The Estonian Institute of Human Rights is the first independent human rights organisation in Estonia. It has been actively and systematically engaged in the protection of human rights since the re-independence of Estonia. Established on 10 December 1992, Human Rights Day, it was initiated by President of Estonia, Lennart Meri.

Our mission is the advancement of human rights studies and raising awareness of human rights and connected issues in Estonia and around the world. With our annual conferences, we strive to expand new views in the field of human rights, where cultural differences abound and value systems are different and often opposing. Our chosen subjects reflect important events happening in our global society.

Does the human rights debate in its contemporary form help the advancement of democratic ideas? Or has the rhetoric of human rights become a defence for forces ignoring them? A justification for funnelling freedom of speech and the domination of an aggressive minority over a silenced majority?

Every year, our Annual Conference brings together over 300 people: activists, politicians, diplomats, government officials, journalists, analysts and experts from over thirty countries.

Among others, our conference has hosted Madeleine K. Albright, Vagn Joensen, Cuno Jakob Tarfusser, Richard Barrett, Dr Quirine Eijkman, Mustafa Qadri, Kalev H. Leetaru, Artjom Troitski, Stephen J. Rapp, Gentian Zyberi, Riina Kionka, Dunja Mijatovic, Thomas Zerdick, Malavika Jayaram, David Mothander , Douglas Davidson, Anja Mihr, Christopher McCrudden, Mustafa Džemilev, Marriët Schuurman, Galina Timtšenko, Dalee Sambo Doroug, Maria  Makejeva, Lauri Mälksoo, Dmitri Muratov and others.

The patron of the conference is The President of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves.

From 2013 til 2015, Estonia is a member of the Human Rights Council of the UN. We are happy to play a role in Estonia leading the international human rights debate.

SPEAKERS ON PREVIOUS YEARS

Madeleine Albright
Kersti Kaljulaid
Toomas Hendrik Ilves
Mustafa Džemilev
Ph.D. Ülle Madise
Nina Khrushcheva
Mikhail Khodorkovsky
Peter C. Baker
Andy Carvin
Ph.D. Koldo Casla
Ashur Sargon Eskrya
Vsevolod Chaplin
Urve Eslas
Ph.D. Peter Fussey
Bibiana García
Vootele Hansen
Hille Hanso
Robert Ilatov
Siim Kallas
Ph.D. Anna-Maria Osula
Josh Lyons
Rouba Mhaissen
David Patrikarakos
Panu Pihkala
Ph.D. Eva Piirimäe
Peeter Selg
Toomas Tiivel
Peter Veit
Ph.D. Santiago Zabala
Karolis Žibas
Jens Ole Bach Hansen
Sergei Badamshin
Prof Ph.D Alison Brysk
Giovanni Buttarelli
Jean- Yves Camus
John Dalhuisen
Raivo Aeg
Helen Eenmaa-Dimitrieva
Aleksei Gaskarov
Luukas Ilves
Evelyn Kaldoja
Prof Leonhard Lapin
Raimonda Murmokaitė
Eiki Nestor
Mart Nutt
Liisa Pakosta
Pasi Patokallio
Vesselin Popov
Nina Reiners
Olga Shorina
Paul Teesalu
Harri Tiido
Hannes Vallikivi
Raivo Vare
Ben Wagner
Julian Burger
Jonathan Cristol
David Griffiths
Jeff Jarvis
Ivo Juurvee
Katre Luhamaa
Jacob Mchangama
Daniel Mitov
Mojca Pajnik
Nele Parrest
Paul Przemyslaw Polanski
Heiko Pääbo
Chandra Roy-Henriksen
Matti Saarelainen
Ivar Tallo
David Vseviov
François Zimeray
Eva-Maria Asari
Maksim Gorjunov
Thella Johnson
Martin Bak Jørgensen
Ivan Makarov
Tuomas Martikainen
Georgii Pocheptsov
Raul Rebane
Dominique Reynié
Thilo Sarrazin
Tõnis Stamberg
Jelizaveta Surnacheva
Tiit Tammaru
Maria Baronova
Juri Butusov
Dmitry Dedov
Ina Druviete
Sergei Badamshin
Pavel Gontsharov
Daniel loniţă
Marina Kaljurand
Andrii Lysenko
Zhanna Nemtsova
Julia Laffranque
Maxim Tucker
Riina Kaljurand
Refat Chubarov
Katja Koort
Josep Soler-Carbonell
Indrek Treufeldt
András Sajó
Kristina Kallas
Tiit Matsulevits
Mart Rannut
Aimar Ventsel
Knutsson Knutsson
Anna Verschik
Simon Davies
Laura Reed
Pille Pruulmann-Vengerfeldt
Katrin Laas-Mikko
Katrin Nyman-Metcalf
Christopher McCrudden
Marriet Schuurman
Urmas Reinsalu
Mary O’Hagan
Andres Parmas
Lauri Mälksoo
Dalee Sambo Dorough
Pavel Sulyandziga
Valentina Sovkina
Dmitrii Harakka-Zaitcev
Oliver Loode
Galina Timchenko
Maria Makeeva
Dmitri Muratov
Jüri Maloverjan
Karin Reivart
Erik Salumäe
Philippe Jourdan
Mart Laanemäe
Annabelle Chapman
Vagn Joensen
Cuno Jakob Tarfusser
Tiina Intelmann
Vuk Jeremić
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Pavel Gontsharov
Kalev H. Leetaru
Richard Barrett
Vivian Loonela
Quirine Eijkman
Mustafa Qadri
Riina Kionka
Tanya Lokshina
Artyom Troitsky
Mall Hellam
Ahmed Samih Farag
Jüri Seilenthal
Vytis Jurkonis
Jeffrey England
Anna Sevortian
Hanno Pevkur
Karin Reivart
Stephen J. Rapp
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Gentian Zyberi
Jeffrey D. Levine
Riina Kionka
Dunja Mijatovic
Thomas Zerdick
Malavika Jayaram
David Mothander
Frank Johansson
Douglas Davidson
Anja Mihr
Hannes Hanso
Tunne Kelam
Konstantin Zamjatin
Evhen Tsybulenko
Piotr Hlebowicz
Enn Tarto
Veiko Veiko Spolitis