ISHR WELCOMES SIXTEEN INSPIRING DEFENDERS IN GENEVA FOR ITS FLAGSHIP TRAINING, HRDAP23

ISHR's flagship Human Rights Defender Advocacy Programme (HRDAP) continues with its in-person component - after an interactive online course - from Wednesday 14 June, with sixteen inspiring human rights defenders from around the globe traveling to Geneva to learn how to use the UN mechanisms for even greater impact on the ground.
 

DEFENDER STORY: KADDOUR CHOUICHA FROM ALGERIA

Days before facing trial on baseless charges, activist and trade union leader Kaddour Chouicha renewed his call for democracy and the independence of the judiciary in Algeria.
 

SEYCHELLES: DEFENDERS LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PROTECTION OF THEIR RIGHTS

In the Seychelles, defenders face restrictions and violations of their rights. However, too often they are not aware of the protection afforded to them especially through regional and international mechanisms. A recent civil society workshop provided a first step to change this.

MAURITIUS: ENABLING A STRONGER PROTECTION OF DEFENDERS

Mauritius is one of the island States of Africa. The local civil society can find it challenging to connect to civil society on the continent, and to raise the restrictions they face to international and regional human rights mechanisms. A recent workshop helped address this issue.

UGANDA: REPEAL HARSHEST ANTI-LGBTQ LAW!

Despite recent progress at the international level countering discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, Uganda’s anti-LGBTQ law, which includes life imprisonment and the death penalty for homosexuality, also targets civil society organisations and human rights defenders working to promote and protect the rights of LGBTQ persons. ISHR calls on the Ugandan government to repeal this law and immediately respect and comply with its human rights obligations!

SUDAN WAR: PROTECT REFUGEES AND DISPLACED PERSONS, INCLUDING WOMEN AND WOMEN DEFENDERS

Civil society organisations and groups urge the international community to take action responding to the ongoing war in Sudan and ensure protection of refugees and internally displaced persons including women and women human rights defenders.

THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL SHOULD URGENTLY RESPOND TO GRAVE VIOLATIONS AT BORDERS

Civil society calls for an appropriate response from the Human Rights Council by establishing an independent international monitoring mechanism to undertake a global investigation into deaths, enforced disappearances, torture and other grave human rights violations faced by people in transit across international borders.

NEPAL: SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS YOGYAKARTA PRINCIPLES ADVANCING LGBTIQ+ RIGHTS

Nepal's recognition of international legal frameworks is contributing to the development of national legal norms acknowledging issues of sexual orientation and gender identity.

COMMITTEE ON NGOs MUST STOP BLOCKING NGO PARTICIPATION AT UN THROUGH UNFAIR TACTICS

At the resumed 2023 session of the Committee on NGOs, several States continued to deny ECOSOC accreditation to NGOs seeking access to the UN for several years. This must change!

FOURTY NGOs CALL ON THE UN TO MAKE CIVIL SOCIETY HYBRID PARTICIPATION PERMANENT

HRCnet, together with 40 organisations sent an open letter to ask for hybrid modalities to become a permanent tool to ease access for human rights defenders and organisations to key human rights mechanisms.

ISHR SUBMITS A PETITION SUPPORTING ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENDER ANEXA ALFRED CUNNINGHAM

On Environmental Day, ISHR submitted a petition to the UN Secretary-General signed by 492 individuals to support Nicaraguan Indigenous and environmental defender Anexa Alfred Cunningham who was forcibly exiled after participating in a UN meeting.

FINLAND: UPDATED GUIDELINES ON HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS

Updated guidelines released by the Finland Ministry of Foreign Affairs will contribute positively to protecting and supporting human rights defenders globally.

VENEZUELA: BILL THREATENS NGO COOPERATION WITH THE UN

The NGO bill introduced in the Venezuelan National Assembly is a severe threat to civic space in the country, and will gravely limit defenders' ability to engage with international human rights mechanisms. Defenders should be supported and this bill withdrawn, write Calixto Avila (Provea) and Eleanor Openshaw (ISHR).

IT'S TIME TO END REPRISALS 

Human rights defenders are essential voices from our communities. Sometimes, they face intimidation and reprisals when engaging with the United Nations. Join our campaign to #EndReprisals!