Human Rights Research League

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

 

HRRL-University of Montreal Research Report on Mental Health in Times of War Published
2025-10-09 20:32 What impact does living in a long-term situation of war, conflict, and insecurity have on the mental health of a population? This new study at the junction of law and psychology, conducted in partners...
HRRL Statements on Ukraine at the 60th Session of the UN Human Rights Council
2025-10-03 20:15 On 22 September 2025, at the 60th 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 Indepe...
HRRL Statement on the Central African Republic at the 60th Session of the UN Human Rights Council
2025-10-02 20:52 On the occasion of the 60th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Human Rights Research League delivered an oral statement during the Interactive Dialogue on the Central African Republic. ...
HRRL Statement on Somalia at the 60th Session of the UN Human Rights Council
2025-10-02 17:20 On 2 October 2025, at the 60th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Human Rights Research League (HRRL) intervened during the Interactive Dialogue with the International Expert on Somalia...
HRRL Statement on Lebanon at the 60th Session of the UN Human Rights Council
2025-09-23 19:26 At the 60th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Human Rights Research League intervened during the General Debate on Item 4. HRRL Adviser in Psychology Zeina Zerbe spoke about the cumula...
HRRL Statement on Afghanistan at the 60th Session of the UN Human Rights Council
2025-09-19 23:38 On 19 September 2025, at the 60th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Human Rights Research League delivered an oral statement on Afghanistan during the General Debate on Item 3. In his ...
HRRL Side Event on Mental Health in Times of War at the 60th Session of the UN Human Rights Council
2025-09-19 20:41 On the occasion of the 60th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Human Rights Research League (HRRL) organized a Side Event & Report Launch at the Palais des Nations, on Menta...
HRRL Statement on Burundi at the 60th Session of the UN Human Rights Council
2025-09-19 17:56 During the 60th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, Human Rights Research League (HRRL) also intervened in connection with the Interactive Dialogue with the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation ...
HRRL Statement on Unilateral Coercive Measures and Human Rights
2025-09-12 22:30 At the 60th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Human Rights Research League intervened during the Biannial Panel Discussion on Unilateral Coercive Measures and Human Rights. HRRL Politi...
HRRL Statement on Iran at the 60th Session of the UN Human Rights Council
2025-09-10 23:06 On 10 September 2025, on the occasion of the 60th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Human Rights Research League delivered an oral statement on Iran during the General Debate on Item 2...

Conferences & calls

HRRL UN Human Rights Council Side Event on Russia's War of Aggression against Ukraine
2024-07-05 17:52 On 8 July 2024, Human Rights Research League will organize a side event at the 56th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council on 'Russia's War of Aggression in Ukraine: Human Toll and Future ...
Panel Discussion on 'Left to the Taliban: What Future for an Afghanistan Caught in the Past?',
2024-06-26 15:42 On June 25, 2024, leading Norwegian liberal think tank Civita launched the recording of a panel discussion with Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Afghanist...
Joint HRRL-ESIL Workshop on 'Advanced Digital Technologies in Migration Management: A Means to What End'?, Vilnius, Lithuania, September 4, 2024
2024-05-28 02:10 On 4 September 2024, the European Society of International Law (ESIL) Interest Group on Migration and Refugee Law, Human Rights Research League, and the CoSME Project will organize a workshop in Vilni...
HRRL Statements on Ukraine at the 55th Session of the UN Human Rights Council
2024-04-02 15:10 During the 55th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Human Rights Research League delivered oral statements in connection with the Interactive Dialogue on OHCHR's report on Ukraine, as we...
HRRL Statements on Afghanistan at the 55th Session of the UN Human Rights Council
2024-03-04 00:07 On the occasion of the 55th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Human Rights Research League delivered an oral statement on Afghanistan during the Interactive Dialogue with the UN Specia...
HRRL at Rule of Law Summit in Lviv, Ukraine
2023-12-11 15:03 From 7-10 December 2023, the American Society of International Law and the Ukrainian Association of International Law convened a summit of experts in Lviv, Ukraine, to commemorate the 75th anniversari...
New HRRL Report on Revenge Killings in Afghanistan
2023-11-16 02:17 Over the past year and a half, Human Rights Research League (HRRL) has been conducting a research project documenting Revenge Killings and Other Serious Human Rights Violations in Afghanistan in the A...
HRRL-ONUC Seminar on Dealing with the Taliban, October 18, 2023
2023-10-19 00:20 On 18 October 2023, Human Rights Research League and Oslo New University College (ONUC) co-organized a seminar at ONUC on 'Dealing with the Taliban? Two Years of Atrocities after Regime Breakdown in A...
HRRL-NUPI Conference on Human Rights Violations in Afghanistan, October 11, 2023
2023-10-13 23:30 On 11 October 2023, Human Rights Research League (HRRL) and the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) co-organized a conference on 'Human Rights Violations in the Taliban's Afghanistan'....
HRRL-CMI Conference on the Human Rights Situation in Afghanistan, October 10, 2023
2023-10-11 21:30 On 10 October 2023, Human Rights Research League (HRRL), the University of Bergen, CMI, and the Centre on Law & Social Transformation co-organized a half-day conference to critically discuss the Human...

Latest publications