New ProtectDefenders.eu study reveals urgent need for increased funding and support for human rights defenders

The ProtectDefenders.eu study, conducted with the active involvement and consultation of HRDs from diverse regions, provides a nuanced understanding of their funding and operational challenges. It delves into the intricacies of HRD funding, revealing and documenting a concerning trend: while the need for support for HRDs has never been greater, funding levels have stagnated, with only marginal increases observed over the examined period. Despite rhetoric emphasizing the importance of human rights prioritization, the actual allocation of resources has failed to keep pace with the deteriorating global situation, representing a mere 0.11% of total Official Development Assistance (ODA) annually.

Key findings from the study include:

• Disparity in funding: While some donors have demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting HRDs, others have allocated minimal resources, with wide variations observed among donor contributions. This disparity is also evident among different groups of defenders and thematic areas and in funding dynamics by region, with a concerning decrease in attention to the MENA region.
• Challenges in accessing funds: HRDs face obstacles in accessing international funds, including restrictive funding requirements and bureaucratic hurdles.
• Need for core funding: There is a critical need for core, flexible, and sustainable funding to enable HRDs to effectively carry out their vital work.
• Lack in localisation efforts: The study emphasizes the importance of localizing HRD protection programs and ensuring that funding reaches grassroots organizations and movements.

In response to these findings, the study presents detailed recommendations to address the funding gap and improve support for HRDs. These recommendations include increasing overall funding levels, reducing grant restrictions, enhancing political and diplomatic support, and investing in donors' capacities to better understand the needs and contexts of HRDs. Therefore, ProtectDefenders.eu issues a clear call to all donors and public actors to urgently address this situation. Specifically, the demands include:

• Increase in Public Funding: Advocating for increased public funding for HRDs from 0.11% to 0.5% for 2025-2028.

• Building Trust Through Core Grants: Urging more core grants with reduced restrictions, audits, lower result expectations, and extended support horizons.

• Directing More Grants Locally: Advocating for a higher proportion of grants allocated to local NGOs to ensure funding reaches grassroots organizations and movements.

• Establishment of HRD Principles for Regranting: Calling upon the community of donors and financiers of HRD work to establish HRD Principles for Regranting, outlining guidelines for more effective and equitable distribution of funds.

"This research underscores the urgent need for action to better support human rights defenders and is a call to action for donors, policymakers, and stakeholders to stand in solidarity with human rights defenders," said Gerald Staberock, Chair of the Board of ProtectDefenders.eu and Secretary-General of the World Organisation against Torture. "HRDs play a vital role in advancing human rights and democracy worldwide, yet they continue to face increasing risks and challenges. It is imperative that donors and stakeholders heed the recommendations outlined in this study to ensure that HRDs receive the support they need to carry out their crucial work."

The full report and its recommendations can be accessed [here].

For media inquiries or further information, please contact:

Javier Roura Blanco
Secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu
+34 645 654 980; jroura@protectdefenders.eu

About ProtectDefenders.eu
ProtectDefenders.eu is the European Union Human Rights Defenders mechanism, led by a Consortium of 12 international NGOs active in the field of human rights. It aims to support HRDs in high-risk situations through financial assistance, advocacy, and capacity-building.