The report of the United Nations General Assembly noted the alarming global trend of enforced disappearances targeting individuals defending land, natural resources, and the environment across various sectors in different countries around the globe.
By Salam Rajesh
The continued and rising cases of enforced disappearance of land, natural resources and environment (LNRE) defenders globally is assuming an alarming trend, a recent report of the United Nations General Assembly has stated.
This concerning threat to environment defenders featured in the report of the UN’s Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances as part of the ongoing sixth session of the Human Rights Council (08 September – 03 October, 2025).
The report noted the alarming global trend of enforced disappearances targeting individuals defending land, natural resources, and the environment across various sectors in different countries around the globe.
The enforced disappearances often occur in the context of systemic discrimination, weakened rule of law, and powerful economic interests, with the complicity or acquiescence of State authorities, the report asserted.
It highlighted the disproportionate impact on Indigenous Peoples, Afro-Descendant communities, and rural populations, while underscoring the role of business enterprises and financial institutions in enabling or perpetrating such violations with States’ acquiescence.
The UN report strongly suggested that the LNRE defenders are often targeted because they challenge powerful economic interests, particularly in the context of land grabs, extractive projects, and development schemes.
The report noted with extreme concern that these disappearances could possibly involve collusion between State actors and corporate entities, and organized criminal groups, all seeking to shield investments and profits, and in other cases could probably take place with the acquiescence of the State.
National legal frameworks, where they exist, are often poorly enforced, and defenders face widespread impunity, criminalization, and public stigmatization, the report stated while noting that vulnerable communities are particularly prone to such forms of discrimination.
The report comes down hard on States citing that they continue to fail in tackling the root causes for enforced disappearance of LNRE defenders, particularly corruption, weak State institutions, colonial and patriarchal legacies, and discriminatory legal and political systems that fail to regularize land ownership or resolve long-standing land disputes, specifically involving Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs).
Asserting that LNRE defenders have their rights to truth, justice, and holistic reparations, the UN rights report stressed that strengthening data collection, legal frameworks, and protection mechanisms is essential in ensuring accountability and in preventing recurrence of the crimes.
While States bear primary responsibility for preventing and responding to enforced disappearances, the role of non-State actors, and business enterprises, is increasingly central. The Working Group reiterated that both State-owned and private companies bear responsibilities under international human rights law.
The conduct of State-owned enterprises is attributable to States. While recent developments represent an important step toward binding corporate accountability, human rights due diligence obligations remain unobserved, and enforcement gaps persist across jurisdictions, the report noted with particular concern.
The UN Working Group expressed deep concerned on the persistent impunity surrounding enforced disappearances of LNRE defenders, particularly where economic interests intersect with weak governance and repression of community activism.
Referring to a universally commonplace occurrence, the report amplified that enforced disappearance of LNRE defenders is a global concern, particularly in regions where economic development is prioritized over human rights.
On this pervasive issue, the Working Group noted that it is ultimately States’ responsibility to ensure and guarantee that operations of business enterprises and International Financial Institutions are compliant with international human rights standards and jus cogens obligations.
Divulging that disputes around land tenure, government corruption for resource exploitation, and lack of prior informed consent are factors, that when assessed globally, contribute to a climate of insecurity for defenders of land and natural resources, which in turn might result in an increased risk of enforced disappearance, the report stated.
To prevent further discrimination of LNRE defenders, the UN Working Group suggested States to adopt legislation, policies, and practices that guarantee community rights to ancestral lands and recognition, fully uphold the principle of free, prior and informed consent in relation to any activities affecting IPLCs, and to collect and collate data on the enforced disappearance of LNRE defenders as a means to tackle its root causes.
The Working Group further urged States to ensure that all members of civil society, including LNRE defenders, to democratically exercise their rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association without fear of violence, retaliation, or undue interference.
Importantly, the Working Group called upon States to ensure that in all the agreements or trade treaties related to the use of land or natural resources, States, business enterprises and financial institutions must mandate clear clauses establishing the absolute prohibition of enforced disappearances.
The Working Group further urged States to take appropriate steps to ensure the effectiveness of domestic judicial mechanisms when addressing business-related human rights abuses, including considering ways to reduce legal, practical and other relevant barriers that could lead to a denial of access to remedy, and that these mechanisms must integrate and respect the customs and traditions of the IPLCs.
At the same time, the Working Group urged States to enact legislations that would impose civil and criminal penalties where business enterprises fail to develop or implement adequate due diligence plans, or where they cause serious harm, along with liability for damages stemming from insufficient preventive measures taken by the business enterprises.
Bearing down hard on known and possible crime perpetrators, the Working Group called on States to ensure prosecution not only of direct perpetrators, but also of enablers, including transnational business enterprises, investors, and development banks which finance, support, or incentivize projects connected to enforced disappearances.
The UN Working Group on Human Rights is stepping up its effort to minimize cases of discrimination to LNRE defenders in the face of increased reports of violation of fundamental human rights of vulnerable communities faced with external pressures on their lands with specific reference to exploitative and extractive businesses.