Every day, in every region of the world, human rights defenders put their lives and freedom on the line standing up for the rights of others. Their efforts to make the promise of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights a reality in people's lives is increasingly dangerous work. Yet it is essential, not only for those in their own communities, but for all of us. HRI invited the authors of the recent report from Front Line Defenders to discuss global trends in attacks on human rights defenders and strategies to ensure their protection.

When Salvadoran President Bukele and U.S. President Donald Trump met at the White House last month, they shared a viral moment of mutual admiration, with Bukele vowingto imprison U.S. deportees indefinitely—despite U.S. court orders to ensure theirreturn—and Trump urging Bukele, under whom El Salvador has surpassed the U.S. ashaving the highest incarceration rate in the world, to “build more prisons” to make roomfor U.S. citizens Trump intends to send there.

Georgetown Law Center and the U.S. Department of State hosted the launch of the U.S. Government’s National Action Plan on Responsible Business Conduct. The event featured discussions around key priorities addressed in the National Action Plan, including strengthening access to remedy and protecting workers’ rights, as well as a broader discussion on government approaches to strengthening business respect for human rights.

This symposium explored how to build the rule of law into Russia’s future. This event offered an opportunity to engage with experts, scholars, and activists who share a passion for understanding Russia’s political landscape and a desire to ensure her democratic future.

Law and the War in Gaza was a two-part event that examined the intersection of human rights, the rule of law, and regional conflict as tension skyrockets in the Gaza strip.

This event announced and discussed the result of the Ethica Project: 25 principles to secure the independence, impartiality, probity, and professionalism of international criminal judges. The event was sponsored by Georgetown Law’s Center on Ethics and the Legal Profession, the Embassy of France, and the Human Rights Institute.

Little Amal, the 12 foot puppet of a 10 year old Syrian refugee child at the heart of The Walk, has become a global symbol of human rights, especially those of refugees. From September 7th, 2023 to November 5th, 2023, she journeyed 6,000 miles across the United States in one of the largest free public festivals ever created.