Advocacy
Firmly rooted in its core identity, the Global Albinism Alliance serves as the global voice of the albinism community, advocating for the protection and promotion of the rights of persons with albinism worldwide.
We actively support the work of the United Nations Mandate on the enjoyment of human rights by persons. We engage directly with various UN programs, agencies, and mechanisms, including the Human Rights Council and the World Health Organization. Additionally, we support the advocacy efforts of the World Skin Health Coalition and Rare Diseases International.
More broadly, we are committed to ensuring that the voice of the albinism community is heard in all relevant international forums and institutions. This includes, for example, the world of dermatology, where we have forged close links with International League of Dermatological Societies.
HRC58: Persons with albinism face widespread human rights violations
March 7th, 2025 - Antoine Gliksohn, executive director of the Global Albinism Alliance delivered a joint statement with International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) at the interactive dialogue with the Independent Expert on the rights of persons with albinism at the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council:
"Together with International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), the Global Albinism Alliance would like to thank the Independent Expert for her comprehensive reports.
Since the mandate’s establishment in 2015, it has been clearly highlighted that beyond killings and violence, persons with albinism face widespread human rights violations including barriers to access to education, healthcare, and disability accommodation. These violations occur worldwide, not only on the African continent.
The Expert has also shown that human rights defenders with albinism are a crucial yet vulnerable group, given their dual exposure to discrimination, first as individuals with albinism and second as advocates challenging systemic injustices.
We applaud the extension of the mandate on albinism adopted last April by the Human Rights Council. Indeed, while significant progress has been made over the past decade, the rights of persons with albinism remains today a serious concern throughout the world.
As the Independent Expert noted, this progress has often relied on collaboration among Member States, NGOs serving the albinism community at all levels and international allies. These collaborations will remain essential.
Today, the future of humanitarian aid is uncertain, and commitments to global equity are being abandoned. Trusted entities from the Global North are retreating. To protect past gains, we must engage member States, strengthen alliances, promote peer learning, and foster partnerships within the albinism community. Only through these efforts can we safeguard the hard won achievements of the past 10 years. In this time of adversity, let us reaffirm our commitment and move forward together with even greater resolve."
Antoine Gliksohn
Executive Director - GAA
HRC55: Renewing the mandate on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
March 6th, 2024 - In a joint statement at HRC 55, Antoine Gliksohn, executive director of the Global Albinism Alliance, stressed the importance of renewing the mandate of the Independent Expert in light of the continued attacks on persons with albinism.
In the joint statement at the interactive dialogue with the Independent Expert on the rights of persons with albinism at HRC 55, Antoine Gliksohn, executive director of the Global Albinism Alliance, stressed the importance of renewing the mandate of the Independent Expert in light of the continued attacks on persons with albinism, documented by organisations such as the Global Albinism Alliance, the Africa Albinism Network, and Standing Voice.
In the context of the renewal of the mandate, the organisations sent a joint letter to the Africa Group leading on the resolution. The letter reiterated the invaluable role the mandate played by shedding light on human rights violations against persons with albinism through groundbreaking research, country visits, and human rights training, as well as on the participation of human rights defenders with albinism to ensure that they are consulted and take part in the decision making, leading to raising visibility and awareness on the continued human rights violations against persons with albinism.
The creation of the mandate has served as a catalyst for the development of an African Union Plan of Action and various national action plans on the African continent. The organisations welcomed these and emphasised that there is much more work to be done and the renewal of the mandate is critical to the success of addressing these needs.
The organisations also welcomed, in the discussions around the resolution, the inclusion of language reflecting the important role played by ‘organisations of persons with albinism and their families’, and the reference to the role of States in collaboration with the World Health Organization, ‘to take effective measures to address the health-related effects of climate change on persons with albinism with a view to realising their right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, particularly regarding the alarming incidence of skin cancer in this population, and to implement the recommendations of the report of the Independent Expert in this regard’.
Watch the full statement above and read it here.
HRC52: UN expert on albinism calls for greater defender solidarity
March 9th, 2023 - The UN Independent Expert on the Enjoyment of Human Rights by Persons with Albinism presented the Human Rights Council with a report noting continued barriers for defenders working on albinism and calling for greater cooperation between civil society groups.
In an important reminder of the diversity of the human rights movement on the 25th anniversary of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, the UN Independent Expert on the Enjoyment of Human Rights by Persons with Albinism, Muluka-Anne Miti-Drummond, presented her latest thematic report to the 52nd session of the Human Rights Council on 9 March. In this report, she notes the barriers that defenders working on albinism often face, calls for improvements in civic space for groups working on albinism, and highlights good practices ‘to enhance the work of human rights defenders working on albinism’.
Many of her recommendations are fully aligned with those of other UN experts, including those of the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders. In practical terms, Miti-Drummond calls for improvements in the enabling environment for human rights defence; commitments to investigating attacks against defenders of the rights of persons with albinism; and stresses the need for recognition and visibility of the critical work of groups promoting the rights of persons with albinism.
She further emphasises the importance of data-gathering to better understand the particular situation of groups working on albinism, including the nature and prevalence of intimidation and attacks against them.
An additional step that the Independent Expert recommends is to ensure that human rights defenders guidelines are implemented by diplomatic missions in such a way as to prioritise partnerships between more traditional groups of defenders, and those working to advance the rights of persons with albinism. This would increase inclusion and solidarity within civil society.
These recommendations were echoed by many States and civil society actors speaking during the debate. The Global Albinism Alliance (GAA), in collaboration with ISHR, highlighted the critical importance of implementing the recommendations.
Speaking to the Council, Antoine Gliksohn of GAA reiterated the role that human rights organisations can play to fully embody principles of universality, solidarity and intersectionality in the defence of rights. This includes collaboration and knowledge-sharing, as well as visibility efforts to recognise organisations working specifically on albinism.
‘Taking these steps will have a significant impact on elevating the voices of persons with albinism and afford us greater protection of the rights to which we are entitled’, Gliksohn emphasised.
Other groups highlighted inclusive rights frameworks; the plan of action of the African Union; and reiterated the importance of understanding the challenges at a global scale.
In her concluding statement to the Council, the Independent Expert highlighted a ‘lack of knowledge about how albinism fits within human rights’, notably among defenders working themselves on albinism. This is despite significant improvements made over the past decade, in particular thanks to the efforts of her predecessor, Ikponwosa Ero. By increasing the capacity of those carrying out work ‘to speak with human rights language, and to be empowered to know that they are doing important work of promoting and protecting human rights’ there can be a ripple effect that improves rights protections for all persons with albinism.
Read the full statement here.