Reflections on the 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council

9 October 2025

The UN’s liquidity crisis and broader funding cuts to international agencies and the non-profit sector continue to affect human rights work worldwide. It is estimated that the UN’s budget will decrease by 15% in 2026. The UN’s human rights pillar, which was already chronically under-funded compared to the other two pillars (development and peace & security), with less than 5% of the organisation’s budget, risks being disproportionately affected.

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Chioma: Empowering the Next Generation Online

9 October 2025

Chioma was part of the 2023 cohort of DefendDefenders’ Safe Sisters fellowship, the flagship programme of DefendDefenders Tech which offers digital safety and security training to women human rights (WHRDs), journalists and media workers. “Safe Sisters Fellowship was a 360-degree turnaround in my career, in my life. Everything about me turned 360 degrees after that encounter. After the fellowship, there was a chain of positive events, one after another, until today, I can proudly introduce myself as a digital security advocate.”

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DefendDefenders welcomes new members to the team

23 September 2025

We are thrilled to welcome three new members to our team: Ainobusingye Praise, Daniel Martin Ikosiot, and Floor Veldman. Joining us as fellows, each one brings a unique experience and talent that will support us in enhancing our mandate to protect and promote the work of human rights defenders.

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Updates from August 2025

26 August 2025

The 60th UN Human Rights Council (HRC) session will convene from 8 September to 8 October 2025 to deliberate on the global human rights context. Among the situations under consideration is the ongoing conflict in Sudan. Now in its third year, the conflict is one of the most devastating on the continent, resulting in the displacement of over 13 million people and more than 150,000 civilian deaths.

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