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/

03/11/2025

⏰ Last chance to apply!
Civil servants from 🇦🇱 🇦🇲 🇧🇦 🇽🇰 🇲🇩 🇲🇪 🇲🇰 🇷🇸 🇹🇷 🇺🇦 still have time to apply for the Matra Rule of Law training programmes on:
🔹 Management of Public Services
🔹 Integrity of Civil Servants
Don’t miss this opportunity to strengthen your professional skills and connect with peers from across the region.
📅 Application deadline: 9 November 2025
📍 Online (February 2026) | Leiden & The Hague (March 2026)
👉 Learn more and apply here: https://matrarolt.nhc.nl/en/courses
Know someone who might be interested? Tag or share this post with them!

10/10/2025

Over the past weeks, the campaign Strength in Every Step: Women Human Rights Defenders from Armenia has shared the voices of six Armenian women human rights defenders on the frontlines of the fight against domestic and gender based violence. Each defender has spoken to a different part of the journey: naming violence, breaking down harmful norms, demanding real support and justice, and envisioning lasting empowerment. Together, their perspectives reveal both the barriers women face and the hope for change.

Their voices remind us that change is possible but it cannot happen in isolation. It demands national and international solidarity.

Now it is your turn.
📢 Stand with Armenian HRDs. Share their voices. Add your voice to demand global solidarity for a violence free future.



“EQUAL - EU 4 Women Empowerment in Armenia” project is implemented by OxYGen Foundation, European Partnership for Democracy NGO, Netherlands Helsinki Committee NGO, Women’s Support Center NGO, WINNET Goris Development Foundation in cooperation with Winnet Sweden NGO. The project is funded by the European Union

10/10/2025

📅On 01 and 02 October, the Netherlands Helsinki Committee, together with partners from the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law Stichting (ECNL) and media experts from Free Press for Eastern Europe (FPEE), had the opportunity to host a two-day knowledge sharing event in Sofia, Bulgaria. The event was part of the EU funded Catalyst of Change project, which aims to strengthen civil society in Croatia, Bulgaria, Romania, Portugal and Slovenia.

🤝Together with participants from Bulgarian and Romanian civil society organisations and grassroots NGOs, we spent two days discussing a variety of topics related to civic space, EU law, and media engagement, including reflections from experts and practitioners on Rule of Law reporting, campaigning for impact, and SLAPPs.

👏We would like to thank everyone who made this event possible and joined in engaging conversations and knowledge-sharing exercises – let’s keep connecting and building stronger alliances to defend rights in Europe.

🔎For more information on the EU Funded Catalyst of Change project: https://www.nhc.nl/catalyst-of-change/

09/10/2025

💬 “For me, success is when women learn their rights and reclaim their choices. One woman I supported lived 42 years waiting to make decisions for herself. Not anymore.”
- Kristina Buniatyan, Human Rights Defender working on supporting survivors of gender-based violence in Armenia

🔍 True empowerment means that women not only escape violence but also regain the ability to make choices for themselves. For some, this comes after decades of living without control over their own lives. Through the important work of human rights defenders, women are supported to learn their rights, build confidence, and reclaim their agency. This changes the futures of individuals and communities alike.

👉 Support the work of Armenian human rights defenders that change the futures of women and their communities.

✨ Strength in Every Step: Women Human Rights Defenders from Armenia ✨
Across Armenia, women human rights defenders are leading the fight against domestic violence and gender-based violence. Their resilience inspires us all. This campaign honours their stories, amplifies their voices, and calls for international solidarity in the struggle for equality and justice.

📢 Stand in solidarity. Share their stories. Support their fight for a violence-free future.



“EQUAL - EU 4 Women Empowerment in Armenia” project is implemented by OxYGen Foundation, European Partnership for Democracy NGO, Netherlands Helsinki Committee NGO, Women’s Support Center NGO, WINNET Goris Development Foundation in cooperation with Winnet Sweden NGO. The project is funded by the European Union.

08/10/2025

💬 “Years ago, a woman I worked with needed urgent support. Today, she runs her own beauty salon. Stories like hers remind us why we keep moving forward.”
- Hayarpi Aydinyan, Human Rights Defender working on supporting survivors of gender-based violence in Armenia

🔍 For many survivors of gender-based violence, safety is only the first step. Without sustainable and long term support, women may struggle to rebuild their lives. Access to skills, resources, and opportunities can help them move beyond survival toward independence and self-reliance. Stories of women who start businesses, return to education, or regain their confidence remind us of the importance of structural change that transforms lives in lasting ways.

👉 Push for long-term accessible support that transform recovery into empowerment.

✨ Strength in Every Step: Women Human Rights Defenders from Armenia ✨
Across Armenia, women human rights defenders are leading the fight against domestic violence and gender-based violence. Their resilience inspires us all. This campaign honours their stories, amplifies their voices, and calls for international solidarity in the struggle for equality and justice.

📢 Stand in solidarity. Share their stories. Support their fight for a violence-free future.



“EQUAL - EU 4 Women Empowerment in Armenia” project is implemented by OxYGen Foundation, European Partnership for Democracy NGO, Netherlands Helsinki Committee NGO, Women’s Support Center NGO, WINNET Goris Development Foundation in cooperation with Winnet Sweden NGO. The project is funded by the European Union.