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ENABLING CIVIC SPACE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS

Defenders Coalition works to strengthen the policy, legislative, institutional, and normative environments in which HRDs and HRDOs operate. This includes addressing restrictive regulatory frameworks, adverse societal norms and perceptions of HRDs, the delegitimisation of their work, and the responsiveness and accountability of relevant institutions.

Recognising that civic space spans both physical and digital domains, the Coalition also engages in interventions on the governance of online expression, digital rights, and platform accountability, as well as the regulation or misuse of technologies that facilitate surveillance, repression, or other constraints on HRDs’ activities.The program approach includes:

Defenders Coalition leads coordinated advocacy for a national HRD Policy and Action Plan, including the adoption of HRD guidelines at the county level. It advocates for the reform of restrictive laws and regulatory frameworks affecting both physical and digital civic space, to safeguard an open and enabling operating environment for HRDs and HRDOs, and pushes for corporate accountability mechanisms that protect HRDs. In addition, it pursues strategic litigation on cases affecting HRD rights and engages with regional and international human rights mechanisms to support the formulation of laws and policies that safeguard civic space.

The Defenders Coalition strengthens capacities of community HRD networks on safeguarding of the civic space including in digital advocacy, business and human rights and managing disinformation. The Coalition also strengthens HRDs’ ability to influence policy debates and engagement with national and county governments and private institutions.

Defenders Coalition forges strong partnerships at the county and national levels to advocate for policies and practices that support civic space. It facilitates inter-generational and inter-sectoral engagements among HRDs, such as dialogues, memorialising, and mentorship, on safeguarding civic space. In addition, it strengthens cross-border solidarity and learning to protect civic space, and supports cooperation among regional HRD networks to share strategies and coordinate campaigns and solidarity actions.

The Defenders Coalition documents and generates information on human rights defenders. Further, it mainstreams the work of HRDs and drives positive narratives on the existence and impact of HRDs. Among others, the Defenders Coalition employs traditional and new media strategies to increase the visibility of HRDs and their work.

Defenders Coalition documents, research, and analyses data on topical issues affecting human rights defenders (HRDs) and human rights defender organisations (HRDOs) to inform programming, advocacy, and reform aimed at safeguarding civic space. As part of this work, it establishes an HRD Threat Observatory that aggregates civic space data from the community to the national level, showing trends and publishing case studies, alerts, and advisories. This evidence in turn guides adaptive programming, strengthen advocacy, and influence policy and practice

OUR WORK ON ENABLING CIVIC SPACE