, yet scientific research increasingly warns of the harmful and unknown consequences it could have for fragile deep-sea marine biodiversity and the ocean ecosystem, including those that play a crucial role in absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Recognizing these risks, 33 States are now supporting either a moratorium, precautionary pause, or ban on deep-sea mining in an effort that should be widely supported.

Finally, the intersection between extractive industries, environmental harm, and conflict cannot be ignored. A clear example of this can be seen through the work of Franciscans in Mozambique, where the exploitation of natural gas in Cabo Delgado province has created a vicious cycle of violence, environmental degradation, and displacement, creating a context rife with human rights violations. Environmental degradation not only fuels conflict but is also a direct result of it. In addition to the devastating human costs, a recent study found that the carbon footprint of the genocide waged against Palestinians in Gaza for over 18 months is larger than the annual emissions of a hundred individual countries.

Marking the 800^th anniversary of the Canticle of Creatures this year, Franciscans International is intensifying its efforts toward environmental and climate justice in the lead-up to COP30 in Brazil. We are joined across the world by individuals and communities who are calling for bold, meaningful, and immediate actions. The impetus to address the triple planetary crisis cannot be placed on the efforts of individuals alone: States must move beyond lip service and greenwashing to take substantive steps to meet the dire moment we are all facing. Business as usual – including allowing corporate and personal interests to trump people and planet – must end.