UN Declaration on human rights defenders
The 1998 declaration sets out the rights and responsibilities of States, human rights defenders, and all actors in society in ensuring a safe environment for defenders.
In 2023, the UN and the human rights movement are celebrating an important anniversary: 25 years of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders!
The Declaration is a landmark document that sets out the rights and responsibilities of States, human rights defenders, and all actors in society in ensuring a safe environment where defenders are recognised, valued, and encouraged to work for the promotion and protection of human rights.
As part of this celebration, Amnesty International, CIVICUS, Defend Defenders, FIDH, Forum Asia, Front line Defenders, Gulf Centre for Human Rights, ICNL, ILGA World, IM Defensoras, ISHR, MENA WHRD Coalition, OMCT, Peace Brigades International , Protect Defenders, Protection International and RFK Human Rights launched a collaborative project to analyse the contributions of the Declaration to defenders’ lives and work, as well as progress in international human rights law on the protection of defenders.
What do we want to achieve?
This project seeks to enhance the awareness of the Declaration and encourage greater dialogue on the protection needs of defenders
One of the outcomes of the project will be the creation of the Declaration +25 that will be a civil society-led document taking into account developments in international and regional jurisprudence relating to defenders over the past 25 years and evolutions of human rights movements, addressing key gaps and limitations in the Declaration, and reflecting defenders’ lived experiences and needs.
This Declaration +25 will guide change on the ground in the next 25 years, and beyond!
We need the input and voices from human rights defenders everywhere!
What can you do?
We are consulting online and offline with human rights defenders across the globe on changes in national, regional and global contexts in which they work, evolutions of human rights movements and activism, and defenders’ lived experiences and protection needs. We are also reviewing how international and regional jurisprudence in relation to human rights defenders has developed over the last 25 years.
1. Add your voice
By sharing your experiences, insights, and recommendations, you can help shape the future of human rights and contribute to the protection and promotion of defenders’ rights.
