25 years of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders – How far have we come?

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Podcast interviewee – Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders

Interviewer – Mary Moynihan, writer, director, theatre and filmmaker, Artistic Director of Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality

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This year marks the 25^th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders. To explain its significance, and to talk about progress and gaps since then, we present a podcast on the situation of human rights defenders, achievements since the declaration, and what we hope to see in the future.

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UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders

2023 marks the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders in 1998, which for the first time recognised the specific right to defend human rights. Since then however, human rights defenders have frequently been subjected to attack, criminalisation, threats, smear campaigns and discrimination because of their peaceful work on behalf of others. Despite these challenges, human rights defenders have achieved significant successes over the past 25 years in bringing about more equitable and just societies. There has been significant developments in international law and standards on the role, recognition and protection of human rights defenders.

The Declaration on human rights defenders was adopted by consensus by the General Assembly in 1998, on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, after 14 year of negotiations.  The Declaration is not a legally binding instrument, but it contains principles and rights that are based on human rights standards enshrined in other legally binding international instruments that are legally binding. Moreover, the adoption of the Declaration by the General Assembly of the United Nations by consensus represents a very strong commitment by States to its implementation. The declaration:

• Identifies human rights defenders as individuals or groups who act to promote, protect or strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms through peaceful means.
• Recognizes the key role of human rights defenders in the realization of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and legally binding treaties and in the international human rights system.
• Represents a paradigm shift: it is addressed not just to States and to human rights defenders, but to everyone. It emphasizes that there is a global human rights movement that involves us all and that we all have a role to fulfil in making human rights a reality for all.

The Declaration’s full name is 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”. However, it is often abbreviated to “The Declaration on human rights defenders”.

Access the Declaration on human rights defenders in different languages

Access an Easy-to-Understand Poster on the Declaration on human rights defenders in different languages (PDF).

Speaker Biographies:

Ms. Mary Lawlor took up the mandate of Special Rapport on the situation of human rights defender on 1 May 2020, following the Human Rights Council decision 43/115.

Ms. Lawlor is currently an Adjunct Professor of Business and Human Rights in the Centre for Social Innovation (CSI), School of Business, Trinity College Dublin. She is a member of the Advisory Board of the School of Business.

She has worked extensively with and on the situation of human rights defenders.In 2001 she founded Front Line Defenders – the International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders to concentrate on human rights defenders at risk. As Executive Director from 2001-2016, Ms. Lawlor represented Front Line Defenders and had a key role in its development. 

Ms. Lawlor was previously the Director of the Irish Section of Amnesty International from 1988 to 2000, became a Board member in 1975 and was elected Chair from 1983 to 1987.

She has a BA in Philosophy and postgraduate degrees in Montessori Teaching and Personnel Management.

Ms. Lawlor is on the Advisory Board of the Centre for Ethics in Public Life, School of Philosophy, University College Dublin.

Front Line Defenders

Front Line Defenders was founded in Dublin in 2001 with the specific aim of protecting human rights defenders at risk (HRDs), people who work, non-violently, for any or all of the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Front Line Defenders addresses the protection needs identified by HRDs themselves. Front Line Defenders maintains its headquarters in Dublin, an EU Office in Brussels, and regionally-based field staff in the Americas, Asia, Africa, Europe & Central Asia, and the Middle East.

Front Line Defenders provides rapid and practical support to human rights defenders at risk through:

• international advocacy on behalf of human rights defenders at risk, including emergency support for those in immediate danger;
• grants to pay for the practical security needs of human rights defenders;
• trainings and resource materials on security and protection, including digital security;
• rest, respite and other opportunities for human rights defenders dealing with extreme stress;
• opportunities for networking and exchange between human rights defenders, including at the biennial Dublin Platform;
• the annual Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk;
• an emergency 24-hour phone line for human rights defenders operating in Arabic, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

In emergency situations Front Line Defenders can facilitate temporary relocation of human rights defenders.

Front Line Defenders promotes strengthened international and regional measures to protect human rights defenders through support for the work of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders.  Support for the office of the Special Rapporteur is also made through the Frank Jennings Internship Programme. Front Line Defenders promotes respect for the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders. Front Line Defenders has Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. Front Line Defenders has partnership status with the Council of Europe.

Front Line Defenders has Observer Status with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and supports the work of the Special Rapporteur for Human Rights Defenders at the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights by providing an intern on an annual basis.

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