In January 2021, Protection International brought together a group of interdisciplinary experts from the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia to craft a list of principles for “Redefining the Risk Approach”. Find a summary of the Risk Analysis and Protection Plan Principles here.

The risk approach has become an integral tool for addressing the protection of human rights defenders (HRDs) around the world. Its adoption has been rapid, partly linked to the fact that the risk approach has been permeating many facets of society for decades, and partly due to the fact that it offers simple and easily applicable tools for conducting a situated analysis for HRDs under threat, offering a pathway towards effective decision-making. However, its simplicity, applicability, and indiscriminate use have also shown shortcomings and limitations that need to be addressed.

The Risk Analysis and Protection Plan Principles are meant to set minimum standards for how a risk analysis should be conceptualized, how it should be approached, and how it can be translated into a suitable protection plan.

Find the full document here in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Arabic. An explainer animation is currently available in English, Spanish and French (Protection International).