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Despite Sierra Leone's acceptance of recommendations aiming to improve civil society’s space, cases of reprisals against human rights defenders are still reported.

The health crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has led States to take measures to combat the spread of the virus. Despite the state of health emergency, some of these measures were considered inappropriate and have considerably limited the rights of defenders with a considerable impact on their work.

ISHR is pleased to launch its latest research exploring the extent to which national human rights institutions could act as national protection mechanisms as part of the implementation of national human rights defender protection laws in selected West African countries.

ISHR is pleased to launch its latest research exploring the extent to which national human rights institutions could act as national protection mechanisms as part of the implementation of national human rights defender protection laws in selected West African countries.

The Human Rights Defenders Network of Sierra Leone and Amnesty International are campaigning for the adoption of a new law on the protection of human rights activists in Sierra Leone, with ISHR support.

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This year, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the UN Declaration on human rights defenders calls on us to assess what has been done since then and to reflect on what can be done for the next 20 years in Africa.

20 years after the adoption of the UN Declaration on human rights defenders, where are we on the legal protection of defenders in West Africa? To assess the progress made but also the challenges that still remain in the region, ISHR in collaboration with the West African Human Rights Defenders Network (WAHRDN), the Ivorian Coalition of Human Rights Defenders (CIDDH) and HRCnet, is organising a workshop with defenders coming from all around the region.

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In a statement delivered today before the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Commission), ISHR commended progress made on legal protection and recognition of human rights defenders while expressing serious concerns on increasing violations in various countries.

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On the margins of the 60th session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (the African Commission), a panel including experts of the African Commission and human rights defenders raised awareness about the need to continue to provide greater protection of human rights defenders in Africa, given the significant regression of democracy on the continent.

Civil society, government representatives, parliamentarians and national human rights institutions from across Africa strategise to enhance legal protection of human rights defenders on the continent.