Dear friend of HRMI,

We are tool-makers. At HRMI we produce cutting-edge data tools, and put them into the hands of change-makers and leaders around the world.

We’re excited to be working on a brand new set of tools, ready for release in June 2024.

We recently joined the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (GPSDD), a network of hundreds of organisations using data to tackle the world's toughest challenges. We in the network all understand the power of data to transform the world (in fact, check out this amazing video on just how effective data can be).

There's a real hunger for data, too. Last month our East and Southeast Asia Lead, Phoenix Yeo, and I were invited to present to the ASEAN Inter-governmental Commission on Human Rights conference discussing the potential of creating an ASEAN human rights index. We heard, over and over again, from civil society groups, governments, and National Human Rights Institutions, that they are hungry for better data.

We can help with that!

We are busy filling the world's toolboxes with even more tools. As well as our existing workstreams on civil and political rights, economic and social rights, and Pacific-specific rights themes, we have started work to craft new data tools to measure:

children's rights
women's rights
digital rights
the rights of LGBTQIA+ people
labour rights.

As always, we approach our tool-making through co-design and collaboration, and are looking for partners of all kinds in these areas.

Please drop us an email if you would like to know more.

A last note: our 2024 tools are nearly ready for the world! On 20 June we will publish our brand-new human rights scores for every country in the world. See below for ways you can participate in the data launches, and make the most of the new data to improve people's lives. And as always, please let us know if we can help you in any way.

Nāku noa, nā

Thalia

HRMI data in action

Our work continues to make waves across the globe. We're proud to share a few recent highlights where our data have been instrumental in driving advocacy to create more just and equitable policies and practices:

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission used our data in its report, Ireland and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
The Indonesian government used our data to construct its new human rights index.
A new book, Welfare-Based Human Rights Diffusion in Global Social Policy: Evaluating an Extended Spiral Model to Survey Welfare Norms, draws extensively on our methodology.
HRMI was invited to address the March Pre-sessional Working Group of the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights.
This World Bank publication, "Women, Business and the Law 2024," draws on our methodologies.

HRMI in the news

Read on for a host of recent articles that showcase the real-world applications of HRMI's work:

The Times of India used our data in their coverage on "Human rights organisation report exposes China's persecution of families of activists."
Our data supported Within Nigeria in their article "Amnesty International 2023 Report Highlights Various Human Rights Violations in Nigeria."
Middle East Eye referenced our findings in "ATP Tour forms partnership with Saudi Arabia's PIF" discussing new sports partnerships in Saudi Arabia.

2024 data launch registration form

The Human Rights Measurement Initiative will release its Rights Tracker update on 20 June 2024, with new scores measuring respect for human rights in every country in the world.

This comprehensive tool offers insights on human rights practices around the world, providing invaluable data for advocacy, research, and policy-making.

We are offering early access to journalists and civil society organisations who wish to receive the data prior to its public release.

You will receive:

Embargoed access to the new scores for every country in the world
Quotes from our experts
Press releases on selected themes, and
The ability to request interviews and comment before the release date.

REQUEST EARLY ACCESS

Appreciations

A heartfelt thank you to the Judy and Peter Blum Kovler Foundation from all of us at HRMI for your incredible support. Your commitment is instrumental in advancing our mission to measure and improve human rights conditions worldwide. Together, we are making a meaningful impact.

Celebrations

Congratulations to our HRMI colleagues at the University of Georgia's Center for the Study of Global Issues (GLOBIS), for winning the 2024 Intersection Award for Linking Theory and Practice from the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs! GLOBIS is directed by our very own co-founder, Dr K Chad Clay. We’re so proud!

This award recognises how well GLOBIS' programmes successfully integrate academic research with real-world human rights initiatives – including HRMI!

Accomplishments

As Thalia mentioned above, she and our Southeast Asia lead, Phoenix Yeo were invited to participate in an ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) consultation last month. They presented HRMI's experience in creating the Rights Tracker as ASEAN human rights representatives considered the possibilities of creating a regional human rights index.

HRMI recently contributed to the development of a new report by the Geneva Academy Human Rights Platform. HRMI is featured as a significant data tool in the study that evaluates global human rights practices. Check out the full report here: The Human Rights Data Revolution.

A new digital rights workstream

We are delighted that long-time HRMI team member Meridith LaVelle has taken on leadership of our new digital rights workstream. Meridith is a PhD candidate in Political Science and International Affairs and one of the directors of the GLOBIS Human Rights Research Lab at the University of Georgia. Her research focuses on human rights, contentious politics, political economy, and human rights measurement with an overarching theme of digital repression.

Through combining research, data generation, and education, Meridith is passionate about engaging in collaborative efforts with other researchers and advocates to hold human rights violating governments accountable, particularly given the rise of technology in governments' repertoires of repression. She has several years of experience working on human rights data projects, including HRMI's Civil and Political Rights Team, measuring the right to be free from the death penalty, the Sub-National Area Repression Project (SNARP), personal data collection projects on digital repression, and an ongoing project to measure the right to privacy and other forms of digital repression.

Please contact us if you are interested in collaborating on this important new workstream.

Keep in Touch!

Thanks for your interest in HRMI. Follow us on X, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook to keep up to date between newsletters.

Get in touch with us directly with feedback, ideas, and requests. We're here to help.

Support our work

HRMI is doing incredible work with very limited resources, and we are delighted to see the global coverage, recognition, and use that our data is getting. Building on our people power and expertise, HRMI is poised to scale its global and thematic reach.

Our aim is to measure the country's performance of every human right in international law.

But we cannot do this alone. We need sustained operational funding to increase our resiliency and strengthen our capacity to ensure the continuity of the Rights Tracker, HRMI’s ground-breaking digital public good.

If you can help with suggestions of potential funders or by making a small regular donation to HRMI yourself, please get in touch by replying to this email or visiting our donations page.