Background:

DefendDefenders was established in 2005 as a regional network to strengthen the work of human rights defenders (HRDs) throughout the East and Horn of Africa sub-region by reducing their vulnerability to the risk of persecution by enhancing their capacity to effectively defend human rights. DefendDefenders envisions a region in which the human rights of every individual as stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are respected and upheld.

DefendDefenders also serves as the secretariat of AfricanDefenders (the Pan-African Human Rights Defenders Network. The five sub- regional networks forming the AfricanDefenders include: the North Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (hosted by the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies in Tunis), the West African Human Rights Defenders Network (Lomé, Togo), the Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (hosted by the International Commission of Jurists in Johannesburg, South Africa), the Central Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (Douala, Cameroon), and the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (DefendDefenders in Kampala, Uganda). AfricanDefenders coordinates activities in the areas of protection, capacity building, and advocacy across the African continent.

DefendDefenders has an existing Board whose mandate is already provided for in the Memorandum of Understanding. However, it was decided that a Board Charter would expound on issues around the composition and operations of the Board. Accordingly therefore, DefendDefenders Proposes to contract a legal expert to develop the board charter that will form the basis for governance of the organisation and operations of the Board.