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International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute

London, United Kingdom
Joined April 2022

The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) works with the global legal community to promote and protect human rights and the independence of the legal profession worldwide.



Presence in: United Kingdom, United States
Focus: Citizenship & Identification, Criminal Justice, Education, Generalist Legal Services, Legal Aid & Public Interest Law, LGBTQI+ Rights, Peace-building & Transitional Justice, Policy Advocacy, Refugees & Migrant Rights, Right to Information, Women's Rights

Established in 1995 under the honorary presidency of late human rights defender Nelson Mandela, the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) works with the global legal community to promote and protect human rights and the independence of the legal profession worldwide. The IBAHRI runs six strategic programs on:

  1. Human Rights in the Administration of Justice, including torture prevention, enforced disappearances and the death penalty;
  2. Freedom of Expression, Association, and Assembly, including peaceful protests, internet shutdowns and the access to information, and media freedom;
  3. Independence and Support for the Legal Profession, Journalists and Human Rights Defenders at Risk;
  4. Equality and Non-discrimination, including gender equality and the fight against sexual and gender-based violence;
  5. State and International Accountability, including justice in conflict and post-conflict time, war and atrocity crimes; and
  6. A UN Advocacy Programme, to advocate for the five other strategic themes before the UN, diplomatic delegations and other high-profile stakeholders. The IBAHRI’s intervention logic is four-pronged, with (1) capacity building and technical assistance to the judiciary, (2) fact-finding to document alleged human rights violations, (3) high-level advocacy before the UN and other key international stakeholders, and (4) trial observation to ensure human rights standards are respected throughout judicial proceedings.

The IBAHRI is an autonomous and financially independent entity. Our work is exclusively supported by external funders