The Estonian Institute of Human Rights (EIHR) is the first and oldest independent organisation in Estonia that has been systematically dealing with the protection of human rights. The Institute was established on Human Rights Day, 10 December 1992. The initiator and first patron of the Institute was President Lennart Meri. Currently, we have 40 members and a Board that directs everyday work.
The goal of the Institute of Human Rights is to collect, systematise, analyse and promote information about human rights, to increase public awareness about the field and to make proposals about how to better protect human rights in Estonia and elsewhere in the world. For achieving this, the Institute cooperates with NGOs, universities and governmental institutions, as well as organises training courses and conferences, publishes articles and reports and participates in international networks.
Our work can be divided into four main areas: education, research, international cooperation and human rights related events. In the aforementioned areas, the Institute conducts human rights related researches, undertakes international and educational projects and cooperates with several domestic and international organisations.