Supporting human rights defenders is one of the main priorities of Dutch human rights policy. In accordance with the Action Plan for Human Rights Defenders, the Netherlands supports human rights defenders in ways including the following:

-financing projects that better equip human rights defenders to do their work and that can enhance their safety; attending proceedings against human rights activists to increase pressure for fair trials;

• organising an international high-level meeting to amplify the voices of human rights defenders in international forums and their own countries;

• supporting the Shelter City initiative, which offers temporary refuge and ‘breathing space’ to human rights defenders. The Hague has been a Shelter City since March 2012. The Netherlands aims to help about a dozen human rights defenders each year by extending the initiative to more cities;

• awarding the Human Rights Tulip each year. Nominees for the prize can come from anywhere in the world. The prize has recently been redesigned to focus on highlighting and promoting creative and innovative ideas on human rights.