In the first 18 months of activity, ProtectDefenders.eu, the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism implemented by international civil society, has emerged as a solid and increasingly referenced instrument to ensure that human rights defenders facing threats and risk can access immediate support and protection measures. Since the launch of the project in October 2015, ProtectDefenders.eu has allocated nearly 500 emergency grants, more than 60 grants to local human rights organisations and has set up a successful temporary relocation programme, approving nearly 160 grants for HRDs -and their families when needed- to temporarily relocate away from danger.
Moreover, at least 2350 defenders have accessed training and capacity-building to better respond to their protection concerns, improving their knowledge on digital security, physical security or risk assessment, through more than 100 trainings conducted worldwide. Besides, the project has been constantly developing a monitoring and advocacy work, also in the field, including through 15 trial observation missions to countries such as Morocco, Turkey or Guatemala; 17 advocacy and fact-finding missions to countries such as Tunisia, Honduras, Kenya or Mexico and more than 900 actions of mobilisation of public or media attention, including alerts and appeals and submissions to international mechanisms. Finally, the EU HRD mechanism has also undertaken relevant outreach actions, aimed at reaching out to particularly targeted and remote groups of defenders, including in isolated areas of Algeria, Tunisia, Peru or Colombia, among others.
