C. Confronting stigmatization and marginalization 115. Participating States have recognized that the active involvement of individuals, groups, organizations and institutions is essential to ensuring continued progress towards their shared objectives. These objectives include strengthening respect for, and enjoyment of, human rights and fundamental freedoms. Furthermore, participating States have committed to respect “the right of their citizens to contribute actively, individually or in association with others, to the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms,”161 and “the right of everyone, individually or in association with others, to seek, receive and impart freely views and information on human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the rights to disseminate and publish such views and information.”162 116. The UN Declaration has also reaffirmed, for example, the right of everyone to communicate with non-governmental or intergovernmental organizations (Article 5 (c)) and to solicit, receive and utilize – individually and in association with others – resources for the express purpose of promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms through peaceful means (Article 13). 117. Despite these and other commitments, human rights defenders continue to be stig- matized in many countries for the exercise of these rights and their activities.163 Human rights work is often portrayed as political work or as political opposition activity as it often involves criticizing the authorities and challenging the views of the majority. However, in accordance with international standards, individuals have a right to participate in the conduct of public affairs, inter alia, by submitting to the authorities criticism or proposals concerning how to strengthen the protection of human rights. Activities to influence public opinion and decision-making are an important element of human rights work and are essential for enhancing the observance of human rights. Therefore, human rights work should not be mistaken for partisan political activity. Rather, participating States should recognize the importance and legitimacy of human rights work. 118. The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders has expressed the concern that human rights defenders are often branded enemies of the state or terrorists in an attempt to delegitimize their work and activities.164 Common attempts to do so in the OSCE region include the labelling of human rights defenders as extremists, traitors or spies, discrediting their work as activity aimed 161  Vienna 1989, “Questions Relating to Security in Europe: Principles”, para. 13(5). 162  Copenhagen 1990, para. (10.1). 163  In 2001, in her first report to the UNGA the then Special Representative of the Secretary General on human rights defenders reported that “Smear campaigns against human rights defenders have become a tool increasingly used to discredit their work.” This has not substantially changed since then, although it seems that the methods of discrediting human rights defenders have even become more sophisticated. See report by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on human rights defenders, Hina Jilani, UN Doc. A/56/341, 10 September 2001, paras. 36-40. 164  See the report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders A/HRC/25/55, 23 December 2013, para. 86. 62 Guidelines on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders