The Observatory on Public Policies for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

The FOCUS Observatory on Public Policies for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders is an online platform aimed at monitoring, analysing and promoting good practice in policy developments that governments and other state authorities adopt for protecting human rights defenders and their right to defend human rights on a global level.

Map of public policies

Click on any of the highlighted countries below to browse by location.

Key Elements

Who are human rights defenders? Why is it important to protect them? What is the role of the states in protecting them? In this section, we review all key elements linked to protection policies for human rights defenders.

PI publications

Protection International has been working on public policies since 2007. Over the years, we have gathered our expertise and good practices in research publications, practical tools and reports.

Browse

Browse through the database of document by region, or refine your search by country, type of document and author in the database section.

Latest additions

European Network of National Human Rights Institutions. ENNHRI
2024
May 2024 For the fifth subsequent year, National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) in the European Union (EU) provide their insights...
Civil Society Europe & European Civic Forum
2024
Civil Society Europe and the European Civic Forum, leading an informal coalition of civil society organisations1 which includes Protection International, present...
Legal Rights Center
2024
On 14 May 2024, the NCIP conducted its first consultation to disclose the proposed newFPIC Rules. These rules are significant...
Colectivo de abogados José Alvear Restrepo (Cajar)
2024
Bogotá-Washington DC., March 18, 2024. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has issued a historic ruling in which it recognizes...
Blog of the European Journal of International Law (EJIL)
2024
Written by María Emilia Lehne Cerrón November 1, 2024 FOCUS: This paper emphasises the importance of the Escazú Agreement, a treaty...
ILGA. The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association
2024
Throughout the world, legal gender recognition remains a major concern for trans human rights defenders. It is a crucial component...
ISHR
2024
The Declaration +25 is an authoritative, civil society-led document that supplements the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders. Together, these...