IIDH- Capacity Building Environmental Rights and SRHR

Sida cooperation provided an opportunity for IIHR de enter new thematic human rights issues which the Institute had not previously tackled, providing an opportunity for the Institute to establish itself as a relevant and up-to-date actor in the field of human rights education and research. The project produced several research publications, courses, webinars and trainings, reaching both duty bearers and rights holders. Among the most relevant results in the first desired change related to environmental defenders exercising their right to defend with less risk of persecution and in a context of greater political will for the protection of environmental resources, has been to facilitate conditions for bearers of obligations at national and local level to incorporate human rights approach in environmental protection actions. Specifically, justice operators and the private sector have been sensitized and trained on the matter and application of the Advisory Opinion C-23 Environment and Human Rights, the Escazú Agreement and the Global Compact and the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Actions carried out include Fourth edition of the Diploma in Strategic Litigation for the Defense and Protection of the Environment; training of trainers to teach a course on strategic litigation for the defense and protection of the right to a healthy environment; course aimed at business chambers in Honduras and Guatemala about pillar two (due diligence) of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights; Guide on Human Rights Due Diligence for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs); Virtual Seminar on "Human Mobilities in the Context of Climate Change From a Human Rights Perspective"; Course on Social Audit with a Focus on Human Rights and Workshop on implementation of Citizens in Care of the Public Model; and training for trainers in the protection and care of environmental human right defenders. In the second desired change regarding sexual and reproductive health rights for Latin American women to exercise these rights with better attention and lower risks of criminalization, IIHR contributed by accompanying civil society and citizen organizations in advocacy actions for the protection of sexual and reproductive health rights of women, and by training bearers of obligations (justice operators, service providers health professionals, legislators and police) regarding the application of sexual and reproductive health rights of women in the provision of public services and decision making. With respect to civil society organizations, capacities were developed in feminist and women organizations to influence policies, practices and laws that protect the right to sexual and reproductive health of women. Some key actions include the following: In Costa Rica, an Ethical Guide for non-punishable abortion and the dispensing of emergency oral contraception (EC) in Costa Rica was developed, aimed at health service providers; education and awareness mass campaign on scientific and legal foundations of AOE and legal interruption of pregnancy in Costa Rica which reached 45,000 people according to data provided by the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses; a radio spot broadcast reached 145,000 women, according to Ipsos Media Tracker. Advertising on networks aimed at women from 15-55 years old reached 265,000 women. In Honduras, based on diagnosis of the situation of criminalization of women who present obstetric emergencies, an Ethical Guide for the care of women who present obstetric emergencies was developed, taking as basis the Guide previously prepared for El Salvador; system of indicators of compliance with Honduras' commitments regarding sexual rights and women's reproductive rights was developed; training course on argumentation and advocacy techniques with a human rights approach and strategic litigation for defenders of women's sexual and reproductive health was implemented; for duty bearers, pedagogical and training-of-trainers manuals were developed based on three IIHR publications prepared during previous project periods; prparation of Compliance Indicator System of International Recommendations to the State of El Salvador and Honduras; training-of-trainers course on international systems for the protection of sexual and reproductive rights for health service providers and training-of-trainers course on international systems for the protection of sexual and reproductive rights for law enforcement. The third desired change sought for women and transsexual people, people with disabilities, indigenous people, and Afro-descendants, to enjoy functional, inclusive and rights-based democratic systems based in human rights through improving access to political participation and inclusion social in Honduras and Guatemala. Some key actions include publishing, presenting and distributing Diagnosis of norms and practices on the right to vote of Trans people: Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama in the regional meeting and launch of Latin American and Caribbean Observatory of the Political and Electoral Rights of Trans People, organized by the Electoral Observation Mission (MOE) of Colombia, the Action and Support Group of Trans People (GAAT) and Affirmative Caribbean. The objectives of the meeting were to generate a permanent space to monitor and design advocacy actions with governments and international organizations to ensure the political and electoral rights of Trans people in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Diagnosis was also presented in the 20th edition of the Inter-American Course on Elections and Democracy in 2022, where 100% of the participants considered that the publication is relevant to the protection of human rights of Trans people; 66.7% of course participants planed to incorporate data protection standards for human rights of Trans people. Among the initiatives resulting from the actions is an evaluation and update process of Trans and Non-Binary Voting Protocol by the National Office for Electoral Processes (ONPE) of Peru and updating care protocols in voting locations in Peru. The Observatory of Political Reforms in Latin America has highlighted that "the diagnosis is a valuable source of information for evaluating materials related to reform policies in the dimension of gender and politics and particularly in the sub dimension diversities.

Decision makers, public officials, private sector and civil society incorporate in their political decisions, services, productive operations and demands (respectively), a human rights approach as related to environmental and sexual and reproductive health rights, especially in regards to vulnerable groups. The project seeks to promote among right holders and duty bearers use of human rights protection mechanisms which are based on regional and international human rights standards. It pretends to provide rights holders with access to information, participation in decision-making and access to justice, when affected by discrimination, exclusion and lack of state policies protecting their rights to environment, respect for sexual and reproductive health rights, and access to justice. Additionally, it seeks to provide duty bearers methodological tools to help guarantee respect for environment, sexual and reproductive health rights and access to justice.