ISHR facilitates global civil society engagement with the Second World Conference on Human Rights, which leads to the strengthening of women’s rights, the affirmation of universal rights, the adoption of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action and the establishment of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

After 14 years of ISHR lobbying, advocacy and negotiation, the UN General Assembly adopts the landmark Declaration on the Rights of Human Rights Defenders

ISHR leads a successful campaign for the appointment of a Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights

ISHR contributes to the establishment and institution building of a new global peak body for human rights issues, the UN Human Rights Council

ISHR’s sustained advocacy on the issue of reprisals and intimidation faced by human rights defenders leads to the adoption of a landmark UN Human Rights Council resolution condemning and strengthening protections against reprisals

Working with supportive States and NGOs, ISHR's advocacy leads to adoption of historic Human Rights Council resolution calling on all States to review and amend national laws to respect and protect the work of human rights defenders.

ISHR and all ten UN treaty bodies come together to adopt a comprehensive policy to combat reprisals, known as the San Jose Guidelines. ISHR is working intensively with Ghana and 65 other States to draft and deliver a statement to the Human Rights Council articulating that the Council has a `legal duty to address reprisals`. 

Facilitated by ISHR and Arc International, a group of 33 international experts release the Yogyakarta Principles Plus 10, an authoritative set of new principles on international human rights law relating to sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics, including in relation to LGBTI rights defenders.