For more than half a decade, the Global Centre has been at the forefront of civil society efforts to drive international action on crimes against humanity occurring in Venezuela. By working in close partnership with Venezuelan civil society organizations and human rights defenders, the Global Centre has advocated for UN investigations into crimes against humanity in Venezuela and mobilized cross-regional support for a coordinated response to the country’s multidimensional crisis through an atrocity prevention lens.

Venezuela has now entered a period of profound uncertainty following the United States unlawful military assault on Venezuela and the capture of Nicolás Maduro on 3 January 2026. In the wake of this intervention, on 22 January the Global Centre convened more than 80 senior diplomats and decision-makers from all regions, serving in capitals and in Geneva, New York, Brussels, Washington, D.C., Bogotá and Caracas, for a confidential briefing with human rights defenders on the situation in Venezuela. The briefing underscored the critical role of the international community, including key Latin American governments, the European Union and other cross-regional states, in establishing enforceable benchmarks on human rights protection, atrocity prevention, accountability, humanitarian access and the restoration of the rule of law. The breadth of participation reflected widespread recognition that the current moment entails serious risks, while also presenting a fragile but vital opportunity for change.

Sustained Advocacy for the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela

In 2019 the Global Centre launched an extensive advocacy campaign ahead of the UN Human Rights Council’s (HRC) 42nd session. The goal was to establish an HRC-mandated investigative mechanism to document atrocity crimes in Venezuela and identify perpetrators. This campaign included:

• • • Confidential briefings for more than 40 cross-regional states.
    • Joint NGO policy briefs and extensive bilateral advocacy in Geneva and capitals.
    • A public HRC side event organized with Venezuelan human rights defenders.

These efforts were instrumental in the adoption of a resolution in September 2019 that established the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela (FFM). The FFM was mandated to investigate serious human rights violations and contribute to accountability for victims.

Following the establishment of the FFM, the Global Centre has sustained its advocacy efforts to ensure the renewal of the FFM’s mandate. This includes through regular engagement with foreign ministries, regional bodies such as the European Union, and many cross-regional delegations in Geneva. As a result of these efforts, the FFM’s mandate was successfully renewed in 2020 and 2022, ensuring sustained international attention towards the crisis and investigations into atrocity crimes in Venezuela.

In 2024 the Global Centre’s Geneva Representative traveled to Caracas, engaging with cross-regional embassies and senior UN officials to bolster support for the FFM. This advocacy was crucial in security the FFM’s renewal for another two years in September 2024.

Advocacy Ahead of the FFM’s 2026 Mandate Renewal

Amid the evolving political landscape, the Global Centre has sustained its engagement at the HRC to ensure that the situation in Venezuela remains a priority for the international community and that the FFM is able to continue its vital work.

During the HRC’s 60th session in 2025, when no resolution on Venezuela was under consideration, the Global Centre worked to ensure that the crisis remained on the Council’s agenda by facilitating bilateral engagement between Venezuelan human rights defenders and Permanent Missions in Geneva, and encouraging member states to raise the concerns of Venezuelan civil society during the interactive dialogue with the FFM.

Following the events of January 2026, the Global Centre undertook extensive advocacy ahead of the HRC’s 61st session. This included a series of confidential briefings with Venezuelan human rights defenders for the core group of states leading the HRC resolution on Venezuela, as well as for European Union member states, alongside dedicated engagement between Venezuelan defenders and the Geneva-based NGO community. During the HRC’s 62nd session, the Global Centre convened additional briefings with Venezuelan human rights defenders for the core group and a broad range of cross-regional supportive states.

Ahead of HRC63, the Global Centre compiled a confidential, comprehensive strategy document on the FFM’s renewal and negotiation process for the core group and supportive cross-regional delegations. Elisabeth Pramendorfer, the Global Centre’s Venezuela expert, wrote a commentary titled, “The Right Tool for the Moment: Venezuela, Political Transition and the Case for Renewing the FFM.” The commentary examines why independent investigative mechanisms such as the FFM remain essential during political transitions and argues that continued independent scrutiny can help distinguish declared reforms from meaningful change, monitor evolving atrocity risks, preserve institutional memory and provide an evidentiary basis for diplomatic action.

On 16 September 2026 the Global Centre co-hosted a side event, “The Urgent Need to Renew the Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela,” bringing together stakeholders to discuss the case for continued independent monitoring.

Supporting Venezuelan Human Rights Defenders

The Global Centre works as part of a coalition of more than 20 Venezuelan civil society organizations, providing sustained strategic advice and ensuring that its advocacy is informed by the priorities and risk assessments of Venezuelan partners.

Alongside mobilizing political support for the FFM’s mandate renewal, the Global Centre has regularly engaged with members of the FFM to ensure that its investigations are as effective as possible. The Chair of the FFM, Marta Valiñas, has also spoken at various Global Centre events focusing on HRC-mandated investigative mechanisms in atrocity prevention. This includes our annual training workshop for diplomats on these mechanisms and a March 2022 event on institutionalizing a gender lens in their work.

The Global Centre has also consistently supported open letters, public appeals and calls to action as part of a large coalition of Venezuelan, regional and international civil society organizations with the aim of revitalizing international engagement on Venezuela’s crisis. We also routinely connect Venezuelan human rights defenders with Geneva-based diplomats.

The Global Centre’s Venezuela expert, Elisabeth Pramendorfer, has been a prominent voice on Venezuela’s atrocity crisis, speaking at public events and HRC side events. Her contributions have focused on several key issues, including:

• • • The role of women and the gender dimensions of Venezuela’s crisis.
    • Venezuela’s lack of cooperation with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
    • The relevance of the FFM and OHCHR in documenting atrocity crimes, including the significance of FFM findings for ICC proceedings.
    • The link between Venezuela’s human rights and humanitarian crisis.

She has also been interviewed on a series of podcasts about Venezuela’s ongoing crisis, including by the Center for Strategic and International Studies and “State of Venezuela.” She has published a series of articles on the impact and importance of the FFM’s investigations, and on how UN member states should use its work to prevent the recurrence of atrocity crimes.

Contributions to Regional Atrocity Prevention

In 2024 the Global Centre published an Occasional Paper examining atrocity risks across Latin America and the Caribbean, focusing on Venezuela, Nicaragua and El Salvador. The paper analyzed successes and failures in identifying warning signs of atrocity risks in Venezuela, and regional and multilateral responses to the country’s crisis. It concluded with recommendations for governments in the region to strengthen their atrocity prevention capacities and identify gaps and opportunities to address atrocity risks at home.