Site search

'I chose to be a human rights defender by, hopefully, protecting those who don't know where to find a solution when there are human rights abuses happening to them.'

Let’s start with a seemingly unconventional proposition: civil society and business share the same space, and therefore should share an interest in defending what unites them. How controversial is that proposition, really?, ask Bennett Freeman, Mauricio Lazala and ISHR's Michael Ineichen.

Leading businesses are playing an active role pressuring Cambodia to respect and protect the work of human rights defenders, trade unionists and civil society leaders, write Sharon Waxman and former ISHR Board member Michael H Posner.

Outstanding human rights defenders from Turkey, Colombia and Papua New Guinea / Australia have been honoured for their courageous work in the face of great personal risk, with the announcement of the Final Nominees for the Martin Ennals Award 2019.

… Mohamed Zaree from Egypt. Zaree’s brave and dedicated work to promote and protect human rights was honoured with his recognition as the Laureate at the prestigious Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders in Geneva tonight.

The newly created international investigative body on Yemen sends an important message that the people of Yemen have not been abandoned by the international community, and that accountability for international crimes is urgently required, a group of leading NGOs said today.

Asian countries were a major focus of the opening statement to the UN Human Rights Council by the world's top human rights official. And, says ISHR and many other NGOs, this is with good reason.

We look back at all that the 17 inspiring human rights defenders participating in our 2017 Human Rights Defenders Advocacy Programme achieved during their intense time in Geneva.

Prominent human rights defenders from Cambodia, El Salvador and Egypt have been honoured for their courageous work in the face of great personal risk, with the announcement of the Final Nominees for the Martin Ennals Award 2017.

States and NGOs alike should do more within the Human Rights Council to promote the full realisation of economic, social and cultural rights – and to address gross and systematic violations of those rights – in concrete ways, says Lucy McKernan.