In five months time there’s the chance to change the gatekeepers for civil society into the UN. Elections to the UN Committee on NGOs provide that opportunity. Get involved!
With human rights defenders, we work for a world that is more just, equal and sustainable for all.
About us
Through our programmes, we support and act in solidarity with human rights defenders, contributing to a world that is fair, just and peaceful, in which all people can live free and equal, in communities that are diverse and inclusive.
Are you a human rights defender keen to use the UN to push for change at home? If so, apply to the 2022 edition of ISHR’s flagship training the Human Rights Defender Advocacy Programme (HRDAP).
Here at ISHR we have a custom of starting all staff meetings by sharing our inspirations. The inspiration might be something deeply personal, like the resilience of a loved one recovering from illness, something local, like the renaming of a Geneva street to honour a feminist activist, or something work-related, like the release of a human rights defender from arbitrary detention following a concerted global campaign.
More than 30 organisations from around the globe unite to protect human rights defenders. The Esperanza Protocol is endorsed by a number of UN experts and former rapporteurs of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
ISHR Academy is ISHR's e-learning space, helping human rights defenders strengthen their advocacy skills with the UN for greater impact on the ground. Our learning modules demystify the UN human rights system and build capacity to push for change. Discover new tools, insider tips, defender stories, and more!
"I remember to be hopeful... because I believe in my own power."
Women human rights defenders have historically been at the forefront of human rights progress relating to gender and equality, creating and implementing campaigns for change.
LGBTQI+ rights defenders work toward enhanced respect, dignity, equality and a world free from violence and discrimination for their communities, for everyone!
Responsible business should support human rights and people who defend them. Companies can take concrete actions to protect defenders and the 'shared space' in which both operate!
Land, climate and environmental rights defenders work against the clock to address the climate crisis and help us all live on a healthy, sustainable planet.
ISHR has permanent offices in Geneva and New York, enabling us to build and leverage our distinctive expertise and networks at the UN and among key diplomats for the benefit of defenders. ISHR establishes presences in strategic locations from time-to-time as is appropriate and necessary to best enable achievement of our goals. As is the case with our office in Abidjan in Cote d’Ivoire, such presences may include the co-location or secondment of ISHR staff with key national and regional human rights defender organisations or networks or the relocation of staff to provide enhanced access to key decision-makers.
We support defenders, strengthen laws and systems for their protection and contribute to a safe and enabling environment for them at the national, regional and international levels.
Number of people accessing information and support through the ISHR Academy.
Number of human rights defenders to whom ISHR provided training or advocacy support in 2020.
Percentage of recommendations made by ISHR and taken up by States in the Universal Periodic Review.
© Lorena Rossi
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