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
Across the EU, civil society organisations (CSOs) and NHRIs have consistently highlighted significant gaps in their protection in the Union. For this reason, through its support to NHRIs, ENNHRI is stepping up its work on protecting human rights defenders (HRDs). ENNHRI supports NHRIs in their work on this through peer learning and dedicated capacity building, while also supporting their monitoring efforts and reporting at regional level.
For example, ENNHRI has provided spaces for peer exchange and learning on HRD protection. This includes through the organisation of a workshop on the protection of environmental defenders in 2023, and a series of meetings in 2024 focused on supporting NHRIs’ role in the protection of HRDs. These identified the key opportunities for NHRIs to strengthen their work in this area, as well as the ways in which ENNHRI can support them in doing so.
In addition, ENNHRI’s NHRI Academy 2025 provided dedicated capacity building for NHRIs on their role in the protection of HRDs.
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.
NHRIs can collectively engage before the European Court of Human Rights (the Court) through ENNHRI’s coordinated third party interventions. Through its Legal Working Group, ENNHRI provides support for strategic litigation and prepares third-party interventions on key human rights concerns. In the landmark climate case Greenpeace Nordic and Others Youth vs Norway, ENNHRI submitted written observations to the Court in 2021 and again in 2022 after the case was transferred to the Court’s Grand Chamber. The eventual judgment reflected key elements of ENNHRI’s submissions, including the applicability of Article 8 on the right to respect for private and family life and Article 6 (1) on access to court, particularly where procedural barriers risk preventing judicial scrutiny of measures needed to protect life and physical integrity in the face of the climate crisis.
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.