40 countries, led by Chile, warned that proposed budget cuts under the UN80 initiative would severely weaken an already underfunded UN human rights pillar. As negotiations kick off in New York, ISHR urges States to prevent disproportionate cuts to human rights and ensure the international human rights system remains credible, effective and responsive.
From 24-26 November, the 14th Forum on Business and Human Rights took place in Geneva. ISHR participated in various activities together with human rights defenders working on corporate accountability.
Are you a human rights defender working on democratic backsliding and/or racial justice, keen to use the UN to push for change at home? If so, apply for the 2026 edition of ISHR’s flagship training, the Human Rights Defender Advocacy Programme (HRDAP)!
ISHR delivered a statement during the organisational meeting of the UN Human Rights Council on 8 December 2025. Read the full statement below.
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The UN Committee against Torture reviewed Bahrain’s fourth periodic report during its 83rd session in Geneva in November 2025. The dialogue focused heavily on the situation of human rights defenders, torture, accountability, and conditions of detention.
As the genocide in Gaza exposes deep corporate complicity, experts and human rights defenders convened in Geneva to discuss urgent paths toward accountability. This discussion unpacked how businesses, investors, and States must act now to end profiteering from atrocity crimes.
On 26 November 2025, ISHR organised, in partnership with Development Dynamics, a legislative advocacy dialogue on the Nigerian Bill of Human Rights Defenders Protection.
14 NGOs that closely follow and engage with the General Assembly Third Committee have published a joint statement on outcomes of this 80th session.
'When we feel the impact of the loss and damages of the environment that we belong to, that's the only source of our strength for doing our subsistance farming and produce food for the family,' says Cressida Kuala.
