The Ivorian Coalition of Human Rights Defenders (CIDDH) is a network of apolitical non-confesional organisations. It was created in September 2004 when many human rights defenders were being threatened in Côte d'Ivoire. After the coup of 24 December 1999 the military junta establish violence, intimidation and arrest as the norm. The CIDDH was founded to respond to the problem of the safety of human rights defenders in Côte d’Ivoire.

CIDDH started off with 6 organisations,  of which 4 are still active today. These are Amnesty International Côte d’Ivoire, SOS EXCLUSION, Mouvement Ivoirien des Droits Humains, Association des Femmes Juristes de Côte d’Ivoire. From its creation, CIDDH has relied on the engagement of its member organisations. To this day it counts 11 member organisations working throughout the country.

Activities

In 2005, CIDDH organised a seminar about surveillance and documenting human rights violations. Since 2006 CIDDH has been monitoring the situation of human rights defenders in Côte d’Ivoire. In 2009 the CIDDH organised a seminar on the security of human rights defenders. Since 2010, the CIDDH reinforced the capacities of human rights defenders in Côte d’Ivoirein civil and political rights, economic, social and cultural rights and on mecanism for protecting human rights defenders. The CIDDH has submitted reports to the Committee of civil and political rights as well as declarations on the situation.