Human rights don't trickle down.
They rise up.
Learn more about who we are and what we do
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NEWS:
Check our article series in Open Global Rights -
Local Futures: Human Rights Cities
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U.S. State & Local elected officials urge UN to continue Universal Periodic Review (UPR) (Sep 8, 2025)
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On September 8, 2025 over 100 U.S. state & local officials sent a letter to the President of the United Nations Human Rights Council asking the UN to proceed with the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the U.S. despite the federal administration’s withdrawal.
Elected officials know human rights cannot wait. As leaders entrusted to care for the American people, the letter signatories condemn this retreat and recommit to accountability.
EVENTS
IN-PERSON EVENTS:
WEBINAR: Leveraging Global Human Rights to Protect our Cities
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Wednesday April 8, 6:00PM-7:15 Eastern/ 3:00PM Pacific)
Today in the United States we face a human rights emergency. The deployment of National Guard and ICE agents in major cities usurps the basic rights of residents as well as local authority. Rights to free speech and assembly are under attack, and courts are failing to hold leaders accountable to the law. The international human rights system can provide a court of appeal for situations like this. This panel of legal experts, advocates, and scholars will discuss how international human rights can be a tool for cities and local movements serving as the front line defenders of human rights.
The People's UPR in NYC​
Oct. 23, 2025 - Sign up here to receive info
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Calendar of other People’s UPR events in the U.S. is here
July 2025 HRCA Learning & Strategy Opportunity in Washington D.C. - Resources & Agenda: Using Global Human Rights Tools to Strengthen our Cities & Local Democracy
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WEBINARS:
Empowering Cities and Communities as Human Rights Defenders:
Global Tools and Strategies
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March 13, 2025 @ 6:00 PM EST/ 3:00 PM PST
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Watch the recording here.
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How Cities Can Defend Human Rights in the Face of Mass Deportations
​January 29, 2025
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Hosted by the Human Rights Cities Alliance and Young Initiative on the Global Economy, Occidental College
Watch the recording here
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Leveraging Global Human Rights to Protect Rights in our Cities
December 9, 2024
Hosted by the Human Rights Cities Alliance and University of Alabama-Birmingham Institute for Human Rights
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Watch the recording here
Learn with us and our broader work on UPR Cities (Including the *New 2025 HRCA UPR Toolkit)​
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​Check out our latest resource - A Toolkit on: How to Be a Human Rights City
(And the Appendix list of Resources)
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UNOHR & UCLG Guidance Framework for Creating a Human Rights City
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Google Sheets Crowd-sourced Guide on Human Rights Cities: Research, Resources
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Wikipedia Human Rights City page
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