OHCHR | Feature stories

Feature stories

Courts rather than spears used to defend indigenous territories
Nemonte Nenquino and Omanca are land human rights defenders from the Waorani people in Ecuador. The group recently won a landmark court ruling against the Government preventing oil exploration on their land.
6 September 2019

"I will bring back hope to people."
A Sudanese refugee activist is the 2019 Martin Ennals Award Laureate. Abudul Aziz Muhamat highlights the situation of refugees in offshore detention by the Australian government. Two other finalists included an Afro-Colombian rights campaigner and a human rights lawyer from Turkey.
22 February 2019

Human rights defenders call for urgent action to "save our homes."
While the effects of climate change are dramatically felt by the small island nations in the Pacific, for women living there, the challenges are even greater. Women’s human rights defenders call for more women to be included in all levels of decision making and negotiations surrounding climate change.
13 December 2018

Latin America and the Caribbean negotiate better protection for environmental rights defenders
In the world’s most dangerous region for environmental defenders, the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) launched a compilation of human rights standards to be considered by negotiators of a new regional agreement on environmental matters.
25 November 2016

Violence against rights defenders a worrying global trend
Human rights activists worldwide are targets of abuse, intimidation and death threats aimed at restricting and undermining the very rights they are working to defend.
13 October 2016

NGOs are heart of human rights work, HC says
The NGOs are the heart of the human rights process, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said. Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein made the analogy during his first official meeting with NGO groups during the 27th Human Rights Council session. More than 260 participants highlighted their concerns and expressed their hopes for his tenure during the meeting.
1 October 2014

Defending the environment: an increasingly deadly preoccupation
John Knox, the UN Independent Expert on Human Rights and the Environment has called on States to comply with their human rights obligations and ensure that people campaigning for a safe, clean and healthy environment receive appropriate protection.
4 June 2014

Defenders urgently need a safe and enabling space
Defending human rights is a dangerous activity in some countries where defenders may be vilified, attacked, arrested, tortured, and even murdered. The UN Human Rights expert on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders condemns these acts and provides, in her final report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, recommendations on ways to create a safe and enabling space for defenders.
31 March 2014

Martin Ennals Award: recognizing the work of human rights defenders
The Joint Mobile Group was awarded the prestigious Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders for its work in the Chechen Republic, Russian Federation. The ceremony also recognized human rights defenders in Egypt and Haiti.
14 October 2013

Misusing the law to clamp down on human rights defenders
The UN expert on human rights defenders says governments are continuing to restrict and even criminalize human rights work in different countries.
19 March 2013

High Commissioner pays tribute to civil rights activist Rosa Parks
On the 100th anniversary of the birth of civil rights activist, Rosa Parks, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay says her spirit will continue to inspire collective efforts to realize our fundamental rights.
5 February 2013

Freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly
States must find a balance between their duty to protect and the responsibility to guarantee freedoms says Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Kyung-wha Kang addressing a conference in the Middle East.
7 June 2012

Who will protect environmental human rights defenders?
UN expert says that environmental human rights defenders face “extraordinary risks” to their safety.
5 April 2012

Preventing intimidation and reprisals against human rights defenders
The UN urges Governments to prevent and refrain from all acts of intimidation or reprisal against those who cooperate with the Organization and other mechanisms on the issue of human rights.
25 October 2011

Defending defenders
The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders says that in many countries it is still very dangerous to be a human rights defender.
26 August 2011

Human rights chief meets with human rights defenders
UN Human Rights chief Navi Pillay meets with human rights defenders from the Middle East and North Africa.
8 June 2011

UN Human Rights Chief’s dialogue with civil society in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory
UN Human Rights Chief Navi Pillay meets human rights defenders in East Jerusalem, West Jerusalem, Ramallah and Gaza City.
24 February 2011

Bringing visibility to the plight of African descendants in the Americas
On this International Year for People of African descent, we highlight the stories of human rights defenders working to stop discrimination in the Americas.
15 February 2011

Defending the rights of African descendants in the Americas
On this International Year for People of African descent, we highlight the stories of human rights defenders working to stop discrimination in South America.
3 February 2011

Human rights defender from Palestine creates video project documenting abuses
Human Rights defender Issa Amro from Hebron city in the West Bank says you have to be strong to be a human rights defender, because it is very dangerous work
11 January 2011

Human Rights defender in Mozambique finds a voice
Danilo de Silva Mussagy, a human rights defender from Mozambique, says his own experience motivated him to work to end discrimination against individuals on the basis of their sex or sexual orientation.
5 January 2011

Indian human rights defender fights to end Roma discrimination
Sri Kumar Vishwanathan, an Indian human rights defender, fights to end discrimination against the Roma in the Czech Republic.
21 December 2010

Romanian human rights defender advocates for children’s lives
Adriana Tontsch, a human rights defender from Romania, advocates for children’s lives and says access to health care is a human rights issue.
17 December 2010

Criticism is not a crime: Human Rights Day 2010
On Human Rights Day 2010 UN Human Rights Chief Navi Pillay pays tribute to human rights defenders and says it is time we all did a better job of defending the defenders.
10 December 2010

Defending the defenders: Human Rights Day 2010
In a special message sent to the Geneva 2010 Human Rights Day event Myanmar’s recently released Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi appeals for solidarity in the struggle for human rights.
10 December 2010

Defending sexual diversity in South America
2010 marked a milestone for gay rights in South America with Argentina becoming the first country to legislate for same sex marriage
9 December 2010

Ludmilla Alexeeva – a veteran human rights defender
Ludmilla Alexeeva, one of the best-known human rights defenders in Europe today speaks of her hopes for the next generation of human rights advocates in Russia.
1 December 2010

Human rights defender from Gaza advocates for women
Zeinab-Al-Ghonaimy, human rights defender from Gaza, advocates for an end to discrimination against women.
30 November 2010

In this section

Introduction

Mandate

Resolutions and decisions

Methods of work

Submitting complaints