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Front Line Defenders or The International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders is an Irish-based human rights organisation founded in Dublin, Ireland in 2001 to protect human rights defenders at risk, i.e. those who work non-violently to uphold the human rights of others as outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Front Line has Special Consultative Status with the Social and Economic Council of the United Nations and has Observer Status with the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights. In 2006 Front Line established a European Union office in Brussels. Front Line received the King Baudouin International Development Prize in 2007.

History
The organisation was founded by Mary Lawlor, former director of the Irish Section of Amnesty International with a US $3 million donation from businessman and philanthropist Denis O'Brien. Former Irish President Mary Robinson has described it as 'Irelands first indigenous international human rights NGO'.

Founding Aims
Front Line states on its website that it was established with the specific aim of protecting human rights defenders at risk, people who work, nonviolently, for any or all of the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It also declares that it aims to address the protection needs identified by defenders themselves. In addition to this the overall goal of the organisation is described as enabling human rights defenders, as key agents of social change, to continue their work without the risk of harassment, intimidation or arrest.

Activities
Front Line Defenders is divides its work into both 'advocacy and support' for human rights defenders around the world. Its efforts in these fields resulted in the King Baudouin International Development Prize praising the 'effectiveness of their efforts to combat the isolation faced by human rights defenders around the world'.

Advocacy
Front Line's advocacy work has the aim of promoting the 'visibility and recognition of human rights defenders as a vulnerable group'. To do this the NGO lobbies governments and international organisations including various bodies of the UN and the OSCE. Front Line also collaborates with various civil society groups such as PEN International, and the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition.

Front Line successfully lobbied the Irish government to provide temporary residency to human rights defenders at immediate risk. In 2006 the organisation expanded by opening an office in Brussels with the aim of having its voice heard in the relevant European institutions and ensuring the implementation of EU Guidelines for the Protection of Human Rights.

In addition to this lobbying work Front Line has organised appeals and protests for human rights defenders at risk such as imprisoned Nobel Peace prize winner Liu Xiaobo. One campaign with extensive media coverage  has been for the release of Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, a prominent Bahraini  human rights activist and former president and co-founder of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR),  a former employee of Front Line Defenders.

Support
Front Line aims to provide what it describes as 'round the clock practical support' to human rights defenders. This generally takes the form of financial aid and a a 24 hour emergency contact system.

Protection grants form a significant proportion of the NGOs expenditure taking the form of grants given on an individual basis to human rights defenders at risk. Such grants can be used to pay for equipment such as security cameras, emergency relocation, and medical and legal costs. In addition to this several fellowships and rest and respite retreats for human rights defenders have been made available.

Workshops and seminars have also been organised by Front Line with the aim of training human rights defenders to protect themselves from risks and hazards that are related to their work. The organisation places a lot of emphasis on promoting digital security in order to allow human rights defenders to protect themselves from 'surveillance, interception of e-mails, reading of computer files, deletion or distortion of information.'

Fundraising
A full list of donors is available on the official website of Front Line. It has recieved funding from sources such as Irish, Swiss and Norwegian governments, and by charitable funds such as Atlantic Philanthropies, the Sigrid Rausing Trust,the Ireland Funds,the Denis O’Brien Foundation and Hivos

Front Line has also in past organised a series of fundraising events such as sponsored cycles. December 2012 saw the organisation of a once off fundraiser 'Voices from the Front Line' to mark International Human Rights week. It was hosted by the actor and active supporter of Front Line Martin Sheen and featured several Irish actors and musicians such as Robert Sheehan, Andrea Corr, Finbar Furey and others. Amongst the attendees of the show was Irish President Michael D. Higgins.

Front Line Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk
In 2005 this award was established, which according to the organisations website is awarded to a human rights defender 'who through non-violent work,  is  courageously making an outstanding contribution to the promotion and protection of the human rights of others, often at great personal risk to themselves'.

The recipients of this award since its inception are as follows:

2012 - Razan Ghazzawi, Syria

2011 - Joint Mobile Group, Russian Federation

2010 - Soraya Rahim Sobhrang, Afghanistan

2009 - Yuri Melini, Guatemala

2008 - Anwar al-Bunni, Syria

2007 - Gégé Katana, Democratic Republic of Congo

2006 - Ahmadjan Madmarov, Uzbekistan 2005 - Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, Sudan