HRHF recognises that lasting human rights change can be achieved when a strong and independent civil society is united in solidarity and able to freely contribute to the promotion and protection of human rights at home and abroad. Human Rights Houses are central to HRHF’s work empowering civil society and advancing its vision.

HRHF is an international organisation that establishes and supports Human Rights Houses – coalitions of local independent civil society organisations working to advance human rights at home and abroad. Today 80 CSOs are united in the Network of Human Rights Houses, active across Eastern and Western Europe, the Balkans and the Caucasus.

In close partnership with the Network of Human Rights Houses, HRHF advocates at international and intergovernmental level to advance and protect fundamental rights that underpin independent civil society and make it possible to hold institutions and individuals accountable. HRHF advocates for inclusion and active participation of civil society, reports on human rights trends, and works to strengthen international human rights mechanisms and standards in order to influence the situation at the national level.

HRHF holds consultative status at the United Nations, participatory status at the Council of Europe, and is a Strategic Framework Partner of the European Union’s Eastern Partnership civil society initiative.

The Network of Human Rights Houses has a well-developed national and regional protection infrastructure and works to support human rights defenders at risk. 

HRHF was established in 1992 and is headquartered in Oslo with an office in Geneva and representation in Brussels and Tbilisi.

HRHF’s staff members are based in our offices in Oslo, Geneva, Brussels, and Tbilisi, as well as remote locations in Europe. 

Find out more about our staff members.

Human Rights House Foundation (HRHF) is an independent, international not-for-profit human rights organisation registered in Norway. HRHF’s governance structure serves to guarantee our independence, impartiality, and accountability. It ensures we deliver on our mandate and adapt to shifting environments to better meet human rights challenges.

Statutes

HRHF’s governance is set out in its statutes, as amended in January 2017. Read HRHF’s statutes in English and Norwegian.

Board

The Board of the Human Rights House Foundation meets four to five times a year. It oversees the work of HRHF, guides the organisation’s strategy and direction, and approves its finances and budgets. The Board is comprised of academics, lawyers, people from the business world, civil society representatives, and experts in specialist fields.

Find out more about our Board members.