The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) is an independent, non-partisan, international nongovernmental organisation that works to promote the practical realization of Human Rights in the countries of the Commonwealth focusing on building and reforming systems of governance which are essential for the protection and promotion of Human Rights.
CHRI’s objectives are to promote awareness of and adherence to the Harare Commonwealth Declaration, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and other internationally recognised human rights instruments, as well as domestic instruments supporting human rights in Commonwealth member states.
CHRI envisions establishing it as a global South-based NGO, which is international in its work and vision has over the years come to fruition.
Focus Areas
- Access to Information: CHRI believes that the Right to Information is fundamental to the realisation of economic and social rights as well as civil and political rights. Informed participation by all must therefore be guaranteed through increased access to public information.
- Access to Justice: The extremes of poverty and wealth and the extreme power chasm between citizens and those in power has led to unbalanced, corrupt, power-hungry, decrepit and failing justice systems in many of the Commonwealth countries. Without a fair and effective justice system, democracy fails.
- Strategic Initiatives: The strategic Initiatives Programme (SIP) oversees CHRI’s broad mandate of working for the practical realisation of human rights in the countries of the Commonwealth.
Past Activities
Overseas Territories Project with the Commonwealth Foundation and Commonwealth Legal Education Association (CLEA), which built capacity for human rights within the British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean, the Pacific and South Atlantic; examining the Commonwealth’s Media Freedom laws; and advocating for the repeal of legislation criminalising the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual (LGBT) community.