Russia outlaws Human Rights Watch as crackdown on dissent continues – ABC News

Report on Recent Russian Government Actions and Their Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

Overview of Recent Designations Against Civil Society Organizations

The Russian Federation has recently taken actions that significantly impact the operational capacity of civil society, human rights, and media organizations. These measures directly conflict with the principles of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Key developments include:

• The designation of Human Rights Watch as an “undesirable organization,” effectively criminalizing all its activities within Russia.
• The initiation of a case to designate the feminist group Pussy Riot as an “extremist organization.”
• The classification of the U.S.-registered entity of the Anti-Corruption Foundation, founded by Alexei Navalny, as a “terrorist group.”

These organizations join a list of over 275 entities, including independent media, environmental groups like WWF, and anti-corruption bodies, that have been similarly targeted, creating a challenging environment for progress on the SDGs.

Direct Impact on SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

The recent actions by Russian authorities represent a direct contravention of the objectives outlined in SDG 16, which aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.

1. Target 16.10: Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms. By outlawing organizations that monitor human rights (Human Rights Watch), advocate for government transparency (Anti-Corruption Foundation), and provide independent news, the government is severely restricting public access to information and suppressing fundamental freedoms of expression and association.
2. Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law and ensure equal access to justice. The criminalization of human rights advocacy undermines the rule of law. Organizations like Human Rights Watch play a crucial role in documenting violations and seeking justice for victims, and their forced closure obstructs this essential pathway to accountability.
3. Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions. The systematic dismantling of anti-corruption and human rights watchdogs removes critical mechanisms for holding public institutions accountable. This fosters an environment where corruption can thrive and institutional transparency is diminished, contrary to the core aims of this target.

Broader Implications for Other Sustainable Development Goals

The crackdown on civil society has cascading negative effects on a range of other SDGs that rely on open dialogue, advocacy, and international cooperation.

• SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): The designation of international NGOs as “undesirable” actively severs partnerships between local actors and the global community, hindering the collaborative efforts required to achieve all 17 SDGs.
• SDG 5 (Gender Equality): Targeting a feminist group such as Pussy Riot is a setback for SDG 5, as it silences voices advocating for women’s rights and gender equality, which are essential for inclusive and sustainable development.
• SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): Human rights and anti-corruption organizations often work to protect the most vulnerable and marginalized populations. Suppressing their work can exacerbate existing inequalities and leave these communities without advocates.
• SDGs 13, 14, and 15 (Climate Action, Life Below Water, Life on Land): The inclusion of environmental organizations like WWF on the “undesirable” list directly impedes progress on environmental goals by stifling advocacy, research, and conservation projects crucial for a sustainable planet.

Analysis of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  This is the primary SDG connected to the article. The text focuses on the Russian government’s actions to outlaw human rights organizations, suppress critics, journalists, and activists, and use legal frameworks to label groups as “undesirable,” “extremist,” or “terrorist.” These actions directly relate to the core principles of SDG 16, which aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels. The article describes a systematic “unrelenting crackdown” that undermines justice, the rule of law, and the strength and independence of civil society institutions.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 16.10: Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements.

  The article provides direct evidence of actions that contravene this target. The outlawing of Human Rights Watch, an organization that “monitors and researches human rights violations,” and the inclusion of “prominent independent news outlets” like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on the “undesirable organizations” list actively curtails public access to information. The “crackdown on Kremlin critics, journalists and activists” is a direct assault on fundamental freedoms of expression and association.

• Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.

  This target is relevant because the article describes the use of a “2015 law” to criminalize involvement with certain organizations. The designation of groups like the Anti-Corruption Foundation as a “terrorist group” by the Supreme Court illustrates how the legal system is being utilized to suppress dissent rather than to promote the rule of law and provide equal access to justice. This suggests a politicization of judicial institutions.

• Target 16.5: Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms.

  The article explicitly mentions that the “Anti-Corruption Foundation set up by the late opposition activist Alexei Navalny” was designated as a terrorist group. By targeting and dismantling an organization whose primary purpose is to combat corruption, the actions described in the article directly hinder progress toward this target.

• Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.

  The actions of the “Russian prosecutor general’s office” and “Russia’s Supreme Court” as described in the article suggest a lack of institutional accountability and transparency. The statement that this is a “political strategy used by the Russian authorities: to declare anyone who interferes with their theft and endless war an enemy of the state” directly challenges the effectiveness and impartiality of these state institutions.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for Target 16.10: Number of verified cases of killing, kidnapping, enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention and torture of journalists, associated media personnel, trade unionists and human rights advocates (Indicator 16.10.1).

  The article implies negative progress on this indicator by stating that the 2015 law “makes involvement with such organizations a criminal offense” and opens supporters to “prosecution.” The general “unrelenting crackdown on Kremlin critics, journalists and activists” also points to a hostile environment for these individuals, which is what this indicator measures.

• Indicator for Target 16.10: Number of countries that adopt and implement constitutional, statutory and/or policy guarantees for public access to information (Indicator 16.10.2).

  The article points to a negative indicator here by referencing the “2015 law” that is used to outlaw organizations. This law is an example of a statutory instrument that is being implemented to restrict, rather than guarantee, fundamental freedoms and access to information.

• Indicator (Implied): Number of civil society organizations, independent media, and human rights groups designated as “undesirable,” “extremist,” or criminalized.

  The article provides a specific data point that can serve as a direct indicator: “Russia’s list of ‘undesirable organizations’ currently covers more than 275 entities.” This quantifiable measure shows the scale of the crackdown on civil society and freedom of association.

• Indicator (Implied): Criminalization of anti-corruption activities.

  The designation of the “Anti-Corruption Foundation” as a “terrorist group” is a clear, specific indicator of a regression on Target 16.5. It measures the extent to which state institutions are actively working against efforts to reduce corruption.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: abcnews.go.com