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About the protocol

The Holistic Security Protocol for Human Rights Defenders (the Defender’s Protocol) helps us advance our physical safety, digital security, and wellbeing and resilience. By following the Protocol, we enhance our individual and collective security, and can reduce the burden of attacks, harassment, and censorship on us and our communities.

The Defender's Protocol was created by Open Briefing and made possible thanks to the support of the National Endowment for Democracy, Ford Foundation, and Oak Foundation.

The Defender’s Protocol is based on Open Briefing’s experiences working with at-risk defenders all over the world; however, there will be important local differences that cannot be reflected in universal guidance, and you should adapt the Protocol to suit your situation, work, and profile.

About Open Briefing

Open Briefing prevents and responds to serious attacks on the people and organisations fighting for peace, human rights, and environmental justice around the world, and works to create the conditions in which they no longer happen.

We also provide consultancy, training, and retained support to help high-impact nonprofits and foundations understand and meet their risk management and duty of care commitments to staff, grantees, and local partners.