The Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) is a non-stock, non-profit alliance duly registered under the laws of the Philippines, with SEC No. ANO92-03505.  It was established on August 9, 1986 in a Congress that was participated in by more than a hundred organizations from all over the Philippines.  It was formed as an alliance of individuals, institutions and organizations committed to the promotion, protection and realization of human rights in the Philippines.

Among its founding members are organizations and individuals who were in the forefront of the struggle against the dictatorial regime of former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos.  The establishment of PAHRA was a consolidation of the human rights movement in the country and an acknowledgement of the role played by the human rights organizations in the anti-dictatorship struggle.  It was recognition of the need for a formal venue for cooperation and coordination among human rights groups in the country.  From its founding, PAHRA has consistently been in the forefront of struggle for human rights. Today, it has established itself not only as one of the major human rights formations but as one of the leading voices in human rights advocacy in the Philippines.  Through its initiative, the Philippine Declaration of Human and People’s Rights was adopted in December 1993 during the Human Rights Summit, which PAHRA convened.  Such Declaration led to the adoption of The Human and Peoples’ Rights Declaration of the Philippines, which is meant to be the contribution of the Philippines to the long-envisioned ASEAN Human Rights Declaration.

Also, PAHRA is the sole civil society representative in the Philippine Government’s Presidential Human Rights Committee (PHRC), and is an affiliate of the International Federation of Human Rights Leagues (FIDH).  It is also a member of regional organizations like the Asian Forum of Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), and the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL).