Check out the latest version of the agenda for the Human Rights Defenders World Summit 2018. Make sure you visit the website for updates on confirmed speakers and additional information.
Representatives and high-level officials from key regional and international human rights organisations, global leaders from governments, the United Nations, and the private sector are confirming their participation in the HRD World Summit.
EU Special Representative for Human Rights
Session
Day 1: Opening session
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Session
Day 1: Opening session
Secretary-General Amnesty International
Sessions
Day 1: Opening ceremony
UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights Defenders
Sessions
Day 1: Opening ceremony
Day 1: Plenary session – Protecting Human Rights Defenders
Alice Mogwe
Secretary General of International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Director of Botswana Ditshwanelo – Botswana Centre for Human Rights
Sessions
Day 1: Opening ceremony
Day 2: Facilitator – Plenary Session: Setting the Scene
Anne Hidalgo
Mayor of Paris
Sessions
Day 3: Closing ceremony at Palais de Chaillot
BBC
Session
Day 1: Opening session – Facilitator
Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition
Session
Day 2: Parallel session – Building strategies for the future: Gender specific risks faced by Women Human Rights Defenders and more effective protection mechanisms
Commission on Human Rights, Philippines
Session
Day 1: Regional parallel session – Asia and the Pacific
Bochra Belhaj Hmida
Individual Freedoms and Equality Committee, Tunisia
Session
Day 1: Opening ceremony
Day 1: Regional parallel session – Middle East and North Africa
Kirill Koroteev
Human Rights Centre “Memorial”, Russia
Session
Day 1: Opening ceremony
Vilma Núñez de Escorcia
Nicaragüense de Derechos Humanos (CENIDH), Nicaragua
Session
Day 1: Opening ceremony
Henri Tiphagne
People’s Watch, India
Session
Day 1: Opening ceremony
Day 2: Facilitator – Morning parallel session – Making our space great again
Day 2: Facilitator – Afternoon parallel session – Making our space great again
Remy Ngoy Lumbu
Special Rapporteur on HRDs at African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
Session
Day 1: Regional parallel session – Africa
Mohamed Shafie Ameermia
Commissioner at the South Africa Human Rights Commission
Session
Day 1: Regional parallel session – Africa
Judith Ndukwu
Prisma Groep, Nigeria
Session
Day 1: Regional parallel session – Africa
Hassan Shire
Executive Director of the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (DefendDefenders)
Session
Day 1: Facilitator – Regional parallel session – Africa
Pédan Marthe Coulibaly
Ivorian Coalition of Human Rights Defenders, Ivory Coast
Session
Day 1: Rapporteur – Regional parallel session – Africa
Day 1: Plenary session – Protecting Human Rights Defenders
Aura Lolita Chávez Ixcaquic
Council of Kiché’s Peoples, Guatemala
Session
Day 1: Regional parallel session – Americas
Guadalupe Marengo
Head of Global Human Rights Defenders Team – Amnesty International
Session
Day 3: Closing remarks
Eva Lewis
The I Project, United States of America
Session
Day 1: Regional parallel session – Americas
Andrew Anderson
Executive Director, Front Line Defenders
Session
Day 1: Press conference
Policarpo Sánchez Rodríguez
Federación de Comunidades Nativas del Ucayali y Afluentes, Peru
Session
Day 1: Regional parallel session – Americas
Paulo Abrao
Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States (IACHR/OAS)
Session
Day 1: Regional parallel session – Americas
Gustavo Castro
Otros Mundos Chiapas, Mexico
Session
Day 1: Facilitator – Regional parallel session – Americas
Noira Candelo Riascos
Asociación de Mujeres Afrocolombianas Emprendedoras Asomamiwata, Colombia
Session
Day 1: Rapporteur – Regional parallel session – Americas
Day 1: Plenary session – Protecting Human Rights Defenders
Adilur Rahman Khan
Odhikar, Bangladesh
Session
Day 1: Regional parallel session – Asia & the Pacific
Day 2: Morning parallel session – Making our space great again
Shallah Shaiq
to be confirmed
Heela Organization, Afghanistan
Session
Day 1: Regional parallel session – Asia & the Pacific
Chak Sopheap
Cambodian Center for Human Rights, Cambodia
Session
Day 1: Regional parallel session – Asia & the Pacific
Pranom Somwong
Protection Internationa, Thailand
Session
Day 1: Rapporteur – Regional parallel session – Asia & the Pacific
Day 1: Plenary session – Protecting Human Rights Defenders
Nigina Bakhrieva
Nota Bene, Tajikistan
Session
Day 1: Regional parallel session – Europe & Central Asia
Sophie Beau
SOS Méditerranée, France
Session
Day 1: Regional parallel session – Europe & Central Asia
Raci Bilici
Human Rights Association (IHD), Turkey
Session
Day 1: Regional parallel session – Europe & Central Asia
András Kádár
Hungarian Helsinki Committee, Hungary
Session
Day 1: Regional parallel session – Europe & Central Asia
Day 2: Afternoon parallel session – Making our space great again
Irina Maslova
Silver Rose, Russia
Session
Day 1: Rapporteur – Regional parallel session – Europe & Central Asia
Oleksandra Matviichuk
Center for Civil Liberties, Ukraine
Session
Day 1: Regional parallel session – Europe & Central Asia
Matthew Caruana Galizia
Journalist, Malta
Session
Day 1: Facilitator – Regional parallel session – Europe & Central Asia
Nurcan Baysal
Journalist, Turkey
Session
Day 1: Rapporteur – Regional parallel session – Europe & Central Asia
Day 1: Plenary session – Protecting Human Rights Defenders
Maria Al Abdeh
Women Now For Development, Syria
Session
Day 1: Regional parallel session – Middle East & North Africa
Nassera Dutour
Collectif de familles de disparus en Algérie, France / Algeria
Session
Day 1: Regional parallel session – Middle East & North Africa
Khalid Ibrahim
Gulf Centre for Human Rights, Iraq
Session
Day 1: Regional parallel session – Middle East & North Africa
Kal Naga
Artist, Egypt
Session
Day 1: Regional parallel session – Middle East & North Africa
Chiara Adamo
Head of Unit “Gender, Human Rights and Democratic Governance”, DG DEVCO at European Commission
Session
Day 1: Facilitator – Plenary session – Protecting Human Rights Defenders
Maria Munir
Stonewall, United Kingdom
Session
Day 2: Plenary session – Setting the scene
Anielle Franco
Brazil
Session
Day 2: Plenary session – Setting the scene
Mudawi Ibrahim Adam
Sudan
Session
Day 2: Plenary session – Setting the scene
Claudia Samayoa
Unit for the Protection of Defenders of Human Rights (UDEFEGUA), Guatemala
Session
Day 2: Morning parallel session – Killings and violent repression
Agnès Callamard
United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions
Session
Day 2: Morning parallel session – Killings and violent repression
Sibusiso Zikode
Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement, South Africa
Session
Day 2: Morning parallel session – Killings and violent repression
Day 2: Rapporteur – Morning parallel session – Killings and violent repression
Day 2: Rapporteur -Afternoon parallel session – Killings and violent repression
Geovani Krenak
Krenak People, Brazil
Session
Day 2: Morning parallel session – Killings and violent repression
Cristina Palabay
Karapatan, Philippines
Session
Day 2: Facilitator – Morning parallel session – Killings and violent repression
Day 2: Facilitator – Afternoon parallel session – Killings and violent repression
Rasul Jafarov
Human Rights Club, Azerbaijan
Session
Day 2: Morning parallel session – Making our space great again
Nedhal AlSalman
Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, Bahrain
Session
Day 2: Morning parallel session – Making our space great again
Clément Nyaletsossi Voule
United Nations Special Rapporteur on Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association
Session
Day 2: Morning parallel session – Making our space great again
Yared Hailemariam
Association for Human Rights in Ethiopia, Ethiopia
Session
Day 2: Morning parallel session – Making our space great again
Thomas Coombes
Amnesty International
Session
Day 2: Facilitator – Morning parallel session – Winning with hope
Day 2: Facilitator – Afternoon parallel session – Winning with hope
Phylesha Brown-Acton
Asia Pacific Transgender Network, New Zealand
Session
Day 2: Morning parallel session – Women Human Rights Defenders
Day 2: Afternoon parallel session – Women Human Rights Defenders
Naghma Iqtidar
Pakistan
Session
Day 2: Morning parallel session – Women Human Rights Defenders
Day 2: Afternoon parallel session – Women Human Rights Defenders
Phumi Mtetwa
Just Associates – JASS, South Africa
Session
Day 2: Morning parallel session – Women Human Rights Defenders
Day 2: Afternoon parallel session – Women Human Rights Defenders
Georgina Orellano
Asociación de Mujeres Meretrices de la Argentina, Argentina
Session
Day 2: Morning parallel session – Women Human Rights Defenders
Day 2: Afternoon parallel session – Women Human Rights Defenders
Verónica Vidal Degiorgis
AWID
Session
Day 2: Facilitator – Morning parallel session – Women Human Rights Defenders
Day 2: Facilitator – Afternoon parallel session – Women Human Rights Defenders
Cio Datuwata
MPPM, Philippines
Session
Day 2: Afternoon parallel session – Killings and violent repression
Sukhgerel Dugersuren
OT Watch, Mongolia
Session
Day 2: Afternoon parallel session – Killings and violent repression
Donny Reyes
La Asociación LGBT Arcoirís, Honduras
Session
Day 2: Afternoon parallel session – Killings and violent repression
Hina Jilani
President of OMCT, Pakistan
Session
Day 2: Afternoon parallel session – Making our space great again
Day 2: Plenary session – Solidarity networks
Mohamed Ali Mossaad
African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies, Sudan
Session
Day 2: Afternoon parallel session – Making our space great again
Sandra Lendenmann
Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Switzerland
Session
Day 2: Afternoon parallel session – Making our space great again
Lydia Alpízar Durán
IM-Defensoras, Costa Rico / Mexico
Session
Day 2: Afternoon parallel session – Making our space great again
Miriam Miranda
IM-Defensoras, Honduras
Session
Day 2: Plenary session – Solidarity networks
Ana Zbona
Business and Human Rights Center, United Kingdom
Session
Day 2: Afternoon parallel session – Killings and violent repression
Day 2: Plenary session – Solidarity networks
Iva Dobichina
Open Society Foundation
Session
Day 2: Plenary session – Solidarity networks
Gerald Staberock
Secretary General OMCT
Session
Day 3: Facilitator – Plenary Session – Discussion and Adoption of Action Plan
Phil Lynch
Director of International Service for Human Rights
Session
Day 2: Facilitator – Plenary Session – Solidarity networks
Souhayr Belhassen
Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders, Tunisia
Session
Day 1: Regional parallel session – Middle East & North Africa
Day 1: Rapporteur – Regional parallel session – Middle East & North Africa
Mohammed Hachemaoui
Algeria
Session
Day 1: Regional parallel session – Middle East & North Africa
Driss El Yazami
Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders, Morocco
Session
Day 1: Regional parallel session – Middle East & North Africa
Day 1: Facilitator – Regional parallel session – Middle East & North Africa
Camille Schmoll
CEDREF, France
Session
Day 1: Regional parallel session – Middle East & North Africa
Sylvie Brigot-Vilain
Director Amnesty International France, France
Session
Day 3: Facilitator – Closing ceremony at Palais de Chaillot
Marusia López Cruz
Just Associates – JASS, Mexico / Spain
Session
Day 2: Rapporteur – Morning parallel session – Women Human Rights Defenders
Day 2: Rapporteur – Afternoon parallel session – Women Human Rights Defenders
Ellecer Ebro Carlos
In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement (iDEFEND), Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA), Philippines
Session
Day 2: Afternoon parallel session – Making our space great again
During the Summit, side-events will be organised by HRD World Summit partners around Paris.
30 October - Evening roundtable: We are all human rights defenders!
Organized by Amnesty International France as part of the World Summit
Bourse de Travail – Salle Hénaff, October 30, 2018, 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm
In a world marked by rising authoritarianism, inequalities, and the climate crisis, the engagement of human rights defenders is essential to uphold the rights of all. And yet, these women and men face systematic attacks.
By attacking those who defend rights, it is our rights that are directly attacked.
At the world summit of defenders, more than 150 of them will meet to challenge states, and other actors (companies, financial sector …) on their responsibility to protect human rights, a common heritage of humanity.
Based on their respective experiences, human rights defenders from Brazil, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Hungary and France will discuss these trends together and suggest possible solutions for the future.
Animation:
Nicolas Krameyer, Freedom Program Manager, Amnesty International France
Andras Kadar, Helsinki Committee, Hungary
Fred Bauma, citizen movement LUCHA – DRC
Anielle Franco, Brazilian activist, sister of Marielle Franco, defender of minority rights, murdered in March 2018 –
Sophie Beau, spokeswoman for SOS Mediterranean.
31 October - Public action at Parvis des droits humains. Come and join us!
Public Event
Where? Parvis des droits de l’homme, Place du Trocadéro (Paris)
When? October 31, from 1:30 to 3:00 pm
Who? Everyone is welcome
The closing ceremony will take place in the Théâtre national de Chaillot, the symbolic location where the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed in 1948, seventy years ago.
A show will be held at the Parvis des droits de l’homme by the French company Les Passagers, accompanied by the International Choir Interpréludes. On this occasion, 150 human rights defenders, coming from across the world, together with other participants, will deliver a clear and strong message to the States and to the world: human rights are the heritage of humanity, and should be respected without any further delay. It is time also to protect all those who defend the rights of their communities every day and everywhere in the world.
Together, we will pay tribute to the men and women who have bravely changed the world by improving human rights during the last seventy years, and also to all the missing human rights defenders who could not attend the summit because they are currently in jail or because they were not allowed to leave their country.
Have a look!
