from doing their work. According to one human rights activist interviewed by Human Rights Watch: If you constantly have to appear in court on unnecessary charges it can be draining. If you look behind you and see that a car has been following you for days, or the phone keeps ringing and someone is telling you they will kill you it is bad. The family also suffers. My wife is always on tenterhooks because of my work. If she just sees a car she doesn’t know parked outside of our house she is scared.77 The United Nations Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders) provides standards by which the international community assesses states' treatment of rights defenders. The declaration sets down a series of principles and standards aimed at ensuring that states fully support the efforts of individual human rights defenders and human rights organizations, and ensure that they are free to conduct their activities for the promotion, protection and effective realization of human rights without hindrance or fear of reprisals.78 Key articles in the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders include the right to promote human rights and fundamental freedoms, and to meet and assemble peacefully for the purpose of promoting universally recognized human rights.79 The Declaration also confirms the right to criticize government policy and action in relation to human rights, and the right to adequate protection and an effective 77 Human Rights Watch interview with human rights activist (name withheld), Harare, October 4, 2006. 78 Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (Declaration on Human Rights Defenders), A/RES/53/144, March 8, 1999. 79 The Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, article 1 , states that, "Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels." Article 12 (1) elaborates: "Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to participate in peaceful activities against violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms." Article 5 guarantees the right to assembly and to join and participate in nongovernmental organizations, associations, or groups for the purpose of promoting and protecting human rights. Article 14 states, “The State has the responsibility to take legislative, judicial, administrative or other appropriate measures to promote the understanding by all persons under its jurisdiction of their civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights.” 27 Human rights watch November 2006