Human rights defender

Human rights defender is a term used to describe people who, individually or with others, act to promote or protect human rights. Human rights defenders (HRDs) are those women and men who act peacefully for the promotion and protection of those rights.

Declaration on Human Rights Defenders

The United Nations adopted the Declaration on the right and responsibility of individuals, groups and organs of society to promote and protect universally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms on December 9, 1998. It marks a historic achievement in the struggle toward better protection of those at risk for carrying out legitimate human rights activities and is the first UN instrument that recognizes the importance and legitimacy of the work of human rights defenders, as well as their need for better protection. These laws were also made to defend people from bad intentions

Awards for Human rights defenders

• The Martin Ennals Award, a collaboration of several human rights NGOs. Martin Ennals was a renowned human rights defender and secretary general of Amnesty International. Its secretariat is located at the OMCT office in Geneva.^[1]
• The Human Rights Defender Award is the highest award of Human Rights Watch
• The Human Rights Defenders Tulip, established by the Netherlands government, started in 2008.

References

External links

• UN Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
• Civil Rights Defenders
• Amnesty International: Protecting Human Rights Defenders
• Peace Brigades International
• Front Line: The International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders at Risk
• The Human rights defenders programme of the OMCT
• Martin Ennals Award
• The Carter Center’s Human Rights Defenders Forum
• Human Rights Defenders Tulip