✊ PVCHR Proclaims “Human Rights Defenders Day” – A Call to UN & NHRC for Global Recognition

Date: 9 December 2025

By PVCHR Blog Desk

As the world marks 9 December as a day of solidarity with those who defend human dignity and rights, PVCHR proudly proclaims this day as “Human Rights Defenders Day” under its aegis — recognising the tireless work of activists, journalists, civil-society organisations and ordinary citizens who stand up for rights, justice, and equality in the face of adversity.

Link: 

Declare 9 December as Human Rights Defenders Day — PVCHR (Mar 2011)

NHRC Message Marking UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders — PVCHR (Dec 2011)

Convention of Human Rights Defenders — PVCHR (Dec 2011)

Declare 9 December as Human Rights Defenders Day — PVCHR (Mar 2011)

We call upon the United Nations, NHRC-India, national governments, and civil society worldwide to endorse and support this initiative — to give defenders a platform, protection, and global visibility.

🌍 Why 9 December? — Global Context Matters

• 9 December is internationally observed as International Human Rights Defenders Day (HRDD). OHCHR+2UN SR Human Rights Defenders+2

• The date marks the adoption, in 1998, of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders by the UN General Assembly — recognising the legitimacy and necessity of defending human rights worldwide. 

• Human rights defenders (HRDs) include everyone who — alone or in groups — works non-violently to protect human rights, challenge injustice, support victims, and hold power to account. 

By declaring 9 December as “Human Rights Defenders Day,” PVCHR aligns with the global legacy, while also strengthening local and national commitment to protecting rights-work.

✊ PVCHR’s Commitment — What This Day Should Represent

On this day, PVCHR pledges to:

1. Honour the courage and sacrifices of human rights defenders across India — Dalit-, tribal- and caste-justice activists, child-rights workers, labour rights defenders, anti-caste campaigners, and survivors turned defenders.

2. Document and publicise human rights defenders’ stories, struggles, risks, and contributions — ensuring their voices are heard, and their protection is visible.

3. Advocate for institutional recognition by national and international bodies (like NHRC and UN), for legal and policy frameworks to protect HRDs — especially against threats, harassment, violence, and state repression.

4. Promote solidarity and networking among HRDs — building communities of support, peer protection, collective action, and shared purpose.

5. Raise public awareness: “Defending human rights is not a crime — it is an act of human dignity.”

📢 Our Appeal to UN & NHRC — Recognition and Support Needed

We call upon:

• UN mechanisms — including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Special Rapporteurs, treaty-bodies, to formally adopt 9 December as “International Human Rights Defenders Day,” with global rituals, statements, and protective pledges towards defenders.

• NHRC-India — to issue a national proclamation recognising Indian human rights defenders, ensuring their protection, especially in high-risk contexts (caste violence, custodial abuses, bonded labour, child-rights, environmental justice, etc.).

• National Governments & Civil Society — to commit to protecting free expression, dissent, activism; to finance, support and guarantee safe participation for defenders; to end impunity for crimes against HRDs.

With rising authoritarianism, shrinking democratic spaces, caste- and class-based oppression, criminalisation of activism — defenders are more vulnerable than ever. Recognition and protection must be systemic, not symbolic.

🌱 Why This Matters

Without defenders, rights remain unclaimed. Without protection, activism becomes a perilous endeavour.

• Human rights defenders are the frontline of social justice — exposing injustice, giving voice to the marginalized, holding power accountable.

• When defenders are threatened, harassed, tortured, or silenced — entire communities, future generations, systemic justice, and dignity suffer.

• A strong network of defenders, backed by institutions like UN/NHRC, ensures that human rights remain alive — not just as ideals, but as everyday reality.

By declaring this day, PVCHR aims to build a culture of respect, solidarity, and protection for all who stand for human dignity — in India and worldwide.

✅ What’s Next

• PVCHR will organize public events, webinars, documentation drives on 9 December each year — featuring defenders’ stories, rights-education, legal aid, and solidarity actions.

• Engage with NHRC-India and UN human rights offices to propose formal recognition.

• Publish a Defender’s Charter — outlining rights, protections, responsibilities, and demands for defenders globally.

• Encourage other civil-society organisations to join the initiative, building a coalition of defenders.

✉️ Join Us — Stand With Defenders

If you are a human rights defender, activist, lawyer, journalist, or a concerned citizen — we invite you to join PVCHR’s initiative. Stand in solidarity. Share your story. Demand recognition. Together, we make 9 December a day of honour, safety, and global commitment to human rights.

Defending human rights is not a crime — it is our shared responsibility.

— People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR)