particular risks for providing information to them, as well as for those who work with people, including victims of trafficking or individuals leaving violent criminal or extremist groups, who are at heightened risk of attacks as a result of turning to human rights defenders for assistance. 258. Certain groups of human rights defenders also have specific needs with regard to the protection of their private life due to the nature of violations and abuses that they frequently face. For example, the UNGA has recognized that information technology-related violations and abuses against women, including women human rights defenders, are a growing concern and require effective responses. Such violations and abuses may include online harassment, cyberstalking, the violation of privacy, censorship and the hacking of e-mail accounts, mobile phones and other electronic devices, with a view to discrediting the victim and/or inciting other violations and abuses against them.389 J. Right to access and communicate with international bodies 259. A s human rights are not only an internal affair but are of direct and legitimate con- cern to all participating States,390 communicating information about human rights to international bodies, including international and regional human rights mechanisms, is both a recognized right requiring protection and a legitimate human rights activity. 260. T he OSCE commitments have repeatedly recognized this right.391 The UN Decla- ration on Human Rights Defenders places a special emphasis on the importance of this right, referring to it in Article 5 and Article 9(4), as an important element of the right to defend human rights as well as a stand-alone right.392 Both the UN General Assembly and the Human Rights Council have reaffirmed the right of everyone, individually and in association with others, to unhindered access to and communication with international bodies, in particular the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights.393 389  See A/RES/68/181, adopted on 18 December 2013, preambular para. 12. 390  Moscow 1991, Preamble. 391  See Copenhagen 1990, paras. 10.4 and 11.3. See also Vienna 1989, para. 26, which reaffirms “the right of persons to observe and promote the implementation of CSCE provisions and to associate with others for this purpose”, and contains the commitment of participating States to “facilitate direct contacts and communication among these persons, organizations and institutions within and between participating States”. 392  The UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders states in Article 5 that “[f]or the purpose of promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, at the national and international levels: […] (c) To communicate with non-governmental or intergovernmental organizations.” Article 9(4) of the Declaration states that everyone has the right “individually and in association with others, to unhindered access and communication with international bodies with general or specialized competence to receive and consider communications on matters of human rights and fundamental freedoms.” 393  See UNGA Resolution A/RES/68/181, para. 18, and UN Human Rights Council Resolution A/HRC/ RES/22/6, para. 13. See also “Cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights”, Resolution A/HRC/RES/24/24, adopted on 27 September 2013, para. 1. 120 Guidelines on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders