The Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) extends its sincere thanks to Mary Lawlor as she ends her mandate as United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders and welcomes the new Special Rapporteur Andrea Bolaños Vargas to the role.

GCHR Executive Director Khalid Ibrahim said, “On my own behalf and on behalf of all human rights defenders in the Middle East and North Africa region, I sincerely thank the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Mary Lawlor as she departs her mandate, during which she exerted exceptional efforts and achieved several successes despite the repressive environment prevailing in our region.” He added, “We must also thank Mary for her continued support of the periodic consultations organised by GCHR between UN Special Rapporteurs and human rights defenders. Her participation was highly effective and beneficial to all. We can only wish her every success in any future endeavours.”

In a joint statement at the UN Human Rights Council’s 61^st session in March 2026, delivered by GCHR and ALQST during the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur, the two groups said, “We would thank the Special Rapporteur for the final report of her mandate and take the opportunity to thank for her tireless efforts during the last six years. Dear Mary, your efforts have been truly appreciated by so many within the human rights community.”

They added, “Despite severe restrictions on, and repression, of human rights defenders in the MENA Region, your report outlines the powerful motivations and spirit that keep human rights defenders going. Across the World you note that Human Right Defenders often start their activism based on personal experiences of injustice of those they have witnessed. This shows a universality to the reaction against injustice and human rights violations.”

Andrea Bolaños Vargas, a Colombian human rights expert, was appointed the fifth UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders by the UN Human Rights Council on 31 March 2026. GCHR looks forward to working closely with her.