Brussels, 11 April 2025

Protection International celebrates the adoption of the UN resolution on the protection of HRDs in the face of new and emerging technologies.

Led by Norway and co-sponsored by over 50 countries, the resolution was finally approved and adopted on 4 April 2025 at the 58th Session of the UN Human Rights Council. The resolution process drew significant participation and written contributions from both States and civil society organisations, Protection International included.

Every three years, the Norwegian representation to the United Nations leads the process on developing a new resolution on human rights defenders (HRDs), in response to the ever-changing landscape for HRDs. As an organisation, we applaud this continued leadership of Norway and their support for the protection of human rights defenders and the right to defend human rights. In a time of global challenges and threats against both human rights defenders and the organisations that work with them, this commitment sends a positive message.

The resolution in itself is an important development in the recognition of how new digital technologies impact the space for the right to defend human rights, both online and offline. The next steps are for States to integrate this new resolution on the national level. Protection International’s support for the resolution comes from the work we do on the ground alongside communities of defenders at risk, and is reflected in the Strategic Objective no.2 of our current Global Strategic Framework 2024-2028.

Read the full resolution here.