People and communities should be able to exercise their human rights, meet their basic needs, and determine their own priorities for their lives, their lands and their future. Yet around the world, the space for civil society participation in development is shrinking, as governments and corporate actors restrict fundamental freedoms and limit the ability of communities to access information and shape crucial decisions. Those who speak out about megaprojects and other investment activities or struggle to defend their environment and human rights are often threatened, criminalized or subjected to violence, as documented in the report "Uncalculated Risks".

In response, human rights defenders and accountability advocates from around the world are coming together to challenge the current model of development and usher in a new development paradigm that advances the realization of human rights and safeguards those who defend them.

What We Do

The Defenders in Development Campaign engages in capacity building and collective action to ensure that communities and marginalized groups have the information, resources, protection and power to shape, participate in, or oppose development activities, and to hold development financiers, governments and companies accountable. We utilize advocacy and campaigning to change how development banks and other actors operate and to ensure that they respect human rights and guarantee a safe enabling environment for public participation.

Who We Are

The Campaign is made up of defenders and those who work with them on issues of development and human rights - community organizations, human rights and environmental groups, defender security organizations, transparency, accountability and press freedom NGOs, and indigenous peoples and women's networks. It is hosted by the Coalition for Human Rights in Development.

You can find the Campaign Declaration and list of participant organizations here. If you wish to find out more and join the campaign, please get in touch!