News Archive
Page 53 of 134 (1332 articles)
Updates from September 2019!
Dear friends and colleagues, Earlier this month, I spoke with a human rights defender (HRD) exiled in Uganda for ten years. He has not seen his children since 2010. His crime was political activism and speaking truth to power in his home country. He has scars on his body reminiscent of the torture in prison. […]
Reflections on the 42nd session of the UN Human Rights Council
Oral statements to the Council Advocacy documents and press releases Side-events at the Council Outcomes and resolutions My delegation took an active part in the last UN Human Rights Council session of the year, the HRC’s 42nd regular session (HRC42, 9-27 September 2019). The session witnessed a record number of resolutions adopted by the Council for […]
Sudan: new UN resolution offers hope, but human rights challenges remain
At a critical juncture for Sudan, a UN resolution on the country’s human rights situation offers hope that the international community will contribute to domestic improvements. Yet, as the Sudanese people attempt to turn the page on 30 years of dictatorship and repression, significant challenges remain. The resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council (“Council”) is an encouraging signal but should push all stakeholders to be cautiously optimistic, DefendDefenders said today.
Ahead of elections, the UN keeps a spotlight on human rights in Burundi
The UN Human Rights Council (“Council”) has decided to keep a spotlight on Burundi ahead of key elections scheduled for 2020. Today, the Council adopted a resolution that extends the mandate of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) on Burundi for one year and condemns a wide range of human rights violations and abuses, a move which DefendDefenders welcomes.
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM ASSOCIATE
Background DefendDefenders (the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project) seeks to strengthen the work of human rights defenders (HRDs) in the East and Horn of Africa sub-region by reducing their vulnerability to the risk of persecution and by enhancing their capacity to effectively defend human rights. DefendDefenders focuses its work on Burundi, […]
Interactive Dialogue between Protection Stakeholders and HRDs in Exile in Uganda
1. On 12 September 2019, DefendDefenders (the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project), in collaboration with AfricanDefenders (the Pan-African Human Rights Defenders Network), convened the second interactive dialogue between protection service providers (PSPs) and human rights defenders (HRDs) in exile in Uganda. Following the first interactive dialogue held in December 2016, […]
Human Rights Defender of the Month: Moses Kabaseke
Moses Kabaseke, a talented hip-hop artist and activist from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), was forced to flee to Uganda in 2013 – at only 16 years old. Kabaseke, known by his stage name Belidor, has produced music since he was a child. “I use music as a weapon – music has power. I use music to promote human rights.”
Updates from August 2019!
Dear friends and colleagues, Last week, we commemorated the International Day of Victims of Disappearance, in solidarity with the many African human rights defenders (HRDs) that have disappeared, been tortured, and/or killed. It is an atrocious crime which demands our immediate attention. FOCODE have reported 140 disappearances of HRDs and political opponents in Burundi over […]
DefendDefenders’ oral statements at HRC42
Oral statements delivered by DefendDefenders at the 42nd session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC42, 9-27 September 2019).
Sudan: ensuring a credible response by the UN Human Rights Council
Ahead of the 42nd regular session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC42), Sudanese, regional and international civil society organisations urge the Council to address serious human rights violations and abuses in Sudan and support systemic reforms in the country.