Human Rights Consortium

What Human Rights Consortium does

Human Rights Consortium is a Northern Ireland-based non-profit coalition that aggregates collective civil society action on human rights, uniting 165+ member organisations across the region under a single advocacy umbrella. Registered as a charity (NIC101538) and a company (NI611533), the organisation is headquartered in Belfast at Community House, 6A Albert Street, operates with a small core staff of 1-10 employees, and is led by Director Kevin Hanratty. Its work centres on protecting and advancing human rights frameworks relevant to Northern Ireland, including the Human Rights Act 1998, the European Convention on Human Rights, the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, and Article 2 of the Windsor Framework.

Its portfolio combines policy advocacy (Human Rights Act defence; the Make Our Future Fair Bill of Rights sub-brand), capacity-building programmes (the Article 2 of Windsor Framework training launched in May 2025 with Queen's University Belfast and Newcastle University), the annual Northern Ireland Human Rights Festival (run each December since 2012), and rapid-response webinars plus publications. There is no proprietary technology product; the consortium functions as an advocacy and training platform that aggregates member voices for engagement with the Northern Ireland Executive, UK and Irish government departments, international human rights mechanisms, and the media. Its underlying 'infrastructure' is the relationships with member organisations, academic institutions, and governmental interlocutors rather than software or data assets.

The business model is a charitable hybrid: recurring membership subscriptions from 165+ civil society organisations plus grants from government and international funders (notably the Department of Foreign Affairs Reconciliation Fund, which funds the Article 2 training programme) and donations. Services — training, resources, the festival, and webinars — are delivered free to civil society users, with no pricing model in the commercial sense. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. The consortium's go-to-market is community-led advocacy and coalition building, executed through the Northern Ireland Joint Forum and Partnership Agreement processes, regional press, social channels (BillofRightsNI on Facebook and X), and event programming; geographic scope is concentrated in Northern Ireland, with a recent extension into cross-border advocacy with partners in the Republic of Ireland.

Name

Human Rights Consortium

Legal name

Human Rights Consortium

Website

https://humanrightsconsortium.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Human Rights Consortium is a Belfast-based non-profit coalition of 165+ civil society organisations that advances human rights in Northern Ireland through policy advocacy, training programmes, and the annual Human Rights Festival.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Human Rights Advocacy Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Human Rights Monitoring, Documentation & Advocacy (BPADAGAK)

Keywords

• Human rights advocacy
• Civil society coalition
• Policy advocacy
• Human rights training
• Rights protection campaigns

Headquarters

HQ city

Belfast

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees and Grants: The Human Rights Consortium operates as a civil society coalition funded through membership fees from its 165+ member organisations and grants from government departments and international bodies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Human Rights Consortium is a coalition of more than 165 civil society organisations in Northern Ireland that delivers policy advocacy, training, and public engagement services to protect and advance human rights standards. Its principal offerings include the annual Northern Ireland Human Rights Festival, the Article 2 of the Windsor Framework training programme, the Make Our Future Fair Bill of Rights campaign, Human Rights Act advocacy, downloadable research and policy publications, and rapid-response webinars. All services are provided free of charge to civil society organisations.

Product overview

The Human Rights Consortium is a coalition of over 165 civil society organisations from across Northern Ireland. The consortium operates as a unified advocacy body rather than a product platform, offering a portfolio of services including the annual Northern Ireland Human Rights Festival, Article 2 Windsor Framework Training, policy advocacy for the Human Rights Act, the Make Our Future Fair Bill of Rights campaign, downloadable resources and publications, and educational webinars and events. These offerings work together to promote, protect, and advance human rights standards in Northern Ireland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Make Our Future Fair: Campaign dedicated to achieving a strong and inclusive Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland

Products and services

• Article 2 Windsor Framework Training Programme Specialised training programme designed for civil society groups in Northern Ireland providing comprehensive guidance on the implications of Article 2 of the Windsor Framework, helping participants identify potential breaches of rights, understand legal mechanisms available for addressing breaches, and effectively advocate for equality and safeguards.
• Northern Ireland Human Rights Festival (NIHRF) Annual week-long festival held each December around Human Rights Day (10 December), celebrating and protecting human rights and providing a platform for individuals across all communities to actively consider and participate in human rights issues and discussions.
• Human Rights Act Advocacy Programme Advocacy work focused on the Human Rights Act 1998, which incorporated the European Convention on Human Rights into Northern Ireland law, raising awareness of how the Act positively influences rights protection and campaigning against threats to the Act.
• Rapid-Response Webinars and Educational Events Rapid-response webinars and educational events on current human rights issues, such as the Dillon Supreme Court case webinar with Queen's University Belfast Human Rights Centre and the ECHR at a Crossroads event with Free Legal Advice Centres (FLAC).
• Human Rights Resources and Policy Publications Downloadable resources including research reports, briefings, conference reports, and policy submissions on human rights issues affecting Northern Ireland, covering the Human Rights Act, Brexit impacts, the Windsor Framework, and the EU Pay Transparency Directive.

Quantifiable outcome

• Coordinated 90+ organisations in joint letter to UK and Irish Governments on ECHR protections
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and key.

• Queen's University Belfast Human Rights CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 May 2026The Human Rights Consortium collaborates with Queen's University Belfast Human Rights Centre on webinars and training programmes. This partnership provides academic expertise and research capacity for human rights analysis, including rapid response webinars on legal cases such as the Dillon Supreme Court judgment.
• Free Legal Advice Centres (FLAC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Collaboration with FLAC (Republic of Ireland) on ECHR advocacy and the Chișinău Process campaign. Jointly hosted webinars and coordinated civil society response to proposed changes to ECHR protections.
• Save Our HRA CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025Member of the Save Our HRA coalition including Amnesty, Liberty, Disability Action, and other groups, working collectively to defend the Human Rights Act and ECHR.
• Joint Forum (Northern Ireland)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2025The Human Rights Consortium was deeply involved in the Joint Forum for over three years, helping shape the Partnership Agreement between government and the community and voluntary sector in Northern Ireland.
• Department for Communities (Northern Ireland)keyOthers · 9 September 2025Government department responsible for the Partnership Agreement with civil society. The Department has committed to exploring legislative options to place the Agreement on a statutory footing.
• Newcastle UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2025Partnership with Newcastle University for delivery of Article 2 of Windsor Framework training programme. Legal academics from Newcastle University contribute to training civil society organisations on the legal mechanisms available under the Windsor Framework.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Free Legal Advice Centres (FLAC): Republic of Ireland civil society legal advocacy organisation. HRC's named partner on ECHR and Chișinău Process advocacy, with shared focus on rights protection in the island of Ireland context.
• Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA): Infrastructure body for the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland and a Joint Forum partner of HRC. Comparable as a civil-society coalition with overlapping membership and policy engagement role.
• Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ): CAJ is a leading independent human rights NGO in Northern Ireland working on civil liberties, policing, criminal justice, and ECHR advocacy. It is the closest direct peer to HRC in mission, geography, and advocacy style.
• British Institute of Human Rights: UK charity dedicated to promoting awareness and implementation of human rights law, including Human Rights Act training for civil society. Closely comparable mission to HRC's training and advocacy workstreams.
• Disability Action: Northern Ireland disability rights organisation and fellow Save Our HRA coalition member. Comparable as a rights-focused civil society organisation operating in the same NI advocacy ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Amnesty International UK: National UK human rights organisation operating a broad portfolio of campaigns, research, and advocacy including on the Human Rights Act and ECHR. Overlaps with HRC on the Save Our HRA coalition and broader rights agenda.
• Liberty (NCCL): UK-wide civil liberties and human rights organisation campaigning on the Human Rights Act, protest rights, and state surveillance. Co-member of the Save Our HRA coalition alongside HRC.
• Human Rights Watch: Global human rights organisation that conducts research and advocacy on ECHR and UK rights issues. Comparable in core advocacy mission though at vastly greater scale and geographic scope.

Regional players

• Scottish Human Rights Commission: Independent national human rights institution for Scotland, comparable in role and function to the civil-society advocacy space HRC occupies in Northern Ireland.
• Equality Commission for Northern Ireland: Statutory body responsible for enforcing equality and anti-discrimination law in Northern Ireland. Operates in adjacent rights territory in the same geography as HRC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BillofRightsNI
• YouTubevimeo.com/humanrightsconsortium
• Facebookfacebook.com/billofrightsni
• Instagraminstagram.com/humanrightsconsortium

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Human Rights Consortium