Derechos Humanos / Human Rights

Washington DC, Jan.24.– In 2024, the World Movement for Democracy celebrated its 25th anniversary, reflecting on the progress made by this global network of democracy advocates and the ongoing challenges we face. We finished the year with a strong sense of solidarity, expressed through the 12th Global Assembly in Johannesburg, South Africa, that brought together nearly 700 democracy advocates from 100+ countries.

At the Global Assembly, Maria Ressa, Chairperson of the World Movement’s Steering Committee, reminded us: “You are here because you’re fighting your own battles, and I hope that ... each of us will realize and be reminded that we’re not alone. The values we believe in—tuned to each of our cultures—are worth the battle we’re each going through.” 

Our efforts to scale the engagement with our global community of action will be based on years of work that our partners have devoted to:

On 19 June 2024, the Declaration+25 was launched to supplement the original UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted 25 years ago. The Declaration has been pivotal in affirming the right to defend human rights and outlining the responsibilities of states and society to support and protect human rights defenders. Despite its influence, implementation has been inconsistent. In response, 18 human rights organizations consulted over 700 defenders and experts to identify areas for improvement.

The Declaration+25, grounded in international law and defenders’ lived experiences, aims to ensure more robust protection for human rights defenders now and in the future.

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Please, HELP this Act take the next step

The Resolve Tibet Act has been passed by the House of Representatives, which is a huge step forward for a bill that aims to bring China back to the negotiating table with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration.

The bill will clarify American policy, telling China that the dispute with China is not resolved. It also refutes Beijing's false claim that Tibet has historically belonged to China and states that the PRC has failed to meet the expectations of the United States to engage in meaningful dialogue with Tibetans.

It’s not often that China is called to account for its human rights record. One of those rare opportunities is coming up in just a few days.

The Chinese government’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the UN Human Rights Council is scheduled for Jan. 23 in Geneva. The UPR takes place just once every five years, and it gives countries around the world the chance to raise concerns and demand answers from Beijing about its human rights violations.

Our ICT staff will be traveling to the UPR to help hold China accountable. But we want to carry your voices with us. Please sign our petition today urging UN Human Rights Council member states to raise Tibetans’ human rights at China’s Universal Periodic Review.

The human rights situation in Tibet is urgent: