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Dagens verden preges av krig, uro og ledere med forakt for felles normer. Norge kan ikke ta seg råd til å satse mindre på menneskerettigheter i en slik virkelighet, skriver seks menneskerettighetsorganisasjoner.

The Human Rights and Democracy Network (HRDN) welcomes the European Commission’s renewed commitment, as part of the EU Civil Society Strategy1, to scale up its support to ensure an enabling environment for civil society and human rights defenders across the world2. In this context we urge the European Commission to take a decisive step toward establishing a Directive on the Protection and Mobility of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs), creating a coherent and predictable framework for their protection within the European Union.

Human Rights House Foundation joins Belarusian and international CSOs in urging the Belarusian authorities to revoke “extremist” designations against PEN Belarus, Human Constanta, the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, and other civil society groups, align extremism laws with international human rights standards, and to end the practice of designiating organisations as “extremist” without reasonable and proportional grounds. The organisations also call international civil society to show solidarity with Belarus, and urge international bodies to assess violations, press authorities to meet their obligations, and halt abusive extremist designations.

In Belarus today, even culture is not safe from state repression. Books are labeled ‘extremist,’ independent publishers are targeted, and cultural workers face detention or exile. In this interview, Belarusian poet and human rights defender Taciana Niadbaj talks to HRHF about the personal realities of working under such pressure, the emotional cost of exile, and the growing risks for those who continue cultural work inside the country. She also discusses “Belarus. Banned. Books project—an initiative documenting censorship and preserving access to banned literature—highlighting how defending cultural rights has become an essential part of defending human rights.

In 2025, Human Rights House Foundation worked closely with the Network of Human Rights Houses and other civil society partners to defend human rights and support perseverance amidst global uncertainty.

Between October and December 2025, the Solidarity Force project, supported by HRHF, brought together young human rights defenders from Belarus and Ukraine for an international course on human rights reflecting the context of repression in Belarus and Russia’s war against Ukraine. 16 participants strengthened their skills in human rights monitoring, advocacy, and documentation through a four-day training in Poland, webinars, and continued collaboration, while building cross-border connections based on trust and solidarity. HRHF spoke with two participants about their experience and how the project influenced their perspectives and work.

At the 61st session of the Human Rights Council, HRHF warned of accelerating authoritarianism and systemic repression in Georgia, citing credible allegations of the use of chemical agents against protesters, violence against journalists, the dismantling of civil society, and the use of repressive laws to silence dissent both in occupied regions and government-controlled territory.

At HRC61, HRHF highlighted the issues of forced displacement on Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, as well as documentation from Ukrainian civil society partners on the persecution of journalists, civic activists, and Crimean Tatars.

At the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council, HRHF and Human Rights House Zagreb urged the Croatian authorities to ensure full access peaceful assemblies, introduce robust safeguards against SLAPPs, and strengthen coordination for implementing international human rights recommendations, and ensure meaningful and timely consultation with civil society.