By NHRI mandate
By topic
Enabling environment for HRDs & CSOs
Environmental HRDs
Freedom of assembly and association
Freedom of expression
Freedom of the media
Funding of CSOs
Non-government controlled territories
Prohibition of discrimination
Protection of HRDs
Right to a fair trial
Right to an effective remedy
Right to privacy
Right to respect for private and family life
Sustainable Development Goals
Whistleblowers
Women HRDs
By country
The Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia cooperates with human rights defenders (HRDs) and NGOs in a continuous and systematic way across all areas of human rights protection. Cooperation is implemented though various formats, including the establishment of councils adjunct to the NHRI. These are composed of representatives of CSOs, HRDs, and independent experts. At the present time, the Defender’s Office has established six public councils adjunct to the Defender.
The council adjunct assists the work of the NHRI on specific thematic areas. For instance, in September 2024, the Human Rights Defender of Armenia held a session of the Public Council on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Persons of Belonging to National Minorities. During the session representatives of NGOs participated in the drafting works of the Law on National Minorities. The observations, comments, and suggestions regarding the draft law were summarised and presented to the competent state bodies.
In June 2024, the Human Rights Defender – with the support of UNICEF – organised a regular session of the Public Council on Children and Youth Rights adjunct to the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia. The event was a unique opportunity for children to address their questions to officials and decision-makers.
Azerbaijan Ombudsman Institute
In 2021, taking into account the importance of strengthening the cooperation with civil society organizations, a special Department on Cooperation with International Organizations and Civil Society Institutions was established at the Ombudsman Office. The main function of the Department is to create a bridge between the government bodies and CSOs. In this respect we on a regular basis hold meetings with the members of CSOs, learn about their problems, discuss the ways of cooperation and receive their proposals. Moreover, a new platform was set up with CSOs for enhancing this cooperation, several joint events have been organized so far.
In 2022-2023, the Federal Institute for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights (FIRM-IFDH) conducted a research report on the protection of human rights defenders (HRDs) in Belgium. Most of the consulted human rights organisations had recently faced pressure and intimidation. Many indicated that the situation as a whole had deteriorated over the two-year reporting period, with a strong gendered component. The report’s conclusions highlighted that stronger protection of civic space and HRDs is required.
A number of concrete proposals were included in the report, grounded in various regional and international guidelines on the protection of HRDs. The main findings of this report were presented to and discussed with most major political actors in several meetings throughout 2024. They were subsequently included in the main priorities of political parties ahead of the June 2024 elections. The final report was published in 2024.
In 2023, the Institute also carried out a public awareness campaign to draw attention to the importance of the work of HRDs in Belgium. For nearly a month, several thousand support posters were displayed across five major cities in Belgium. On 5 December 2023, FIRM-IFDH organised a support action in central Brussels, together with human rights defenders, aimed both at raising public awareness and at presenting the first results of its research. The action generated significant interest in the written press and on the radio. The campaign was conducted in French and Dutch.
In 2023, the Federal Institute for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights (FIRM-IFDH) was appointed by the Federal Public Service (FPS) Justice as a focal point in the fight against SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation), following a recommendation from the European Commission. As the anti-SLAPP focal point, FIRM-IFDH will:
- Collect and share information regarding remedies against SLAPPs and support for those who are confronted with SLAPPs;
- Run awareness raising campaigns;
- Promote capacity building of the target groups (journalists, academics, lawyers, etc.) through training and awareness raising activities;
- Develop synergies between the relevant instruments in the field of the rule of law and the protection of fundamental rights.
FIRM-IFDH is currently developing its new mandate. It collects and disseminates information about SLAPPs and participates in the Belgian Anti-SLAPP Working Group as an observer. It monitors developments in the field to enable it to advise the federal government and federal parliament on the transposition of the European Union Directive into Belgian law.
In 2025, at the request of the Justice Committee of the House of Representatives, FIRM-IFDH issued advice on a draft bill aimed at protecting critical voices against abusive legal proceedings.
Ombudswoman of the Republic of Croatia
During a human rights film festival in December 2021, the Ombudswoman of Croatia organised a public consultation with civil society organisations. This was done to gain insight into challenges faced by human rights defenders and to identify key challenges in human rights protection. For its 2021 Annual Report to the Parliament, the NHRI sent out a public call inviting civil society to send data and insights, while specific questions were asked about key challenges to their work. The input from these consultations are reflected in the Ombudswoman’s Annual Report for 2021 and fed into Croatia’s Universal Periodic Review process.
For many years, ENNHRI has strongly advocated for the protection of human rights defenders (HRDs) at the regional level. First in its 2023 and then its 2025 rule of law report, ENNHRI recommended the European Commission to strengthen the empowerment, promotion and protection of civil society organisations (CSOs) and HRDs; to continue to ensure structural funding for CSOs and HRDs; and to ensure swift support for CSOs and HRDs when facing threats – including through the set-up of a dedicated EU HRD protection mechanism (in consultation and cooperation with NHRIs).
Ahead of the 2025 EU Civil Society Strategy, ENNHRI built on its work on HRDs, compiling practices and information from NHRIs and ENNHRI. It provided the European Commission with input on key areas requiring targeted action. These include:
- Strengthening protection for civil society and HRDs in the EU;
- Empowering their participation and dialogue in the EU; and
- Ensuring adequate and accessible funding for civil society and HRDs in the EU.
The Strategy underscores the role of NHRIs and ENNHRI in monitoring trends on civic space at national and regional level, and acknowledges the relevance of NHRIs within national protection frameworks.
Peer support among NHRIs can help address challenges faced in a context of limitations on democratic space. Together with regional partners, ENNHRI organises training and capacity building activities for NHRI staff. Topics covered include human rights defenders, NHRIs under threat, and communicating human rights. For example, the NHRI Academy 2021, jointly organised by ENNHRI and OSCE/ODIHR, focused on “Protecting human rights defenders and co-creating inclusive civil society space”. Moreover, ENNHRI’s 2018 Annual Conference gathered over 100 human rights stakeholders from across Europe to discuss how European NHRIs can better foster democratic space and support human rights defenders in the region.
In the absence of a legal definition of human rights defenders (HRDs), the Public Defender (Ombudsman) of Georgia (PDO) developed an internal guide to address issues relating to them. The document provides an overview of the role of the NHRI in defending HRDs and refers to international standards and commitments.
It also outlines the activities carried out by the PDO, including proactive monitoring of media, as well as active engagement with local NGOs and activists. These activities are crucial to enable the PDO to properly identify human rights violations against HRDs. Other activities include developing relevant recommendations and proposals, performing the role of amicus curiae, collecting data, and undertaking other public initiatives in support of HRDs.
German Institute for Human Rights
In 2020, the German Foreign Office launched the Elisabeth-Selbert-Initiative. This is a protection programme open to human rights defenders, including NHRI members and staff abroad, who face threats due to their work. The initiative consists of three main elements, including on-site assistance, grants for temporary relocation within home countries or regions, and grants for temporary relocation to Germany. The programme was put to use in 2021, the German Institute for Human Rights nominated a member for the selection committee. After the takeover by the Taliban, the German Institute for Human Rights, together with the Asia Pacific Forum of NHRIs, successfully advocated for staff from the Afghan NHRI to be included on the list of people evacuated by German authorities. As a result, some staff members and their families have relocated to Germany and received a residence permit. The Institute has been advocating to continue these evacuation efforts and to extend them to other human rights defenders. The NHRI published a study on Germany’s human rights obligations in this regard.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) Human Rights Tracker is an open-access, online tool for raising awareness of international human rights obligations and supporting civil society to hold the UK and Welsh governments to account. The Tracker is used by civil society organisations, academics, parliamentarians, legal professionals and government departments themselves. The EHRC provides free training sessions to introduce stakeholders to the UK and Welsh governments’ international human rights obligations and demonstrate how to use the tool.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) aims to provide financial assistance (up to once per treaty monitoring cycle) by commissioning organisations to produce joint shadow reports on behalf of wider civil society. It also funds travel for civil society organisations (CSOs) to participate in UN oral evidence sessions to increase the diversity of representation in UN review processes.
For instance, in 2024 the EHRC offered funding to CSOs in Britain of up to £7,500 to provide in-person evidence to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to inform its 7th periodic review of the United Kingdom.
In 2022, the Greek National Commission for Human Rights (GNCHR) established a Recording Mechanism of Informal Forced Returns, which brings together 11 NGOs active in the fields of migration and asylum. The Recording Mechanism provides a “protective shield” for its member organisations. They are operating in a generally hostile environment in Greece, where civil society actors engaged with refugee and migration issues often face pressure from both state and non-state actors.
The Recording Mechanism was created by a decision of the GNCHR plenary in September 2021 as the Greek NHRI’s institutional response to two major challenges: (a) the absence of an official and effective data collection mechanism for informal forced returns, and (b) the need for coordination among organisations that had been recording such incidents on their own initiative, based on testimonies from alleged victims.
The GNCHR drew from past best practice, such as the Racist Violence Recording Network (RVRN), which has been operating since 2011, and is jointly coordinated by GNCHR and the UNHCR Office in Greece. The Recording Mechanism provides the tools and the methodology to enhance NGOs’ capacity and knowledge to record testimonies of informal forced returns. The UNHCR Office in Greece, as a co-operating agency, provides technical support and advice to its operation. Amnesty International participates as an observer in the initiative. As a result, member NGOs of the Recording Mechanism can continue their field activities, including the recording of testimonies, under the umbrella of the Greek NHRI and without any interference by state authorities.
Since its establishment, the Recording Mechanism has published three Annual Reports (2022, 2023 and 2024), which have been formally submitted to the Greek authorities as well as to international and regional human rights bodies. In addition, the findings of the Recording Mechanism have informed the GNCHR’s third-party intervention before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the cases A.R.E v Greece and G.R.J. v Greece, further strengthening its contribution to accountability and the enforcement of the principle of non-refoulement.
Greek National Commission for Human Rights
The Greek National Commission for Human Rights (GNCHR) maintains very close relationship with NGOs and civil society organisations (CSOs), while monitoring very closely the situation regarding civil society space and the protection of human rights defenders. Not only prominent NGOs and CSOs form part of the GNCHR Plenary, but the GNCHR also maintains within its premises the Racist Violence Recording Network (RVRN). This was established in 2011 by the GNCHR and the Greek Office of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.
Commissioner for Fundamental Rights of Hungary
In Hungary, civil society organisations (CSOs) sent a letter to the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights complaining about an audit initiated by the Government Control Office. The audit started to review the distribution of funds under the CSO Fund of the European Economic Area (EEA) / Norway Grants. The Commissioner called on the Prime Minister’s Office to discuss the signed agreement, clarify its provisions, and define the Control Office’s powers vis-à-vis this funding with the Norwegian government. In 2020, the Norwegian and Hungarian governments reached an agreement to make funding directly available to CSOs and establish a fund operator independent of the Hungarian authorities. In January 2021, the NHRI received the Ambassador of Norway to Hungary to reinforce their cooperation and enhance the execution of the agreement.
Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission
To empower the advocacy and work of civil society, rights-holders, community-led groups and trade unions in Ireland, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission operates a grant scheme to support human rights and equality projects across Ireland. This scheme supports research programmes, training and resource activities, conferences, events, and cultural initiatives. Under its Human Rights and Equality Grants Scheme 2021, the Commission supported 28 projects which encompass a range of issues. They include social exclusion and socioeconomic discrimination; racism and discrimination experienced, in particular, by ethnic and minority communities; and empowering people with disabilities to advocate for their rights.
Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission
In June 2021, the Irish government announced a review of its Equality Acts. To support and encourage civil society groups and individuals to engage in the review process, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and the civil society organisation, FLAC (Free Legal Advice Centres), have launched a joint project called Equality ACTion.
Ombudsperson Institution of Kosovo*
In October 2021, the Ombudsperson Institution of Kosovo* organised the first constitutive Forum for the dialogue between the Ombudsperson Institution of Kosovo and organisations of civil society. The Forum aimed to develop a cooperation platform for identifying human rights violations, challenges to civil society, and opportunities for joint activities to promote and protect human rights in Kosovo*.
The Ombudsperson proposed the following thematic areas for the forum:
- Human rights and fundamental freedoms in Kosovo*
- Systematic human rights violations
- Promoting the work of the Ombudsperson Institution and civil society organisations working on human rights issues
- Coordinating joint activities
- Forms of cooperation between civil society and the Ombudsperson Institution.
Forum meetings are scheduled to take place on a quarterly basis, guaranteeing a dynamic and proactive approach. To implement and properly coordinate this work, the Ombudsperson assigned a focal point to be responsible for communication with civil society organisations.
Ombudsperson Institution of Kosovo*
On October 2021, the Ombudsperson Institution of Kosovo*, together with UN Women office in Kosovo*, launched the Informal Advocacy Task Force on Gender-Sensitive Standards for Occupational Safety, Health and Decent Work.
This task force aims to foster cooperation between stakeholders, the Ombudsperson Institution, the Women’s Caucus, UN entities, trade unions, private companies, gender equality activists and CSOs to promote gender-sensitive standards for Occupational Safety, Health and Decent Work.
The Task Force consists of the Ombudsperson (chair), while the co-chair will be the representative of the Women’s Caucus, several CSOs, and the Labor Inspectorate, Kosovo Chamber of Commerce, and the Union of Independent Trade Unions of Kosovo.
This task force shall promote occupational safety and health for all and will meet every three months. It will also establish a platform for the regular exchange of information, awareness raising, and advocacy for functional formal mechanisms and social dialogue at the national level.
Consultative Human Rights Commission of Luxembourg
The Consultative Human Rights Commission of Luxembourg took part in an event organised by the government to gather input for the development of a project for human rights defenders. Named Shelter Cities, it aims to set up a procedure for the reception of individual human rights defenders in Luxembourg for a predetermined rest period. This would be done via the protectdefenders.eu website. Since the abovementioned initial meeting, there has not been any noticeable progress. However, the government reiterated its commitment to the project “shelter cities” in its candidacy pledge for the UN Human Rights Council 2022-2024.
A similar project, ShelterCity, is being implemented in the Netherlands and operates in cooperation with Justice and Peace Netherlands, Dutch cities, and local organisations.
Since 2021, the People’s Advocate Office of the Republic of Moldova (PAO) has actively engaged in drafting a Concept for a Law on Human Rights Defenders and consulting on it with civil society, professionals and other stakeholders. In 2022, the draft was publicly debated with the participation of civil society representatives, including organisations such as OSCE Moldova, the Union of Lawyers and other key actors. The People’s Advocate welcomed the dialogue, and the feedback received was incorporated into the draft.
In 2024, at the initiative of the PAO, the new National Human Rights Action Plan for 2024-2027 included a specific action aimed at strengthening national standards on the protection of human rights defenders. This action explicitly states: “the normative framework ensures the safety of human rights defenders and journalists, including in the Transnistrian region”. Consult the adopted Plan here.
Following this progress, in 2024, the PAO organised another round of public consultations on the Concept, engaging public authorities, international partners, and civil society. The Concept was finalised and submitted to the Ministry of Justice for review on 11 February 2025. Subsequently, on 17 April 2025, the Ministry published an announcement on its website regarding the initiation of the process of drafting the Law on Human Rights Defenders. It invited all interested stakeholders to submit proposals and contributions.
The activities of human rights defenders and civil society in the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova have been restricted by rules and laws that limit their right to information and ability to express opposition to Transnistrian authorities. Human rights defenders’ freedom of expression was violated in 2020 when defenders were arrested and intimidated. In response, the People’s Advocate of Moldova issued recommendations to Moldovan authorities, mediators and observers. These aimed to make sure these parties applied international law and guaranteed the protection of human rights when designing measures to address the situation.
In 2021, the People’s Advocate of Moldova elaborated a concept regarding the necessity and importance to develop a draft law on human rights defenders. After that, the NHRI involved civil society and public authorities in discussion on the law, receiving mostly positive feedback. In parallel, the campaigning for children human rights defenders expanded and the NHRI proposed to include a chapter on children human rights defenders in the law, while mentioning the Ombudsman for Children as one of the protection mechanisms.
The People’s Advocate of Moldova and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Moldova launched an online course on whistleblowers’ protection in Russian and Romanian. The platform is aimed at employees from both the public and private sector. Users learn about how to disclose illegal practices; the particularities of whistleblowing in the private and public sectors; what illegalities may be disclosed; and the protection guarantees for those speaking out about corruption and irregularities in the institutions they work in.
The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) contributed to the protection of human rights defenders (HRDs) and civil society by engaging with international and regional mechanisms. The Commission provided written and oral evidence to the United Nations (UN) Committee on Civil and Political Rights during its eighth periodic review of the United Kingdom (UK) (NI Human Rights Commission, ‘Submission to the UN Human Rights Committee on the UK’s Eighth Periodic Report on Compliance with the UN ICCPR’ (NIHRC, 2024)). This included raising issues that concerned human rights defenders and civil society and advising the UN Committee on what recommendations would be most useful in Northern Ireland. The submission included recommendation on freedom of expression, i.e., the introduction of legislation in Northern Ireland that provides comprehensive protection against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), and a revised defamation law that strikes a fair balance between freedom of expression and the right to private life, including providing for a serious harm test.
Norwegian National Human Rights Institution
In 2019, the Norwegian National Human Rights Institution and the Norwegian NGO Forum on Human Rights conducted a survey on human rights defenders, with questions based on the provisions of the UN declaration on human rights defenders.
Romanian Institute for Human Rights
Following its participation in the NHRI Academy 2021, the Romanian Institute for Human Rights designed a training course for staff working with the country’s Senate and Chamber of Deputies. The training course aimed to raise awareness on issues relating to human rights defenders and NHRIs. Its objectives were to increase the effectiveness of the implementation and promotion of human rights at the national level; educate on the characteristics, mandate and modus operandi of key human rights institutions at the national level; develop an appropriate and adequate national regulatory framework for human rights defenders; and strengthen the national regulatory framework for NHRIs.
At the beginning of 2024, the Protector of Citizens of the Republic of Serbia concluded a Memorandum of Cooperation and Understanding with the Foundation “SOS Children’s Villages Serbia”. This was done with the aim of ensuring a higher level of education and awareness raising among children and young people from all programmes implemented by this organisation about the possibilities of contacting the institution of the Protector of Citizens, and about other mechanisms for the protection of child rights. To this end, two workshops were held last year to inform young people from alternative care and beneficiaries of other programmes of this organisation about the competencies of the Protector of Citizens.
The Memorandum of Cooperation and Understanding signed at the beginning of 2024 has indeed enabled the NHRI to increase awareness among children and young people from alternative care and other programmes implemented by this organisation about the possibilities of contacting the Protector of Citizens and other mechanisms for the protection of their rights. So far, three workshops for children and youth were held and they have been well received. The Protector of Citizens plans to continue this cooperation in the coming period.
In June 2025, the Protector of Citizens of the Republic of Serbia established a permanent advisory body consisting of representatives of organisations of persons with disabilities and other relevant civil society organisations. The body serves as a consultative forum for discussing systemic challenges, legislative proposals, and measures to improve the protection and realisation of the rights of persons with disabilities. It also provides a structured platform for continuous dialogue between the institution and disability rights advocates, ensuring that their perspectives are directly integrated into the institution’s recommendations and initiatives. The institution plans to establish advisory bodies in other relevant areas of human rights, such as gender equality, rights of LGBTI persons, rights of the child, rights of national minorities and trafficking in human beings by the end of 2025.
Protector of Citizens of the Republic of Serbia
The Protector of Citizens of the Republic of Serbia has completed the technical development of a unique platform for registering and tracking harassment and attacks experienced by journalists and others working in the media. Once operational and running, the platform will, help ensure faster and more efficient responses from the competent authorities in the reported cases of violations of media freedom and freedom of expression. It will also provide a broader and more comprehensive overview of the challenges faced by journalists and contribute to enhanced public confidence in state institutions. In 2021, the platform was presented to the Government Working Group for the Safety and Protection of Journalists established in 2020.
Protector of Citizens of the Republic of Serbia
The Protector of Citizens of the Republic of Serbia initiated changes to the Law on Public Order and Peace. These changes were presented in September 2021 at a meeting of the Working Group of the Government of the Republic of Serbia for Security and Protection of Journalists. The proposed amendments include misdemeanor sanctions for violence, threats and insults against individuals and journalists on the internet and social networks. When presenting its Annual Report to the Parliament in 2020, the NHRI also underlined the importance of regulation in the area which would stop and punish violence committed and threats and insults made on social networks.
The Ombudsman of Spain has contributed to the Latin American Federation of Ombudsman (FIO) report on human rights defenders. This includes many recommendations to governments.