To share experiences and strategies with human rights defenders working to safeguard civil society space, ISHR has released a new report showcasing examples of successful human rights change from around the world.
Protecting our space: Human rights defender strategies to protect civil society space is the latest report from ISHR following consultations with human rights defenders from around the world. By collating various first hand examples of targeted advocacy to defend or expand civil society space, the report examines the shared elements that contributed to success.
ISHR’s Director, Phil Lynch, said the release of the report was timely given the global trend of governments increasingly restricting the work of human rights defenders and the spaces they operate in.
‘In every region we are witnessing regressive laws and legal measures being used to criminalise and restrict human rights defenders in their legitimate and crucial work. By reflecting on and sharing examples of successful advocacy, this publication aims to provide human rights defenders with ideas and strategies to help push back against laws and practices that infringe on their space, rights and liberties,’ said Mr Lynch.
The report lists several elements of successful strategies as well as lessons learnt from unsuccessful experiences. It was developed following a convening of human rights defenders who were in Geneva last year to undertake training with ISHR.
This publication was made possible with the kind assistance of Fund for Global Human Rights, the Open Society Foundations and the Sigrid Rausing Trust and is available for download here.
On Tuesday 16 April 2024, ISHR delivered to both Geneva’s Administrative Council and its legislative counterpart, the Municipal Council, physical copies of the more than 1000 signatures collected in support of a memorial honouring Chinese human rights defender Cao Shunli.
13 April 2024 marked one year since the Chinese authorities arbitrarily detained prominent human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng and his wife, woman defender Xu Yan. As their health steadily deteriorates, 30 rights groups and the European Union have renewed their call for their prompt release.
In a series of groundbreaking rulings in early 2024, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the Constitutional Court of Colombia set new precedents that significantly enhance protections for human rights defenders across Latin America.
