Netherlands Helsinki Committee

19/03/2026

Join us for the next edition of The Hague – Solidarity with Belarus & Lessons in Resilience, on March 30th (17:00-19:00), at The Hague Humanity Hub!

We will be joined by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, for a discussion on how to sustain human rights work under repression.

If you are interested in joining the conversation, sharing your point of view and networking with the community, sign up below!

📍 The Hague Humanity Hub!
📅 Monday March 30th | 17:00-19:00
🔗 Sign up: https://www.eventbrite.nl/e/democracydrinks-solidarity-with-belarus-lessons-in-resilience-tickets-1984298194315?aff=oddtdtcreator

This edition is co-organised by Netherlands Helsinki Committee, NIMD, and The Hague Humanity Hub.

05/03/2026

📢 Call for National Experts | Armenia, Moldova, Ukraine

The Netherlands Helsinki Committee is looking for national experts to support the EU-funded project “Resilient & Connected: Joint Initiatives Against Disinformation.”
Working with partners People in Need and the Prague Civil Society Centre, the project strengthens the resilience of civil society, independent media, and local communities in the Eastern Partnership region to Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI).

We are seeking one expert per country ( , , ) to support research, policy dialogue, and cooperation between civil society, media, and public institutions working on FIMI resilience.

🕒 Approx. 2 days per month
📅 Apply by 20 March 2026

🔗 Read more and apply: https://www.nhc.nl/resilient-connected-joint-initiatives-against-disinformation-call-for-national-experts-from-armenia-moldova-and-ukraine/

29/01/2026

𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐚𝐰 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 ⚖️

In 2025, we have proudly welcomed more than 200 participants as new members of our growing alumni network. 🎓

The participants took part in 7 different trainings, ranging from topics such as Administration of Justice, to Human Rights, and Integrity of Civil Servants. It has been truly inspiring to engage with so many reform-minded civil servants committed to strengthening the rule of law.

During the training, each participant has developed a Back Home Action Plan, and we are impressed by the meaningful impact they are already making.

Please find here two impactful examples:
🔗 https://shorturl.at/qrWRP
🔗 https://shorturl.at/XfnUY

In November, the consortium partners also visited Albania and Montenegro to raise awareness of the programme and meet with various government institutions 🤝
Embassy of the Netherlands in Albania
Embassy of the Netherlands in Serbia and in Montenegro

We would like to sincerely thank all experts, participants, and partners for their valuable contributions, with special gratitude to the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency for their ongoing support. 🌟

➡️ We look forward to continuing this important work together in the upcoming year.

💡 Learn more about the Matra Rule of Law Training Programme: https://www.nhc.nl/matrarolt/

The Matra Rule of Law Training Programme is designed and delivered by the Netherlands Helsinki Committee, Leiden Law School, and The Hague Academy for Local Governance. The programme is commissioned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, and implemented by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) on behalf of the Ministry.

28/01/2026

15/01/2026

📣 Training opportunities for civil servants

Are you a civil servant from 🇦🇱 🇦🇲 🇧🇦 🇽🇰 🇲🇩 🇲🇪 🇲🇰 🇷🇸 🇹🇷 🇺🇦 and looking to strengthen your skills and expertise?

Applications are now open for our of Law trainings on:
🔹 Judicial Cooperation
🔹 Management of Public Services

⏰ Application deadline: 1 March
📅 Dates: Online (May 2026) & in-person in The Hague (June 2026)
💡 Learn more: https://www.nhc.nl/matrarolt/
✍️ Apply: https://lnkd.in/eV3BA8DZ

Know someone in your network who might be interested? Please share this opportunity 🗣️

The Matra Rule of Law Training Programme (RoLT) is designed and delivered by the Netherlands Helsinki Committee, Leiden Law School, and The Hague Academy for Local Governance. The programme is commissioned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, and implemented by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) on behalf of the Ministry.

Please find below an overview of all trainings currently open for applications. 

10/12/2025

Today we publish our new report on how the EU has shifted from a values-based partnership with Azerbaijan to a relationship shaped by energy, trade and geopolitical calculations 🇪🇺⚖️🇦🇿

⚠️ This shift takes place at the very moment Azerbaijan is experiencing the deepest repression since independence. Independent civil society and media have been dismantled. NGOs cannot function. Dozens of journalists and human rights defenders are in prison. More than 400 political prisoners. Repression now extends beyond Azerbaijan’s borders, targeting critics in exile through intimidation, abusive legal tools and trials in absentia.

📈 Despite being Azerbaijan’s main export market and largest investor, the EU has not used its leverage. High-level visits avoided political prisoners, their relatives or independent civil society. The 2022 energy memorandum insulated hydrocarbons and connectivity from human rights concerns. In Baku, this silence has been read as permission to deepen repression.

➡️ Our report calls for a fundamental reset: clear human rights benchmarks in any future agreement, the use of targeted sanctions, and strong political and financial support for independent civil society inside and outside Azerbaijan. Now.

🔗 https://free-anar.site/report-eu-azerbaijan/