HREA organises trainings for a range of professionals groups, including human rights defenders, development workers, educators, legal professionals, law enforcement officials, social workers, health professionals, and journalists.

Distance Learning Programme

HREA offers specialised courses via distance education for human rights defenders and educators, development workers, and staff members of social justice organisations, international and inter-governmental organisations

In 2012 new e-learning courses will be offered on Children in War and Armed Conflicts, Derecho Internacional Humanitario and Indigenous Peoples' Rights. Other new courses will be announced later in the year.

Starting in May 2010 HREA, in collaboration with The Right to Education Project, the University for Peace Human Rights Centre and War Child Holland, offers short certificate courses via e-learning. The following courses are offered: International Trade and Human Rights: Balancing the Act, Development and Human Rights: Implications for the Globalised World, International Refugee Law and Contemporary Challenges, The Right to Education, Environment and Human Rights, Health and Human Rights, Housing Rights are Human Rights, Safeguards against Torture and Ill-Treatment and The Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Distributed Learning Programme for Human Rights Defenders

In 2006 HREA started a new long-term training programme for human rights defenders based on a "distributed" or "hybrid" learning model. The programme is based on the premise that the ideal learning model involves hands-on training, time for reading and reflection, group work, an extended engagement in the learning process, mentoring and the opportunity to apply knowledge and skills in a real-life situation and receive support and feedback.

In-House Training

HREA offers tailored in-house training for NGOs, governmental and international-governmental agencies on human rights advocacy, human rights-based programming, human rights litigation, human rights monitoring, monitoring & evaluation, and international and regional human rights mechanisms.

Rapid E-Courses on Human Rights

HREA offers short on-line courses introducing human rights topics. These rapid e-courses take between 3 and 6 hours to complete, yet are completely self-paced and thus can be spread out over days, weeks or even months depending upon the situation of the learner. The e-courses combine readings with rich multimedia, including videos and podcasts. Introductory e-courses on Human Rights in Europe, Les droits des réfugiés et des personnes déplacées, Rights of Refugees and Displaced Persons and the Rights of the Child are now available.

Specialised Human Rights Institute

The Specialised Human Rights Institute (SHRI) is an annual advanced summer training programme for staff members of NGOs and inter-governmental organisations that have a human rights mandate.