Responding to violations against human rights defenders
The NHRI EU Project is led by the Institute and financed by the EU.
An increasing number of human rights defenders across the globe face severe risks when defending their rights to
press freedom, for example, and land rights. These risks have only intensified since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To strengthen the protection of human rights defenders, the global and regional networks of national human rights institutions are stepping up. The regional networks have developed comprehensive regional action plans on human rights defenders with expert inputs from the Institute. These efforts have been supported by the global
NHRI EU Project, which is led by the Institute.
Your regional action plan is essential in the struggle to save lives
Collecting data on violations and facilitating protection
The regional action plans contain thorough context analyses and case studies that exemplify the challenges human rights defenders are facing. They also describe how they are currently responding to the challenges, and what their members are planning to do to improve respect for the rights of defenders.
In April 2021 Asia Pacific Forum of national human rights institutions published its regional action plan. Among the many actions highlighted is the need for collecting data on violations against human rights defenders.
Another action highlighted is the facilitation of human rights defenders’ access to support and protection when they receive death threats, are at risk of reprisals, or for any other reason fear for their lives.
Human rights defenders in the Philippines (photo) as well as in many other countries face death threats and severe risks when defending their rights. The regional action plans on human rights defenders developed by the regional networks of national human rights institutions will hopefully strengthen the protection of human rights defenders.