Annual Report 2018

Protection International is pleased to share its 2018 Annual Report, one which highlights some remarkable moments from a challenging year for human rights defenders (HRDs) and protection of the right for all to defend human rights.

2018 was a year of both celebration and struggle for Protection International and its partners. During this year, which marked the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, we launched our campaign #CommunitiesareHRDs, disseminating widely the message that behind each defender is a community which should be equally recognised. This recognition of the collective dimension of the commitment to human rights is, in our view, essential.

The backdrop for 2018 was one of an unprecedented backlash against human rights and shrinking space for civil society, with defenders around the world continuing to face numerous threats and attacks aimed at discouraging them from their struggle. In spite of this, defenders persist and resist and civil society continues to strive for the full exercise of their right to defend human rights. Our Annual Report celebrates these milestones, showcasing the powerful and inspiring work carried out by human rights defenders across Latin America, Africa, Europe and South East Asia.

As you read each chapter, we hope you enjoy traveling across the globe meeting and learning about these communities of HRDs, and that you will be inspired, as much as we are, by their courage and resilience.

In solidarity,

Protection International team