The Norwegian Human Rights Fund

We are so happy the Human Rights Council last week renewed the mandate for the Special Rapporteur for Human Rights Defenders! The decision was made by consensus, an important victory in such a difficult, global context for human rights.

We are profoundly grateful for Mary Lawlor UN Special Rapporteur for human rights defenders's excellent work and our collaboration with her over the last years. And now we celebrate and welcome the appointment of the first Latin American rapporteur, Colombian Andrea Bolaños Vargas!

The whole team at the NHRF are excited to continue supporting the mandate in its important work in all the ways we can. We also welcome Norway’s ongoing and principled support for the protection of human rights defenders and its continued commitment to strengthening this mandate at the UN level.

UN Unites Around Renewed Protection of Human Rights Defenders The UN Human Rights Council today adopted a resolution renewing the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders for another three years. The resolution was adopted by consensus and enjoys broad cross‑regional support.

📢 We’ve just published a new article: Protecting Those Who Protect Rights: Why Temporary Relocation Programs Are Essential.

Temporary relocation programs offer human rights defenders more than just safety; they provide space to breathe, recover, and rethink strategies when threats become overwhelming. These programs prevent burnout, support mental well-being, strengthen global solidarity networks, and help defenders return home with renewed energy and resilience.

🔗Learn more about how temporary relocation strengthens resilient human rights movements worldwide: https://nhrf.no/article/2026/protecting-those-who-protect-rights-why-temporary-relocation-programs-are-essential

💜 On this 8th of March, we celebrate women who defend rights, communicate from the territories, and transform realities.

Since 2020, we have collaborated with Boca de Polen, a women-led organisation in Chiapas that amplifies the voices of indigenous and peasant communicators.

🎙️ Through training, support, and radio production, they strengthen struggles for territory, food sovereignty, and the rights of indigenous peoples and women.

📻 We invite you to listen to their news programme Polen al Aire, also available on Spotify, and to learn more about their work.

As we conclude our relationship with them as partners, we wish them all the best as they continue on this path, and we will continue to accompany them in solidarity.

Illustrations by Boca de Polen

We are pleased to share moments from the launch of “Lighting Shadows – the women of Afghanistan,” now open at the Nobel Peace Center and free to visit from Feb 14–Mar 8, 2026.

The exhibition amplifies the voices of Afghan women through personal testimonies and symbolic imagery, revealing their resilience as they continue to learn, work, and support their families under severe repression. Created by Story Impact Collective and PROOF: Media for Social Justice, the exhibition invites all of us to witness both the shadows and the light within Afghan women’s lives.

At the opening, a panel discussion brought together Gaisu Yari, Sahraa Karimi, and Gerald Folkvord, who offered powerful reflections on the stories featured in the exhibition. The event also included a moving musical performance by Ghawgha Taban.

The launch was co‑organised by the Norwegian Human Rights Fund (NHRF), Amnesty International Norway, Story Impact Collective and Proof: Media for Social Justice

🔗 Learn more: https://www.nobelpeacecenter.org/en/exhibitions/lighting-shadows-the-women-of-afghanistan
📷 by Aina Ferretti Sardà