International Service for Human Rights

Following the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders in 1998, a number of initiatives were taken, both at the international and regional level, to increase the protection of defenders and contribute to the full implementation of the Declaration. In this context, the following mechanisms were established: 

• The mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders (2000)
• The mandate of the Special Rapporteur of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights on human rights defenders (2004)
• The Human Rights Defenders Unit of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (2001)
• The European Union Guidelines on human rights defenders (2004)

Visit the relevant sub-section for further information on each of these mechanisms.