The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)

What The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) does

The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) is an independent regional non-governmental organization founded in 1993/1994 by Mohamed El-Sayed Said and Bahey el-din Hassan, with the stated mission of rooting a culture of human rights in Arab societies. Headquartered across offices in Geneva (international liaison), Paris (European engagement), and Tunis (North Africa regional operations), CIHRS operates with 28 employees and engages civil society organizations, human rights defenders, journalists, and regional experts across 18+ Arab countries. The organization holds special consultative status at the UN Economic and Social Council, observer status at the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, and is a member of FIDH, IFEX, and the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Organization.

CIHRS's core programmatic portfolio includes the Tamkeen (Empowerment) Program — a 10-month semi-academic training course for Arab human rights leaders; the Tae'thir project (2023–2026) — a three-year initiative using digital and artistic practices to promote Mediterranean human rights culture with up to €3,000 grants per young artist; the monthly Ibn Rushd Salon panel discussions; and the International Advocacy Program, which engages the UN Human Rights Council, African Commission, League of Arab States, and European Parliament. Content output includes the Rowaq Arabi research periodical (since 1996), Sawasiya, Alternative Views, thematic reports, and an online publications library. There is no proprietary technology platform or software product; the underlying "technology" is content production, convening, and advocacy workflow supported by a trilingual website (Arabic, English, French) and social media channels.

The organization operates as a non-profit and earns no commercial revenue. Programs such as Tamkeen, Tae'thir, workshops, and the Ibn Rushd Salon are provided free to participants, with travel and accommodation covered by CIHRS. Funding flows primarily through international grants from governments and foundations, with disclosed donors for the Tae'thir project including the Agence française de développement, the French Interministerial Delegation for the Mediterranean, and Fondation de France. The recognized customer base spans local, regional, and international human rights NGOs, feminist organizations, trade unions, political parties, informal civil society groups, UN and EU mechanisms, government representatives, and media actors. CIHRS is recognized by the 2007 French Republic Human Rights Award and the Tamkeen alumni network of 40+ participants across previous cycles.

Name

The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)

Legal name

Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies

Website

https://cihrs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) is an independent regional non-governmental organization that promotes human rights in Arab societies through training, research, advocacy, and publications, serving civil society organizations and defenders across 18+ Arab countries via offices in Geneva, Paris, and Tunis.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Human Rights Advocacy Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311)

akta.pro primary industry

United Nations System & Specialized Agencies (BPADAAAA)

Keywords

• Human rights advocacy
• Civil society capacity building
• Human rights research publications
• International human rights mechanisms
• Human rights training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Geneva

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. International Grants and Funding: CIHRS operates as a non-profit organization funded primarily through grants and financial support from international organizations, governments, and foundations. The organization receives funding to support its human rights advocacy programs, training initiatives, and regional operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CIHRS is an independent regional non-governmental organization that promotes and roots a culture of human rights in Arab societies. It delivers research and publications, advocacy with international and regional human rights mechanisms (UN, African Commission, Arab League, EU), long-form training programs for civil society leaders, public panel discussions, and thematic campaigns. Its offerings are funded by grants and provided at no cost to beneficiaries.

Product overview

The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) operates as an independent regional non-governmental organization focused on spreading and rooting a culture of respect for human rights in Arab societies. CIHRS does not offer a unified software product but rather a portfolio of programs, platforms, and publications. Its core offerings include: the Tamkeen (Empowerment) Program — a 10-month semi-academic training program for human rights leaders; the Tae'thir Project — a 3-year arts and digital content creation initiative; the Salon Ibn Rushd — a monthly discussion platform; and the International Advocacy Program — engaging UN, African, and Arab human rights mechanisms. These are complemented by specialized publications (Rowaq Arabi, Sawaseya, Alternative Views), thematic and annual reports, training workshops, the Human Rights Dissemination Program, the Egypt Road Map Program, the Media & Human Rights Program, and the CIHRS Library. CIHRS maintains offices in Geneva, Paris, and Tunis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tamkeen Program: A ten-month participatory training program designed by CIHRS for leaders of rights organizations and individuals from across the Arab region, focusing on critical reflection and analysis of contemporary human rights issues and presenting alternative theoretical and applied counternarratives.
• Tae'thir
• Ibn Rushd Salon
• Rowaq Arabi
• Sawasiya
• Alternative Views

Products and services

• Tamkeen (Empowerment) Program A 10-month participatory training program for leaders of human rights organizations, program managers, and researchers from Arab region countries, combining lectures, workshops, and group discussions to foster critical reflection on contemporary human rights issues and present alternative theoretical and applied counternarratives.
• Tae'thir Project A 3-year program (2023–2026) promoting human rights in the Mediterranean through young people's artistic and digital practices, providing online training, mentoring cycles, and multi-stakeholder workshops in Marseille, supporting up to 11 young artists and content creators per cycle with grants of up to €3,000 each.
• Salon Ibn Rushd A monthly panel discussion platform organized by CIHRS hosting academics, researchers, and human rights advocates to discuss contemporary human rights issues in the Arab region.
• CIHRS Publications (Rowaq Arabi, Sawasiya, Alternative Views) Specialized periodicals published by CIHRS including Rowaq Arabi (Arab research periodical on human rights since 1996), Sawasiya, and Alternative Views (Ro'a Moghayera), along with thematic reports, annual reports, and educational publications covering human rights topics in Arabic and English.
• International Advocacy Program Program focused on international advocacy for human rights in Arab countries, engaging with the UN Human Rights Council, the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, the League of Arab States, the European Parliament, and other regional and international mechanisms.
• Human Rights Education Program Program offering training courses, workshops, alumni networks, and educational publications aimed at building capacity in human rights knowledge and advocacy across the Arab region.
• Human Rights Dissemination Program Program focused on spreading human rights culture through Annual Regional Forums and the Ibn Rushd Salon, facilitating public dialogue and knowledge exchange on human rights issues.
• Egypt / Road Map Program Program dedicated to monitoring and advocating for human rights in Egypt, including position papers, round tables, public lectures, and statements on the human rights situation.
• Media & Human Rights Program Program addressing the intersection of media and human rights, producing statements, reports, and training workshops on media-related human rights issues.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 40 participants trained through Tamkeen program across previous cycles
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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.

• Réseau Euromed France (REF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023Lead partner in the Tae'thir project consortium, working on promoting human rights through artistic and digital practices of young people in the Mediterranean. The project was launched in September 2023 in Marseille for a 3-year period.
• Les Instants vidéo numériques et poétiquescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023Cultural partner in the Tae'thir project consortium, contributing expertise in digital and poetic video arts. Partner in organizing the annual Instants Video Festival in Marseille where project outputs are showcased.
• Ligue de l'enseignement des Bouches du RhônecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023Education partner in the Tae'thir consortium, working on issues linked to defense of human rights, promotion of active citizenship, and access to art and culture.
• Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIHRS is a member of this regional human rights network covering the Euro-Mediterranean area.
• International Network for the Exchange of Information on Freedom of Opinion and Expression (IFEX)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIHRS is a member of this international network focused on freedom of expression and opinion.
• International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIHRS is a member of FIDH, a prominent international human rights federation.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Amnesty International: Amnesty is a global HR NGO with significant MENA programming and UN advocacy. It competes with CIHRS for donor attention and UN influence, though its scope is far broader than CIHRS's Arab region focus.
• Human Rights Watch: HRW is a much larger global human rights organization that publishes extensive country reports on MENA states. While broader in scope than CIHRS, both engage UN mechanisms and produce Arabic-language research for overlapping audiences in the Arab region.

Direct peers

• Front Line Defenders: Front Line Defenders is an Ireland-based international organization protecting HR defenders, with significant MENA programming. Both CIHRS and FLD support HR defenders across the Arab region and engage with UN mechanisms.
• Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN): EMHRN is a network of HR organizations covering the Euro-Mediterranean area in which CIHRS is a member. Both organizations work on EU-Mediterranean policy advocacy and share donor relationships with European institutions.
• Article 19: Article 19 is a London-based international HR organization focused on freedom of expression. It engages in similar UN mechanism advocacy and has overlapping MENA programming with CIHRS, particularly on press freedom.
• Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR): EIPR is a Cairo-based independent HR organization focused on Egypt. Both operate in the Egyptian HR space, produce Arabic-language research, and face similar operational constraints from Egyptian authorities.
• MENA Rights Group: MENA Rights Group is a Geneva-based HR organization focused on the MENA region. Both CIHRS and MENA Rights Group operate from Geneva, focus on MENA advocacy, and engage the same UN and European mechanisms.
• IFEX (International Freedom of Expression Exchange): IFEX is a global network of freedom of expression organizations in which CIHRS is a member. Both coordinate advocacy on press freedom and expression issues affecting MENA journalists and activists.
• International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH): FIDH is a Paris-based international human rights federation of which CIHRS is a member. Both organizations advocate through UN and regional mechanisms and operate across MENA, sharing target audiences, methodology, and donor pools.
• Arab Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI): ANHRI is a Cairo-based regional HR organization focused on freedom of expression in the Arab world. Both produce Arabic-language HR content and share the Egyptian operational context.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cihrs_alerts
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCrN3LooHJoFIP9lmAu1YRFw
• Facebookfacebook.com/CIHRS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cairo-institute-for-human-rights-studies-cihrs-
• Instagraminstagram.com/cihrs_org

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)