Resources

After extensive internal and external consultations, ISHR has just released its Strategy 2030, our new Strategic Framework.

This document, produced as an output of the Youth Champions Programme, organised by the International Gender Champions Secretariat, is intended to provide guidance on principles of feminist leadership, with a particular focus on how men can and should champion gender equality.

On 12 May 2023, CEDAW conducted its sixth periodic review of China, Hong Kong and Macau. ISHR has developed an explainer on the Concluding Observations of the review, summarizing the key recommendations and how civil society can use them to assist documentation and advance change.

Ahead of China, Hong Kong and Macao's review by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in May 2023, ISHR has prepared an explainer summarising the Committee's work to oversee the implementation of women’s rights, and opportunities for civil society engagement in its review process. Civil society plays a vital role in informing the Committee's assessment, and pointing to key areas of concern.

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.

Here are some of the things we are most proud of; impacts that reflect and were made possible thanks to the creativity, solidarity and resilience of our partners, our staff and the human rights defenders we collectively serve.

The expertise, insights and efforts of women human rights defenders are key to achieving a sustainable and effective response to conflict, says ISHR in a new report providing recommendations to the UN Security Council on how best to ensure such input is sought, heard and acted upon.

ISHR’s ‘action sheets’ on diplomatic initiatives for the protection of human rights defenders are tools to enhance the impact of diplomatic guidelines and other forms of support to HRDs. They help defenders better leverage diplomatic support, and assist diplomatic representatives to provide better quality, consistent and targeted support to HRDs, including women human rights defenders, defenders working in restrictive environments and environmental human rights defenders.

As civil society protests the denial of visas to women defenders seeking to participate in the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) meeting in New York - starting this week - ISHR launches a report on barriers to civil society engagement with the UN.

States should encourage Uganda to refrain from criminalising the legitimate activities of human rights defenders and repeal all laws and policies which restrict their rights and activities through its forthcoming UPR, ISHR, Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum and Chapter Four Uganda have said in a joint briefing paper.