PROTECTION & ASSISTANCE
INTRODUCTION
Protecting People. Strengthening Safety. Supporting Resilience.
Across the world, human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers, judges, civil society leaders, whistleblowers, community activists, victims, witnesses, and other individuals often face intimidation, harassment, arbitrary detention, torture, enforced disappearance, digital threats, forced displacement, and other forms of retaliation because of their work or identity. Protecting those at risk requires more than emergency intervention—it demands sustained accompaniment, coordinated protection strategies, trusted partnerships, and a long-term commitment to safeguarding human dignity, security, and fundamental rights. At the Confederation for Democracy and Human Rights (CDDH), we believe that effective protection is built on prevention, preparedness, partnership, and respect for the agency of those at risk. Every protection measure should be tailored to the specific context, informed by risk assessments, and implemented in close cooperation with the individuals concerned and the organisations best placed to provide specialised support. The Protection & Assistance Programme is dedicated to strengthening the safety, resilience, and wellbeing of individuals and communities facing human rights-related risks. Guided by the principles of confidentiality, informed consent, independence, impartiality, inclusion, accountability, and respect for international human rights standards, the programme promotes protection-centred approaches that place the rights, choices, dignity, and security of affected persons at the heart of every action.
Our work encompasses protection risk assessments, safety planning, case accompaniment, referrals to specialised legal, medical, psychosocial, humanitarian, digital security, and relocation services where appropriate through trusted partner organisations, protection coordination, digital safety, advocacy, institutional engagement, and support for access to national, regional, and international protection mechanisms. The programme also seeks to strengthen community-based protection, organisational preparedness, institutional cooperation, and long-term resilience by supporting preventive action, promoting protective networks, improving coordination among partners, and reinforcing the capacities of those working to protect human rights in challenging environments. By strengthening protection systems, facilitating access to appropriate assistance, supporting informed decision-making, and promoting coordinated action, the Protection & Assistance Programme contributes to a future where individuals at risk are better protected, communities become more resilient, and human rights defenders and other vulnerable persons can continue their work with greater safety, dignity, and confidence.
OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
Strengthening Protection. Expanding Access to Assistance. Building Long-Term Resilience.
The Protection & Assistance Programme is committed to strengthening protection systems, improving access to specialised support, and promoting long-term safety and resilience for individuals and communities facing human rights-related risks. CDDH recognises that effective protection requires early prevention, informed decision-making, trusted partnerships, and coordinated responses that respect the dignity, agency, and choices of those at risk. Our strategic priorities are designed to reduce vulnerability, reinforce protective environments, improve coordination among protection actors, and ensure that individuals at risk can access appropriate assistance through safe, ethical, and rights-based approaches.
Our priorities include:
- Strengthening individual, community, and organisational protection through context-specific risk assessments, safety planning, preventive measures, and protection strategies that reduce exposure to human rights-related risks.
- Facilitating timely referrals to specialised legal, medical, psychosocial, humanitarian, digital security, relocation, and other protection services provided by competent partner organisations, ensuring that affected individuals can access appropriate support.
- Supporting human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers, judges, civil society leaders, whistleblowers, victims, witnesses, political exiles, and other at-risk individuals through coordinated case accompaniment, protection guidance, and access to national, regional, and international protection mechanisms.
- Promoting secure information management, confidentiality, informed consent, digital safety, and responsible case handling practices that safeguard sensitive information and prioritise the security and well-being of affected individuals.
- Strengthening cooperation among civil society organisations, National Human Rights Institutions, humanitarian actors, governments where appropriate, international organisations, diplomatic partners, and specialised protection providers to improve coordinated responses and avoid duplication of efforts.
- Integrating Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Impact (MEL), case reviews, organisational learning, and continuous improvement into protection activities to strengthen programme quality, accountability, and long-term effectiveness.
- Promoting community-based protection, peer support networks, organisational preparedness, and local resilience initiatives that empower individuals and communities to anticipate, manage, and respond to evolving protection risks.
- Encouraging innovation, adaptive management, and responsible use of technology to strengthen protection planning, secure communications, case management, and evidence-informed decisionmaking.
Through these strategic priorities, CDDH seeks to transform protection into empowerment, coordinated assistance into sustainable resilience, and trusted partnerships into stronger safeguarding mechanisms for individuals and communities at risk. By combining prevention, coordinated protection, ethical case accompaniment, specialised referrals, institutional learning, and an unwavering commitment to human dignity, the Protection & Assistance Programme contributes to a future where people at risk can exercise their rights with greater safety, confidence, and support, while communities and institutions become more resilient in the face of evolving human rights challenges.
AREAS OF ACTION
Protecting Individuals. Supporting Communities. Strengthening Safety.
The Protection & Assistance Programme operates across a comprehensive range of protection, prevention, coordination, accompaniment, and resilience initiatives designed to reduce risks, strengthen protective environments, and improve access to specialised assistance for individuals and communities affected by human rights violations. Through rights-based approaches, trusted partnerships, and tailored protection strategies, CDDH supports people at risk while contributing to safer, more resilient communities and institutions.
Our principal areas of action include:
Protection Risk Assessment and Safety Planning
Conducting context-specific protection risk assessments, developing individual and organisational safety plans, identifying vulnerabilities, and supporting preventive measures that reduce exposure to human rights-related threats.
Case Accompaniment and Protection Coordination
Providing protection-focused case accompaniment, coordinating responses with trusted partners, facilitating access to appropriate support, and helping individuals navigate available national, regional, and international protection mechanisms
Referrals to Specialised Services
Facilitating referrals to competent partner organisations providing legal assistance, medical care, psychosocial support, humanitarian services, digital security, temporary relocation programmes, and other specialised protection services where appropriate.
Digital Protection and Secure Information Management
Promoting secure communications, digital safety, responsible information management, confidentiality, cybersecurity awareness, and protection of sensitive information to reduce digital risks affecting individuals and organisations.
Community-Based Protection and Peer Support
Supporting community-led protection initiatives, peer support networks, local protection mechanisms, community awareness, and collaborative approaches that strengthen resilience and encourage collective responsibility for human rights protection.
Advocacy and Access to Protection Mechanisms
Supporting engagement with national institutions, regional and international human rights mechanisms, diplomatic actors, and protection networks to strengthen access to protective measures, increase visibility of urgent cases, and encourage timely action.
Preparedness, Learning and Institutional Resilience
Strengthening organisational preparedness, Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Impact (MEL), protection reviews, knowledge management, institutional learning, and continuous improvement to enhance the quality, effectiveness, and sustainability of protection activities.
Together, these areas of action enable CDDH to transform prevention into protection, coordinated assistance into practical support, community engagement into resilience, and institutional learning into stronger safeguarding systems. Through protection planning, trusted partnerships, coordinated case accompaniment, specialised referrals, digital safety, and continuous learning, the Protection & Assistance Programme contributes to a future where individuals and communities at risk receive effective support, enjoy stronger protection, and are better equipped to exercise their rights in safety, dignity, and confidence.
OUR APPROACH
A Protection-Centred, Person-Focused and Partnership-Driven Approach
The Protection & Assistance Programme adopts a protection-centred, person-focused, rights-based, and partnership-driven approach to supporting individuals and communities facing human rights-related risks. CDDH recognises that effective protection extends beyond emergency intervention. It requires prevention, careful risk assessment, informed decision-making, coordinated action, and sustained engagement that respects the dignity, choices, safety, and resilience of every individual. Our approach combines protection planning, case accompaniment, coordinated referrals, advocacy, institutional engagement, digital safety, and continuous learning to strengthen protective environments while ensuring that individuals remain active participants in decisions affecting their safety and wellbeing. We work within our mandate and in close collaboration with specialised partners that provide legal, medical, psychosocial, humanitarian, relocation, and other forms of assistance beyond CDDH's operational role.
Through this programme, we:
- Conduct confidential and context-specific protection risk assessments to identify threats, vulnerabilities, protective factors, and appropriate response options tailored to each individual's circumstances.
- Develop protection strategies and safety plans in partnership with affected individuals, ensuring that informed consent, confidentiality, dignity, and personal agency remain central throughout the protection process.
- Facilitate coordinated referrals to trusted partner organisations providing specialised legal assistance, medical care, psychosocial support, humanitarian services, digital security, temporary relocation, and other protection measures where appropriate.
- Promote secure information management, responsible case handling, digital protection, confidentiality safeguards, and ethical data practices that minimise risks while protecting sensitive information.
- Strengthen collaboration with national, regional, and international protection actors, including civil society organisations, National Human Rights Institutions, humanitarian organisations, diplomatic partners, and international human rights mechanisms to improve coordination and strengthen protective outcomes.
- Integrate advocacy, institutional engagement, and access to national, regional, and international protection mechanisms to help reinforce protective measures and encourage timely responses to individuals facing serious human rights risks.
- Incorporate Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Impact (MEL), case reviews, organisational learning, and evidence-based adaptation into protection activities to improve effectiveness, accountability, and long-term programme quality.
- Continuously assess evolving risks, emerging threats, and changing protection environments in order to adapt strategies, strengthen resilience, and improve the sustainability of protection efforts.
Our work is guided by the principles of humanity, confidentiality, informed consent, independence, impartiality, accountability, inclusion, do no harm, and respect for international human rights standards. We are committed to strengthening protection without undermining the autonomy, dignity, or leadership of the individuals and communities we serve. Through this integrated approach, CDDH transforms risk assessment into informed action, protection planning into practical safety, partnerships into coordinated support, and continuous learning into stronger, more resilient protection systems that enable individuals and communities to exercise their rights with confidence and security.
ADVANCING PROTECTION & ASSISTANCE
Strengthening Protection. Empowering People. Building Safer Futures.
At the Confederation for Democracy and Human Rights (CDDH), we believe that effective protection is essential to ensuring that individuals and communities can exercise their rights freely, safely, and with dignity. Human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers, judges, civil society leaders, victims, witnesses, whistleblowers, political exiles, and other individuals at risk often face complex and evolving threats that require more than emergency intervention. They require sustained protection, trusted partnerships, informed decision-making, and coordinated access to specialised support. The Protection & Assistance Programme is designed to strengthen protective environments by combining prevention, case accompaniment, protection planning, coordinated referrals, advocacy, and institutional engagement. Through rights-based approaches and collaboration with specialised partners, CDDH seeks to reduce vulnerability, improve access to protection mechanisms, and reinforce the resilience of individuals, organisations, and communities facing human rights-related risks.
Through this programme, we seek to:
- Strengthen protection through comprehensive risk assessments, tailored safety planning, preventive measures, and context-sensitive protection strategies that respond to the evolving needs of individuals and organisations at risk.
- Improve access to specialised legal, medical, psychosocial, humanitarian, digital security, temporary relocation, and other protection services by facilitating timely referrals and coordinated action with trusted partner organisations.
- Support human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers, judges, civil society organisations, victims, witnesses, political exiles, and other at-risk individuals through ethical case accompaniment, protection guidance, and access to national, regional, and international protection mechanisms.
- Promote secure information management, confidentiality, informed consent, digital safety, and responsible case management practices that protect sensitive information and strengthen trust throughout the protection process.
- Strengthen collaboration with civil society, National Human Rights Institutions, humanitarian organisations, international organisations, diplomatic actors, and specialised protection providers to improve coordinated responses and reinforce collective protection efforts.
- Integrate Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Impact (MEL), case reviews, organisational learning, and continuous improvement into protection activities to strengthen programme quality, accountability, institutional resilience, and long-term effectiveness.
- Encourage innovation, adaptive management, and responsible use of technology to improve protection planning, secure communications, case coordination, risk monitoring, and evidence-informed decision-making.
- Promote community resilience, peer support, organisational preparedness, and preventive action that empower individuals and communities to anticipate, manage, and reduce protection risks over time.
Our impact extends beyond individual protection. By strengthening protective systems, improving access to specialised assistance, reinforcing institutional cooperation, and promoting long-term resilience, CDDH contributes to safer environments where individuals and communities can continue defending human rights and participating fully in public life. Through protection-centred action, trusted partnerships, ethical practice, continuous learning, and an unwavering commitment to human dignity, the Protection & Assistance Programme works toward a future where every person at risk has access to effective protection, coordinated support, and the opportunity to live, work, and advocate in safety, freedom, and dignity.
WORKING WITH PARTNERS
Building Strong Protection Through Trusted Partnerships
The Confederation for Democracy and Human Rights (CDDH) believes that effective protection is built on cooperation, trust, and shared responsibility. Individuals at risk often require a combination of legal, medical, psychosocial, humanitarian, security, diplomatic, and institutional support that no single organisation can provide alone. By working closely with specialised partners, CDDH strengthens coordinated protection efforts while ensuring that individuals and communities can access the services and expertise best suited to their needs. The Protection & Assistance Programme works with a broad network of national, regional, and international partners to strengthen protection systems, improve coordinated responses, expand access to specialised assistance, and reinforce long-term resilience for individuals, organisations, and communities facing human rights-related risks.
We collaborate with:
- Human rights organisations, civil society organisations, humanitarian organisations, and communitybased organisations.
- National Human Rights Institutions, ombudspersons, equality bodies, and independent oversight institutions.
- Lawyers, bar associations, legal aid providers, judicial networks, and legal protection organisations.
- Medical professionals, rehabilitation centres, psychosocial support providers, trauma specialists, and public health organisations.
- United Nations entities, regional organisations, diplomatic missions, international cooperation agencies, and development partners.
- Digital security organisations, cybersecurity experts, technology partners, and organisations specialising in secure communications and digital protection.
- Journalists' associations, independent media organisations, documentation initiatives, investigative networks, and organisations supporting freedom of expression.
- Community leaders, victims' associations, grassroots organisations, peer support networks, and local protection actors with trusted community relationships.
Together with our partners, we:
- Coordinate protection responses that strengthen safety, improve communication, and facilitate timely access to specialised support while respecting the mandates and expertise of all participating organisations.
- Facilitate referrals to competent partner organisations providing legal assistance, medical care, psychosocial support, humanitarian assistance, digital security services, temporary relocation programmes, and other specialised protection measures where appropriate.
- Promote joint protection planning, coordinated case management, secure information-sharing, and responsible confidentiality practices that place the rights, safety, and informed choices of affected individuals at the centre of every intervention.
- Strengthen engagement with national, regional, and international protection mechanisms, diplomatic actors, and human rights institutions to encourage timely protective measures and reinforce accountability.
- Conduct joint training, peer learning, preparedness initiatives, and capacity-building activities that strengthen protection practice, institutional resilience, and collaborative problem-solving.
- Share lessons learned, good practices, Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Impact (MEL) findings, and organisational knowledge to improve coordination, strengthen programme quality, and support continuous learning across the protection community.
- Promote locally led, inclusive, and community-informed approaches that recognise local expertise, strengthen community resilience, and encourage sustainable protection partnerships based on trust, respect, and shared commitment.
Every partnership is guided by the principles of confidentiality, integrity, independence, impartiality, accountability, inclusion, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to protecting human dignity. CDDH values partnerships that strengthen local leadership, expand access to protection, and create coordinated responses capable of addressing complex human rights risks with professionalism and compassion. By working alongside trusted partners across sectors and regions, CDDH transforms collaboration into protection, coordinated assistance into resilience, and shared expertise into safer environments where individuals and communities can continue defending their rights with confidence, dignity, and hope.
LOOKING AHEAD
Advancing Protection for an Evolving World
The Confederation for Democracy and Human Rights (CDDH) remains committed to strengthening protection systems that respond to the changing realities faced by individuals and communities at risk. As human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers, judges, civil society leaders, whistleblowers, political exiles, victims, and other vulnerable groups confront increasingly complex threats—including transnational repression, digital surveillance, disinformation, arbitrary detention, forced displacement, and climate-related crises—CDDH will continue adapting its protection strategies to meet emerging needs with professionalism, flexibility, and a steadfast commitment to human dignity. Looking ahead, the Protection & Assistance Programme will continue expanding its protection expertise, strategic partnerships, and preventive capacities to improve safety, strengthen resilience, and facilitate access to specialised support. By combining prevention, preparedness, coordinated action, and continuous learning, CDDH seeks to create stronger protection ecosystems capable of responding effectively to both current and future human rights risks.
Our future priorities include:
- Strengthening protection methodologies through improved risk assessments, safety planning, case accompaniment, preventive strategies, and context-specific protection measures that respond to evolving threats.
- Expanding cooperation with national, regional, and international protection actors to improve coordinated referrals, strengthen protection networks, and facilitate access to specialised legal, medical, psychosocial, humanitarian, digital security, and relocation services through trusted partners
- Enhancing responses to emerging risks such as transnational repression, digital surveillance, cyber threats, online harassment, strategic litigation against public participation (SLAPPs), and other evolving forms of intimidation targeting human rights defenders and civil society.
- Promoting community-based protection, peer support, organisational resilience, and locally led protection initiatives that empower individuals and communities to strengthen their own safety and preparedness.
- Strengthening engagement with national institutions, regional and international human rights mechanisms, diplomatic actors, and specialised protection networks to encourage timely protective measures and reinforce accountability.
- Integrating Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Impact (MEL), case reviews, organisational learning, knowledge management, and evidence-based adaptation into protection activities to improve quality, effectiveness, and long-term programme impact.
- Encouraging innovation, responsible use of technology, secure communications, digital protection tools, and adaptive management that strengthen protection planning, case coordination, and informed decision-making.
- Investing in strategic foresight, emerging risk analysis, and continuous professional development to ensure that CDDH remains prepared to respond to new protection challenges in rapidly changing operational environments.
Our vision is a future where every individual at risk can access effective protection, every community is better prepared to respond to threats, and every institution committed to defending human rights is supported by strong, coordinated, and resilient protection systems. Through prevention, partnership, continuous learning, responsible innovation, and an unwavering commitment to human dignity, CDDH will continue strengthening protection environments that enable individuals and communities to exercise their rights safely, confidently, and without fear, while contributing to more just, resilient, and democratic societies.
CONTINUE EXPLORING
Continue Exploring Protection & Assistance
The Protection & Assistance Programme reflects CDDH's commitment to safeguarding individuals and communities facing human rights-related risks through prevention, coordinated protection, trusted partnerships, and access to specialised support. By combining protection planning, case accompaniment, advocacy, referrals, digital safety, and institutional cooperation, we help strengthen protective environments where people can exercise their rights with greater safety, dignity, and confidence. Effective protection does not end when immediate risks are reduced. Sustainable human rights protection requires continued recovery, community resilience, humanitarian cooperation, and longterm efforts to address the structural conditions that place people at risk. We invite you to explore our related programmes and discover how they work together to provide a comprehensive, rights-based approach to protection and resilience.
Continue Exploring
Emergency Response & Rapid Action
Discover how CDDH coordinates timely, rights-based responses to urgent human rights situations through emergency preparedness, crisis monitoring, rapid coordination, strategic advocacy, and trusted partnerships that help protect lives and reduce harm.
Victim Support, Rehabilitation & Recovery
Explore how CDDH promotes the long-term recovery, rehabilitation, empowerment, and reintegration of survivors of human rights violations by working alongside specialised partners providing medical, psychosocial, legal, and social support.
Humanitarian Action & Community Resilience
Learn how CDDH supports rights-based humanitarian action, strengthens disaster preparedness, promotes community-led resilience, and helps communities prepare for, withstand, and recover from crises through collaborative and locally driven approaches.
Environmental Justice, Natural Resources & Corporate Accountability
Discover how CDDH addresses the human rights impacts of environmental degradation, climate change, natural resource exploitation, and corporate activities by promoting environmental justice, responsible business conduct, corporate accountability, and the protection of affected communities and environmental human rights defenders.
Together, these programmes form an integrated protection framework that transforms emergency action into sustained protection, protection into recovery, recovery into resilience, and accountability into long-term prevention. By connecting rapid response, specialised assistance, humanitarian cooperation, environmental justice, and institutional learning, CDDH strengthens its ability to protect people at risk, support resilient communities, and promote lasting respect for human rights.