Understanding the Declaration +25: New Guide for Human Rights Defenders
Published December 2025
Twenty-five years after the United Nations adopted the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, the environment for those who defend rights has changed significantly. New technologies, restrictive laws, political polarization, and digital harassment have reshaped the risks facing human rights defenders globally. In response, a coalition of 18 human rights organizations—including ICNL—worked with more than 700 defenders to develop the Declaration +25, a modern companion to the original Declaration.
We join partners worldwide in launching the Activist Guide to the Declaration +25, a practical resource designed to help defenders use and promote these updated standards.
What is the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders?
Adopted in 1998, the Declaration affirms that everyone has the right to defend human rights. It has become a cornerstone of international protection efforts, guiding how states and institutions support and safeguard individuals and organizations working to advance human dignity, equality, and justice.
Why was the Declaration +25 created?
While the original Declaration remains vital, the realities of defending rights in 2025 are starkly different from those of 1998. Defenders are navigating rapidly expanding digital threats, discriminatory legislation, criminalization, and intensified surveillance. At the same time, social movements have evolved, and defenders themselves bring increasingly diverse identities and experiences to their work.
Recognizing these shifts, human rights organizations launched the Declaration +25 Project. Over a year of global consultations, defenders shared the challenges they face today and the protections they believe are missing or misunderstood. Lawyers and human rights experts helped translate these insights into a document grounded in international law and the jurisprudence developed over the past quarter-century.
What does the Declaration +25 do?
The Declaration +25 does not replace the original Declaration; it complements and deepens it. It clarifies states’ obligations in light of new risks, elaborates on emerging forms of public engagement, and articulates more precise standards for protecting the right to defend rights. Together, the two documents provide a comprehensive framework to support defenders now and into the future.
What is the Activist Guide, and why was it created?
The guide helps readers engage with the Declaration +25 in a practical, accessible way. It introduces the document, explains how it was developed, and offers an overview of its central themes. More importantly, it encourages defenders, organizations, policymakers, and allies to integrate the Declaration +25 into their work—whether through legal analysis, community education, or protection strategies.
The guide is available in English, Spanish, French, and Chinese, making it widely accessible to movements across regions.
Download the guide:
https://ishr.ch/defenders-toolbox/resources/activist-guide-to-the-declaration-25/
How can defenders use the Declaration +25?
The Declaration +25 can serve as a reference point in public campaigns, a framework for legal and policy analysis, or a resource for communities seeking recognition and protection. It reflects the lived experiences of defenders and incorporates the evolution of international human rights law, enabling users to draw on standards that respond to contemporary challenges.
Why is this launch significant?
Human rights defenders are confronting unprecedented pressures: from legal harassment to online disinformation and digital surveillance. At the same time, defenders are leading essential movements for climate justice, democratic governance, and the defense of fundamental freedoms. The Declaration +25 and its guide reaffirm that the right to defend rights must be protected, supported, and upheld by states and institutions worldwide.
Launched on 19 June 2024, the Declaration +25 is both a reference and a call to action. It invites governments, international and regional bodies, civil society, and communities to work together to ensure that these standards remain powerful, relevant, and effective for the next 25 years.
Where can I learn more?
The guide, the Declaration +25, and additional resources are available through our partners at the International Service for Human Rights and supported by 18 human rights organizations around the globe. We encourage civil society partners, and allies to engage with these materials and help amplify them on International Human Rights Defenders Day and beyond.
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