2022 unfolded as HURIDOCS’ 40th anniversary year, symbolising our remarkable evolution, growth and legacy in human rights documentation. The year also highlighted our role and the need to continue to support and empower human defenders in a complex human rights landscape.
For the last 40 years, the organisation’s mission has been to support and enable human rights defenders through the power of information. HURIDOCS remains committed to pioneering human rights documentation through technology development and strong partnerships around the world.
You can learn more about our journey this past year in the HURIDOCS 2022 Annual Report.
Take a look at some of our activities and achievements during 2022:
HURIDOCS engaged in extensive introspection over the last 40 years to determine our future direction.
We collaborated with various groups, including our staff, partners and external evaluators, to plan our strategy for 2022–2026. This process led to four main goals for the next five years: pioneer, expand, preserve, and grow.
HURIDOCS’ Programmes Team provided strategic and technical support to several new partners and we undertook 86 projects with 82 partners and worked actively with them in 86 countries.
Our work and support encompass a wide range of activities, including the development of both private and public databases. These databases serve purposes such as monitoring and documenting human rights violations, aiding in case management, gathering collective memories and evidence for transitional justice, and establishing comprehensive repositories of human rights information.
Our Tech Team played a pivotal role in empowering human rights defenders with advanced technological solutions through the consolidation of team structures, emphasising specialisation, research, and innovation.
Firstly, the team enhanced our flagship tool Uwazi’s interoperability and offline capabilities by integrating it into the mobile app Tella. Next, the tool underwent an independent audit and was found to have a high level of security. Finally, it was recognised as a Digital Public Good (DPG) by the Digital Public Goods Alliance and acknowledged as an innovative solution in the AI and data category of Fast Company’s 2022 World-Changing Ideas.
HURIDOCS persisted in collaborative research with other organisations in human rights documentation, with practical outcomes and community resources.
First, a partnership with The Engine Room and PILPG gave birth to comprehensive research on the use of technology in human rights documentation. Second, in collaboration with HURIDOCS and other organisations, Totem developed an online course on ‘Human Rights Documentation.’ Finally, HURIDOCS’ Programmes Team led various research initiatives and used various methodologies to investigate the human rights documentation landscape in Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America.
A particularly proud moment for HURIDOCS was when our Board Member, Oleksandra Matviichuk and her team at the Center for Civil Liberties (CCL) were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 2022.
This comes as a recognition for their work in advancing democratic transition in Ukraine. They also received the 2022 Right Livelihood Award for building democratic institutions.
HURIDOCS is in good financial shape, as we continue to adapt to the dynamic funding environment for human rights.
We remain committed to harmonising our funding approaches with our overarching organisational strategy, while we continue to stand as pillars of support, vigilance, guidance, and counsel to our partners.
As the HURIDOCS team and the human rights documentation tools we build strengthen, we remain focused on our vision of a world where human rights are protected, and voices of the marginalised are heard, as we work with the challenges and opportunities ahead.
We hope the following years allow humanity to experience kindness and witness the realisation of all human rights.