Human Rights Situation in the East and Horn of Africa (April – October 2019)

In its bi-annual report to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), DefendDefenders (the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project) provides a six-month overview of events affecting the rights to freedom of association, expression, and peaceful assembly in the East and Horn of Africa sub-region. DefendDefenders welcomes the opportunity offered […]
Reflections on the 42nd session of the UN Human Rights Council

Oral statements to the Council Advocacy documents and press releases Side-events at the Council Outcomes and resolutions My delegation took an active part in the last UN Human Rights Council session of the year, the HRC’s 42nd regular session (HRC42, 9-27 September 2019). The session witnessed a record number of resolutions adopted by the Council for […]
Interactive Dialogue between Protection Stakeholders and HRDs in Exile in Uganda

1. On 12 September 2019, DefendDefenders (the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project), in collaboration with AfricanDefenders (the Pan-African Human Rights Defenders Network), convened the second interactive dialogue between protection service providers (PSPs) and human rights defenders (HRDs) in exile in Uganda. Following the first interactive dialogue held in December 2016, […]
DefendDefenders’ oral statements at HRC42

Oral statements delivered by DefendDefenders at the 42nd session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC42, 9-27 September 2019).
For each disappeared, more activists stand up! Stop enforced disappearances against human rights defenders

Article posted in relation to the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances on 30 August 2019. On 13 April 2015, Sandra Kodouda, a Sudanese human rights defender (HRD), was abducted in Khartoum, Sudan by a group of unidentified men. Three days later she returned home with a dislocated shoulder and clear signs of […]
Reflections on the 41st session of the UN Human Rights Council

Oral statements to the Council Briefing papers and press releases Side-events at the Council Outcomes and resolutions My delegation attended the 41st session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC41), building on successful outcomes of previous sessions. We emphasise that being a member of the Council does not prevent scrutiny, and that the Council should stand […]
No Advice without Knowledge: Scrutiny elements in the UN Human Rights Council’s item 10 resolutions

In a report published today, DefendDefenders analyses the content and evolution of resolutions adopted by the UN Human Rights Council (hereafter “Council”) in the framework of its agenda item 10, which is dedicated to technical assistance and capacity-building. No Advice without Knowledge focuses on the presence of scrutiny (understood as monitoring and public reporting) elements in […]
ACHPR63: Updates from the East and Horn of Africa (April 2018 – October 2018)

In its bi-annual report to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, DefendDefenders provides a six-month overview of events affecting the rights to freedom of association, expression, and peaceful assembly in the East and Horn of Africa sub-region. Despite some areas of improvement in specific country situations, this submission highlights worrying trends across the […]
Reflections on the 39th session of the UN Human Rights Council

Highlights of our advocacy work at the 39th Session of the UN Human Rights Council
Réflexions sur la 39ème session du Conseil des droits de l’homme de l’ONU

Interventions au Conseil Notes de cadrage et communiqués de presse Événements parallèles Résolutions English version À l’entame de la 39ème session du Conseil des droits de l’homme (HRC39), le directeur exécutif de DefendDefenders, Hassan Shire, a souhaité la bienvenue à la nouvelle Haute-Commissaire des Nations Unies aux droits de l’homme, Michelle Bachelet. Son intervention faisait […]