Consultation round on Rights and Responsibilities of Human Rights Organisations 26 January 2009

The Council has posted a new draft report, titled Rights and Responsibilities of Human Rights Organisations.

Prepared by Elizabeth Griffin, the draft takes account of the very different environments in which human rights NGOs operate – from the highly repressive to the quite supportive – and the variety of their scale and organisational form. Because it focuses on what is distinctive about human rights work, it does not duplicate – though it makes reference to – the large literature that now exists on NGO governance.

Recognising that human rights NGOs are often harassed by governments and other institutions, a chapter describes what international human rights law says about the entitlement of human rights defenders and organisations to promote and protect human rights.

In discussing responsibilities, the draft tries to provide an approach that human rights activists can adapt to their own situations. It is not a book of rules; it offers an approach to self–reflection.

If you would like to comment, please click here. The deadline is Friday March 20th.