Striving to pursue accountability for crimes committed migrants and refugees detained in Libya after their interception at sea, UpRights has developed a consistent track record in developing partnerships with Italian and Libyan civil society actors, underlining in particular the human rights implications of international agreements like the Memorandum of Understanding signed by Italy and Libya in 2017.
Committed to advancing accountability for international crimes and strengthening the enforcement of human rights, UpRights has engaged in efforts to address human rights violations committed in Iraq. In this context, UpRights has collaborated with the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) to seek accountability for alleged war crimes committed by UK armed forces in Iraq, submitting a request to the International Criminal Court Prosecutor to revisit the decision not to open investigations.
Aligned with its mission to pursue effective pathways to remedies and accountability, UpRights has actively contributed to strengthening human rights protection mechanisms in Burkina Faso. The organization has focused on building the capacity of local institutions and civil society organizations to document serious human rights violations and international crimes, particularly in crisis or conflict situations.
Building upon its belief that international law represents a potent avenue to advocate for human rights, UpRights staff work with academic actors including the University of California Berkeley’s Law School.
UpRights has engaged with South Korean civil society to address human rights violations in North Korea. The organization notably conducted trainings for South Korean civil society organizations, focusing on documentation and on strategies to pursue accountability for crimes committed in North Korea.
In alignment with its mission to pursue effective pathways to remedies and accountability, UpRights has actively addressed human rights violations against migrants and refugees in Libya. The organization has partnered with Italian and Libyan civil society actors to highlight the human rights implications of the 2017 Memorandum of Understanding between Italy and Libya, which facilitated the interception and return of migrants to Libyan detention centers. UpRights and its partners have called for investigations into international crimes committed by Libyan armed groups against migrants following their interception at sea and return to Libya.
In alignment with its mission to support transparent, rule of law-based frameworks, UpRights has engaged in efforts to assess corporate human rights practices in Mozambique. The organization prepared an independent expert report evaluating the Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) process of TotalEnergies’ Mozambique Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Project.
Despite the growing recognition of the importance of accountability processes, victims of serious human rights violations worldwide continue to struggle for adequate redress. UpRights work in Afghanistan focuses on documenting and pursuing accountability for crimes against women and girls.
Guided by its mission to advance access to justice and strengthen pathways to accountability, UpRights has engaged in efforts to bolster human rights protection mechanisms in Niger. The organisation has worked to enhance the capacity of local institutions to effectively document human rights violations and pursue legal redress, ensuring that victims have access to meaningful remedies.
The Netherlands is the home of UpRights and serves as the starting point of our global activities. From our headquarters in The Hague, we have led and participated in workshops, lectures, and training sessions on our areas of expertise, employing multifaceted approaches to the advancement of human rights through the effective use of international law. We also assist in submissions before international bodies, including the Internatioanl Criminal Court.