Human Rights Research League

Human Rights Research League

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Research. Education. Advocacy. Development. (R.E.A.D.)

Mission statement

The Human Rights Research League (HRRL) is a non-governmental organization in consultative status with the United Nations (ECOSOC) aiming at protecting individuals by placing acts contrary to human rights and international humanitarian law, systemic grievances as well as humanitarian emergencies on the agenda. HRRL seeks to contribute to knowledge and research based public discussion and problem analysis without geographical, political, confessional or other limitations or alignments.

As our name suggests, we are an organization primarily focused on research from the basis of a strong academic foundation. However, we recognize that lasting impact and positive change also depend on connecting academics and practitioners, combining research on root causes of human rights challenges with implementation of projects and policies addressing those grievances.

To this end, we are engaged in four focus areas: Research. Education. Advocacy. Development. (R.E.A.D.), all with a view to bridging the gap between academic and practical approaches to human rights, and between problem analysis and implementation of solutions.

News & reports

‹ Back

On 5 March 2025, in the context of the 58th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, Human Rights Research League took the floor in connection with an Panel Discussion on Early Warning and Genocide Prevention. In his intervention, HRRL Chairman Tom Syring underlined that while political groups are not covered by the Genocide Convention, they often represent a greater challenge to authoritarian rulers than groups enumerated by the Convention, especially where hegemony and control within a state is based on religious supremacy of the ruling class. In such cases, fatwas have at times been issued to silence political opponents, often by branding them as apostates, instead of having to confront the political message of critical voices. Therefore, we also "need to look into the functioning and consequences of a fatwa by scrutinizing a fatwa's political effect, religious aspect, and legal impact to determine, where applicable, whether a fatwa could also constitute genocide in all of its modes of perpetration - genocide by decree." For the full intervention, please see the video of the Oral Statement on UN Web TV.

Conferences & calls

HRRL Statement on Ukraine at the 58th Session of the UN Human Rights Council

2025-03-20 13:32 At the 58th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Human Rights Research League delivered an oral statement in connection with the Interactive Dialogue with the Independent International Co...

Interview on France 24 (Arabic) on Historical Massacre in Damour, Lebanon

2025-01-18 23:30 On January 18, 2025, Human Rights Research League's Adviser in Psychology, Zeina Zerbe, was interviewed by France 24 about her research into the historical massacre in Damour, Lebanon, and its psychos...

CfP: Annual International Refugee Law Student Writing Competition. Submission Deadline: February 15, 2025

2025-01-13 21:27 The American Society of International Law's International Refugee Law Interest Group (IRLIG) has just announced the eleventh Annual International Refugee Law Student Writing Competition, co-sponsored ...

HRRL Statements on Ukraine at the 57th Session of the UN Human Rights Council

2024-10-08 14:55 At the 57th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Human Rights Research League delivered oral statements on Ukraine in connection with the Interactive Diaogue with the Commission of Inquir...

HRRL Statement on South Sudan at the 57th Session of the UN Human Rights Council

2024-10-04 14:11 On 4 October 2024, at the 57th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Human Rights Research League (HRRL) delivered an oral statement during the Interactive Dialogue on the oral update by t...

HRRL Statement on the Protection of UN Mandate Holders at the 57th Session of the UN Human Rights Council