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Organisations that campaign globally for human rights and the rule of law
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- International Human Rights Courts
- International Court of Justice (ICJ-CIJ) (Cour internationale de Justice) (The Hague, Netherlands) - principal judicial organ of the
United Nations which is tasked with settling the legal disputes submitted to it by States in accordance with international law,
and providing advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by duly authorized international organs and agencies
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- Human Rights and The Law
- Canadian Council on International Law (CCIL) (Ottawa, Canada) - independent, non-partisan entity that seeks to promote the
study and analysis of international legal issues by university scholars, government lawyers, practitioners and students
- Center For Justice and Accountability (CJA) (San Francisco, USA) - works to deter torture and other severe human rights
abuses around the world by helping survivors hold the perpetrators accountable, representing survivors in civil suits against
perpetrators who live in or visit the United States and pioneering an integrated approach to the quest for justice that combines
legal representation with referrals for needed medical and psychosocial services, and outreach to schools, community
organizations and the general public
- International Centre for the Legal Protection of Human Rights (InterRights) (London) - provides technical advice and assistance
to strengthen capacity and develop jurisprudence in Africa, the Commonwealth, Central and Eastern Europe and South Asia,
and aims to improve legal protection of certain key rights worldwide through development of jurisprudence, strengthening relevant
mechanisms and providing education and training
- International Commission of Jurists (CIJL) (Geneva, Switzerland) - commission of sixty eminent jurists representing the different
legal systems of the world which provides legal expertise at both the international and national levels to ensure that
developments in international law adhere to human rights principles and that international standards are implemented at the
national level
- International Criminal Defence Attorneys Association (ICDAA) (Washington, DC and The Hague) - assists in the development of
international criminal law and bolstering the legitimacy of international institutions such as the International Criminal Court (ICC)
by ensuring a professional defence for persons tried before such international tribunals
- International Development Law Institute (IDLI) (Rome, Italy) - designs and conducts practice-oriented training for legal
professionals in the developing world
- International Human Rights Law Group (IHRLG) (Washington, DC) - non-profit organization of human rights and legal
professionals from over 20 countries engaged in advocacy, strategic human rights lawyering and training around the world,
whose mission is to empower local advocates to expand the scope of human rights protections and to promote broad
participation in building human rights standards and procedures at the national, regional and international levels
- and resources, cultural integrity, and the right to development
- International Law Students Association (ILSA) (Washington, DC) - non-profit association of students and young lawyers
dedicated to the study and promotion of international law, supplementing the traditional approach to legal education with
opportunities for study, research and career networking which concentrates on international and transnational law
- Lawyers Committee for Human Rights (LCHR) (New York, NY) - works in the U.S. and abroad to create a secure and humane
world by advancing justice, human dignity and respect for the rule of law, supporting human rights activists who fight for basic
freedoms and peaceful change at the local level, protecting refugees in flight from persecution and repression, promoting fair
economic practices by creating safeguards for workers' rights, and helping build a strong international system of justice and
accountability for the worst human rights crimes
- Lawyers Without Borders (Hartford, CT, USA) - non-profit organization whose goal is to engage the legal profession, on a global
basis to support capacity building of NGO's worldwide, to advance Rule of Law, to protect the integrity of legal process through
neutral observation, offer support to lawyers in the field and serve as a law oriented clearinghouse linking needs with the legal
resources to meet them
- Open Society Justice Initiative (USA, Hungary, and Nigeria) - operational program of the Open Society Institute which promotes
rights-based law reform, builds knowledge and strengthens legal capacity worldwide through projects that seek to shape law
reform policy, litigation and legal advice, knowledge dissemination and network building, and counsel to donor institutions
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- Databases and other Information Sources
- DIANA (University of Cincinatti Law School, OH, USA) - consortium for establishment of an international human rights database
to commemorate the pioneering work of Diana Vincent-Daviss
- Human Rights Web - information on human rights emergencies, the history of human rights and the major players in the human
rights movement
- Inter Press Service (IPS) Human Rights - information on global issues, backed by a network of journalists in more than 100
countries
- Universal Rights Network - meeting place for the peoples of the world to tell their stories of the importance to us all of universal
human rights
- University of Minnesota Human Rights Library (USA) - wide-ranging collection of human rights documents and web links, as well
as a general overview of international human rights documentation
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HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANISATIONS
- General
- Amnesty International (London) - worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights
- Advocacy Project (Washington, DC) - non-profit organization formed to serve the needs of civil society, particularly community
based advocates for peace and human rights, with special attention given to helping new networks become self sufficient in the
use of information and communications technologies
- Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR) (Brooklyn, NY, USA) - promotes social justice through human rights, working
with social scientists and local partners in affected communities to document rights violations, advocate for changes in policies
that impoverish and exploit people, and mobilize grassroots pressure for social change, and challenging economic injustice as a
violation of international human rights law
- Derechos Human Rights (Madrid, Spain) - works for the respect and promotion of human rights throughout the world, by
disseminating human rights related information and analysis through the internet and other media, promoting the prosecution of
human rights violators, and the supporting local human rights NGOs and activists
- Advocacy Project (Washington DC) - non-profit organisation that help advocates working on the front lines for social justice,
peace and human rights
- Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) (San Francisco, USA) - non-profit group of lawyers, volunteers, and visionaries who work to
defend the right to think, speak, and share ideas, thoughts and needs using new technologies, such as the Internet
- Global Exchange (San Francisco, USA) - international human rights organization dedicated to promoting environmental, political
and social justice by increasing the US public's global awareness and building partnerships worldwide
- Human Rights Education Associates (HREA) (Amsterdam, Netherlands) - international non-governmental organisation that
supports human rights learning, the training of activists and professionals, the development of educational materials and
programming, and community-building through on-line technologies
- Human Rights Internet (HRI) (Ottawa, Canada) - works to advance human rights through the sharing of knowledge, expertise,
information, education and training, and by promoting civil society and networking as well as cooperation between NGOs
- Human Rights Watch (HRW) (New York, NY) - independent, nongovernmental organization, supported by contributions from
private individuals and foundations worldwide, which stands with victims and activists to prevent discrimination, to uphold
political freedom, to protect people from inhumane conduct in wartime, and to bring offenders to justice
- International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development (ICHRDD) (Canada) - non-partisan organisation created by
the Canadian Parliament to foster human rights and democratic development around the world and to work with citizens' groups
and governments to promote human and democratic rights, as defined in the International Bill of Human Rights
- International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA) (Versoix, Switzerland) - global network of human rights, humanitarian, and
development NGOs, which focuses its information exchange and advocacy efforts primarily on humanitarian affairs and refugee
issues
- International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF-HR) (Vienna) - non-governmental, not-for-profit association of 39 Helsinki
Committees and cooperating organizations in the Balkans, Central Asia, the Caucasus, Europe and North America which seeks
to promote compliance of member states of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) with the human
rights provisions to which they committed themselves in the Helsinki Final Act and its Follow-up Documents, as well as with
relevant international law
- International League for Human Rights (ILHR) (New York, NY) - works to keep human rights at the forefront of international
affairs and to give meaning and effect to the human rights values enshrined in international human rights treaties and
conventions, defending individual human rights advocates who have risked their lives to promote the ideals of a just and civil
society in their homelands
- International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) (Geneva) - offers human rights defenders, from all around the world, analytical
studies and reports on international human rights law and mechanisms, training on how to use the international norms and
procedures, strategic advice for effective lobbying, practical information and logistical support to enable human rights defenders
to take full advantage of international human rights law and procedures, and protection from violations of their rights
- Lawyers Committee for Human Rights (LCHR) (New York, NY) - works in the United States and abroad to create a secure and
humane world by advancing justice, human dignity and respect for the rule of law, by supporting human rights activists who fight
for basic freedoms and peaceful change at the local level, by protecting refugees in flight from persecution and repression, by
promoting fair economic practices and creating safeguards for workers' rights, and by helping to build a strong international
system of justice and accountability for the worst human rights crimes
- OneWorld International Foundation (OWIF) (London) - governing body of the OneWorld network and the guardian of OneWorld's
vision of a world where resources are shared fairly and sustainably, where human rights are nurtured and protected, and where
democratic governance structures enable people to shape their own lives
- People's Movement for Human Rights Education (PDHRE) (New York, NY) - organizes and facilitates transformative, holistic
human rights learning at the grassroots level worldwide
- Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) (Boston, USA) - promotes health by protecting human rights, using medical and scientific
methods to investigate and expose violations of human rights worldwide and working to stop them, supporting institutions that
hold perpetrators of human rights abuses accountable for their actions, educating health professionals and medical, public
health and nursing students and organizing them to become active in supporting a movement for human rights, and creating a
culture of human rights in the medical and scientific professions
- Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) (Los Angeles, USA) - international Jewish human rights organization dedicated to preserving
the memory of the Holocaust by fostering tolerance and understanding through community involvement, educational outreach
and social action, and by confronting important contemporary issues including racism, antisemitism, terrorism and genocide
- Social Justice Committee (SJC) (Montreal, Canada) - recognises the root, global causes of poverty, social injustice, and
environmental degradation, recognises the links between these problems, global corporate and financial institutions, and
governments in the North and South, and educates the public about these issues
- UN Watch (Geneva, Switzerland) - non-governmental organization whose mandate is to monitor the performance of the United
Nations by the yardstick of its Charter, and which aims to promote a balanced, fair, and non-discriminatory application of the
U.N. Charter and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms regardless of race, gender, culture, language, or religion
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- Children
- Child Rights Information Network (CRIN) (UK) - works to improve children's lives by meeting the information needs of child rights
organisations and helping to implement the Convention on the Rights of the Child
- Children's Rights Across the World (boes.org) - International Convention on the Rights of the Child and Youth, part of the
Universal Declaration on Human Rights (multilingual portal)
- Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers (CSC) (London) - union of national, regional and international organisations and
networks in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East, which monitors and reports on the use of child soldiers
world-wide, promotes universal ratification and implementation of international legal standards prohibiting the recruitment and
use of children as soldiers, and promotes and coordinates training, information-sharing and capacity building activities for NGOs
in priority countries
- Defence for Children international (DCI) (Geneva) - independent non-governmental organisation set up during the International
Year of the Child (1979) to ensure on-going, practical, systematic and concerted international action specially directed towards
promoting and protecting the rights of the child
- ECPAT International (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography And the Trafficking of children) - network of organisations and
individuals working together for the elimination of child prostitution, child pornography and the trafficking in children for sexual
purposes
- International Catholic Child Bureau (BICE) (Bureau International Catholique de l'Enfance) (Brussels) - defends the child's dignity
and higher interests, promoting children's rights and responsibilities in the unconditional respect of them as persons, their
families, their culture, the community to which they belong and their religion
- International Federation terre des hommes (IFTDH) (Geneva) - network of ten organisations that works for the rights of the child
and promotes equitable development without racial, religious, cultural or gender-based discrimination, supporting development
projects designed to improve the living conditions of disadvantaged children, their families and their communities
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- Conflict & War Crimes
- Coalition for International Justice (CIJ) (Washington, DC) - international, non-profit organization that supports the international
war crimes tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, and justice initiatives in East Timor, Sierra Leone, and Cambodia,
and initiates and conducts advocacy and public education campaigns, targeting decision-makers in Washington and other
capitals, media, and the public
- Institute for the Study of Genocide (ISG) (United States) - advance and review research into the instances, causes and
consequences of genocide worldwide, and advise media, governments and intergovernmental organizations concerned with early
warning and prevention of genocide
- Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) (London) - assistance for independent media, human rights activists and other
democratic voices in crisis zones
- International Alert (IA) (London) - non-governmental organisation created in response to the rise in violent conflict within
countries and the subsequent abuse of individual and collective human rights in conflict situations, which aims to address the
root causes of violence and contribute to the just and peaceful transformation of violent internal conflict
- International Rescue Committee (IRC) (New York, NY) - non-profit, non-sectarian, voluntary agency (founded at the request of
Albert Einstein to assist opponents of Hitler) which provides assistance to people fleeing racial, religious and ethnic persecution,
as well as those uprooted by war and violence
- Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) (The Hague, Netherlands) - works to implement the provisions of
the Chemical Weapons Convention in order to achieve a world both free of chemical weapons and one in which cooperation in
chemistry for peaceful purposes for all is fostered, with the ultimate aim of contributing to international security and stability, to
general and complete disarmament and to global and economic development
- Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) (Geneva, Switzerland) - explores the issues of what law applies and to whom in situations
of armed conflict or internal strife, and how both governments (and armed groups aligned with them) and armed opposition
groups can in practice be brought to better respect the law
- Violence against Women in War Network (VAWW-Net) - network composed of 45 human rights and women's organizations
dealing on the issues of women in armed conflict
- World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) (Geneva, Switzerland) - international coalition of NGOs fighting against torture,
summary executions, forced disappearances and all other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment in order to preserve
human rights
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- Drug Reform
- Drug Reform Coordination Network (Washington, DC) - educational and advocacy organization and network of citizens working
for reform of US drug laws and an end to prohibition, or legalization, worldwide
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- Freedom of Expression
- Article19 (The Global Campaign for Free Expression) (London) - works worldwide to combat censorship by promoting freedom of
expression and access to official information, monitoring, researching, publishing, lobbying, campaigning and litigating on behalf
of freedom of expression wherever it is threatened, and developing standards to advance media freedom, assisting individuals to
speak out, and campaigning for the free flow of information
- Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) (New York, NY) - independent, nonprofit organization which promotes press freedom
worldwide by defending the right of journalists to report the news without fear of reprisal
- Digital Freedom Network (DFN) (Newark, NJ, USA) - promotes freedom through providing educational awareness of political
philosophies, concepts, economics, current events, and individuals dedicated to freedom and democracy around the world,
primarily through the use of Internet technology
- Global Internet Liberty Campaign (USA) - coalition of the American Civil Liberties Union, the Electronic Privacy Information
Center, Human Rights Watch, the Internet Society, Privacy International, the Association des Utilisateurs d'Internet, and other
civil liberties and human rights organizations which advocates for the protection of free speech on the Internet
- International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) (Brussels, Belgium) - represents around half a million members in more than 100
countries and promotes international action to defend press freedom and social justice through strong, free and independent
trade unions of journalists
- International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX) (Toronto, Canada) - group of organizations whose members refuse to turn
away when those who have the courage to insist upon their fundamental human right to free expression are censored, brutalized
or killed
- International Freedom to Publish Committee (IFTPC) - founded by the Association of American Publishers (AAP) to promote the
principles of free expression set out in Article 19 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights
- Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) (Reporters Without Borders) (Paris) - defends press freedom and the journalists of the world,
the freedom to inform and to be informed
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- Labour
- Anti-Slavery International (London) - the world's oldest international human rights organisation and the only charity in the United
Kingdom to work exclusively against slavery and related abuses, working at the local, national and international levels to
eliminate the system of slavery around the world fighting traditional slavery, child labour, bonded labour, and the trafficking and
enslavement of men, women and children
- SOLIDAR (Brussels, Belgium) - independent international alliance of NGOs who are involved in social service provision,
international co-operation, humanitarian aid and life-long learning, and are historically linked to the free and democratic labour
and trade union movement
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- Land & Housing
- Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (Switzerland) - committed to economic, social and cultural rights, with particular
emphasis on housing rights for traditionally disadvantaged groups
- Project Underground (Oakland, CA, USA) - vehicle for the environmental, human rights and indigenous rights movements to
systematically deal with the problems created by the mining and oil industries by exposing environmental and human rights
abuses by the corporations involved in these sectors and by building capacity amongst communities facing mineral and energy
development to achieve economic and environmental justice
- Habitat International Coalition (HIC) (The Hague, The Netherlands) - association dedicated to action for the recognition, defence,
and full implementation of the right of everyone to a secure place in which to live in peace and dignity in all countries, acting as
an international pressure group in defence of the rights of the homeless, the poor, and the inadequately housed, and promoting
awareness among the public in general about human settlements problems as well as the exchange of information on these
problems and their solutions among its members
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- Minorities
- International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) (San Francisco, USA) - organization of Indigenous Peoples from North, Central and
South America and the Pacific working for the sovereignty and self-determination of Indigenous Peoples and the recognition and
protection of indigenous rights, traditional cultures and sacred lands
- International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) (Copenhagen, Denmark) - independent international membership
organisation which supports indigenous peoples' struggle for human rights, self-determination, right to territory, control of land
- Survival International (London) - worldwide organisation which supports tribal peoples, stands for their right to decide their own
future, and helps them protect their lives, lands and human rights
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- Racism
- American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) - grassroots civil rights organization which is committed to empowering
Arab Americans, defending the civil rights of all people of Arab heritage in the United States, promoting civic participation,
encouraging a balanced U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, and supporting freedom and development in the Arab World
- Crosspoint Anti Racism (Amsterdam, Netherlands) - collection of links in the fields of human rights, anti-racism, refugees,
women's rights, anti-fascism, Shoah, etc, as well as links to Jewish organizations, migrant organizations and others
- International Organisation for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (EAFORD) (Geneva) - international human
rights organization, grounded in the principle of equality in dignity and rights for peoples and individuals, which pays special
attention to those ideologies and policies which, in pursuance of established rules of international law and international
conventions, are determined by the U.N. General Assembly and other U.N. agencies to be forms of racism and racial
discrimination
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- Refugees & Migrants
- December 18 (Belgium) - organization named after the International Day of Solidarity with Migrants which promotes and protects
the rights of migrants with dignity and respect as basic values by supporting the work of migrant organizations in the different
regions by using the Internet as a tool for advocacy, networking and the dissemination of information
- International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) (Geneva) - works with refugees, internally displaced people and forced
migrants, and gives priority to the most vulnerable and marginalized among these groups, responding to immediate needs and,
at the same time, working for more durable solutions
- International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA) (Versoix, Switzerland) - global network of human rights, humanitarian, and
development NGOs, which focuses its information exchange and advocacy efforts primarily on humanitarian affairs and refugee
issues
- International Federation of Iranian Refugees and Immigrants Councils (IFIRIC) - world-wide organization dedicated to organizing
and promoting progressive ideals and aspirations among Iranian refugees, with numerous branches around the world, including
in Turkey
- Refugees International (Washington, DC) - advocacy organization for humanitarian action in defence of refugees, displaced
persons, and other dispossessed people around the world, assess situations and recommending concrete actions to protect
people and save lives
- International Organization for Migration (IOM)
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- Religion & Beliefs
- Oslo Coalition on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FOROB) (Norway) - coalition of experts and representatives from religious or
belief communities, academia, NGOs, international organizations and civil society, which monitors and promotes freedom of
religion or belief on a worldwide basis
- International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF) (Oxford, UK) - registered charity which works for freedom of religion and
belief at a global level, encouraging interfaith dialogue and tolerance
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- Sexuality
- International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) (United States) - works to protect and advance the human
rights of all people and communities subject to discrimination or abuse on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or
HIV status
- International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) (Brussels, Belgium) - world-wide federation of more than 350 member groups,
- ranging from small collectives to national groups and entire cities, which is dedicated to achieving equal rights for lesbians, gay
- men, bisexuals and transgendered people everywhere
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- Women
- Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID) (Toronto, Canada) - international membership organization connecting,
informing and mobilizing people and organizations committed to achieving gender equality, sustainable development and
women's human rights
- Center for Reproductive Law and Policy (CRLP) (New York, NY) - non-profit legal advocacy organization dedicated to promoting
and defending women's reproductive rights worldwide
- Committee for the Civil Rights of the Prostitutes (Comitato per i Diritti Civili delle Prostitute) (Italy) - promotes respect for the civil
rights of prostitutes, for the freedom to determine one's own sexual choices, for the freedom to trade sex between consenting
adults, and opposes arbitrary operations of the police towards the prostitutes and their customers (in Italian)
- International Women's Rights Action Watch (IWRAW) (University of Minnesota, USA) - international nongovernmental
organization that facilitates use of international human rights treaties to promote women's human rights and rights within
families
- MADRE (New York, NY) - international women's human rights organisation which works in partnership with community-based
women's organizations in conflict areas worldwide to address issues of health, education, economic development and other
human rights and works to empower people in the US to demand changes to unjust policies
- Population Action International (PAI) (Washington, DC) - independent, private, non-profit policy advocacy group committed to
advancing universal access to family planning and related health services, and to educational and economic opportunities,
especially for girls and women
- Violence against Women in War Network (VAWW-Net) - network composed of 45 human rights and women's organizations
dealing on the issues of women in armed conflict
- Womankind Worldwide (London) - charity dedicated to women's development and women's human rights globally
- Women's Caucus for Gender Justice (New York, NY) - network of individuals and groups committed to strengthening advocacy
on women's human rights and helping to develop greater capacity among women in the use of International Criminal Court and
other mechanisms that provide women avenues of and access to different systems of justice
- Women's Human Rights Net (WHRnet) - aimed at providing reliable, comprehensive, and timely information and analyses on
women's human rights in English, Spanish and French, including updates on women's human rights issues and policy
developments globally and information and analyses that support advocacy actions
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