World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT): Consultation on Gen-Z/Youth-activists and Youth-led movements

Throughout the years, the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) intensified its efforts to protect human rights defenders worldwide, in a context marked by escalating repression, shrinking civic space, restrictive legislation, and severe cuts in funding for civil society. We combine advocacy, documentation, and monitoring, including country visits and engagement with international and regional mechanisms across all regions, to support defenders at risk.

The year 2025 has been marked by a surge in Gen Z-led mass protests and other forms of youth-led movements. Across regions, these powerful mobilisations have been met with severe repression, including acts of torture and ill-treatment. OMCT aims to better understand who youth activists are, the nature of their engagement, and the challenges they face. It also seeks to identify how OMCT, alongside other civil society actors, regional/international bodies, and States, can more effectively support this new civic generation in exercising their right to defend human rights.

To initiate this process, OMCT is launching a global consultation targeting members of youth-led organisations and non-affiliated individuals who identify as youth activists. The survey relies on respondents’ own understanding of “youth” and intentionally does not impose a strict age limit.

The information collected will inform OMCT’s future work. The results contained in any future report will be based on aggregated data. Measures will be taken to anonymize the information, ensuring that individual participants cannot be identified. All analysis will reflect collective trends rather than individual identities. Selected human rights defenders who consent to be contacted may be invited to participate in follow-up discussions/webinars.

Questionnaire is available here : https://ee-eu.kobotoolbox.org/x/KTL3GHKx in English, French and Spanish. The deadline to complete it is June 13. For further information, or if you want to submit your inputs in another language, please contact: ole@omct.org.