The First European Forum on Environmental Human Rights Defenders at the Council of Europe

The First European Forum on Environmental Human Rights Defenders, held on 3 June 2026 at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, marked a historic milestone as the first initiative of its kind in the European region. Drawing inspiration from similar forums already established in the Asia-Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) regions, the Forum was designed to enhance collaboration between Environmental Human Rights Defenders (EHRDs), civil society organisations (CSOs), grassroots movements, Indigenous Peoples, government representatives, and national, regional and international institutions. Co-led by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Council of Europe, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), and the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders under the Aarhus Convention, the Forum represented a broad and ambitious coalition committed to improving the situation of those who defend environmental rights on the continent.

The event took place against a backdrop of escalating environmental and human rights concerns. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, speaking on the eve of World Environment Day, delivered a stark warning: Europe is warming twice as fast as the global average, with increasing floods, shrinking glaciers, and devastating heatwaves killing thousands every summer. He noted that 95% of urban residents across the continent breathe unsafe air, and more than 80% of habitats are in poor or bad condition. These alarming statistics underline the critical importance of the work carried out by environmental defenders, and also the very real dangers they face. OHCHR has recorded nearly 600 environmental and land defenders killed or disappeared worldwide over just three years, with activists detained for their work in at least 55 countries. Türk stated that while many European countries pride themselves on ambitious climate goals, new laws criminalising peaceful protest continue to be enacted. 

FRA Director Sirpa Rautio reinforced this message with hard data from FRA's own research. Environmental activists, FRA's research consistently shows, are among the civil society actors experiencing the most heightened pressures on their freedoms of association, assembly and expression. They are targeted with threats, negative media campaigns, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), and even criminalisation of their activities. Politically motivated funding cuts and legal frameworks that stigmatise civil society organisations are creating a chilling effect on advocacy across the region. 

Against this urgent context, the Forum pursued a rich and multi-layered set of key objectives: 

• The Forum sought to improve existing protection mechanisms for EHRDs across the 46 member states of the Council of Europe, by reviewing the effectiveness and accessibility of current tools, raising awareness of available protections, and integrating a gender-sensitive, intersectional and intergenerational approach. 
• It aimed to identify gaps in policies and legislation affecting defenders and produce concrete, actionable recommendations for endorsement by policymakers. 
• It worked to enhance coordination between UN mechanisms, regional organisations, and EU and national institutions to strengthen protection frameworks and improve collaboration with EHRD organisations. 
• It provided structured opportunities for EHRDs to engage directly with relevant UN, Council of Europe, EU and regional mechanisms. 
• It created a safe and enabling space for open dialogue on the challenges and regional trends affecting defenders, particularly regarding their rights to participation, freedom of expression, assembly and association, access to information, and access to justice in environmental matters. 
• Finally, the Forum facilitated an exchange on rights-based responses to environmental crises, recognising EHRDs' vital contributions to preserving the environment and life-supporting ecosystems in Europe.

Importantly, the Forum was conceived not as a one-off event but as an ongoing process, a platform to be developed in continuous consultation with defenders, including activists who may not formally identify as EHRDs. Planned as a regular biennial event, the Forum is committed to ensuring that EHRDs are not merely consulted but are empowered to lead, to shape policy, and to drive the commitments and practical measures needed to protect those who stand on the frontline of both environmental and human rights action in Europe.