Human Rights and Social Justice Advocacy Groups

Introduction

The primary emphasis of many of the organizations listed here is to advocate on behalf of victims of human rights violations. These violations may include war crimes, torture, slavery, denial of basic needs for survival, ethnic discrimination or denial of self-determination (e.g. apartheid). Almost all countries in the world today have ratified the principle international treaties of international human rights and humanitarian (armed conflict) law. In the case of grave breaches, there is no statute of limitations for prosecution of the perpetrators and they may be apprehended in any country they visit, even if they are government officials.

However, the laws are only as good as their enforcement. In addition to specific international criminal tribunals, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (renamed the Human Rights Council in 2006) oversees this huge task. Eleanor Roosevelt was instrumental in giving birth to the U.N. commission, along with Rene Cassin, who received the Nobel Peace Prize for authoring the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Today, the U.N. Human Rights Council gets considerable attention from governments, many of whom are anxious to minimize their liability for violations. Their delegates engage in damage control lobbying each year at the sessions at the U.N. complex in Geneva. It is only thanks to the efforts of nongovernmental organizations (NGO's ), along with a few socially conscious governments, that resolutions continue to be adopted condemning human rights violators.

Although progress through the committees moves slow, resolutions by the council occasionally lead to action by the U.N. General Assembly and Security Council. For instance, U.N. intervention in the war in El Salvador during the 1980's led to an end to that conflict when rebelling factions became part of the government. The Commission also played a role in bringing about an end to apartheid in South Africa, and later pressed for an end to crippling economic sanctions targetted against the civilian population of Iraq.

The U.N. Office for the High Commissioner on Human Rights contains a searchable database of reports, resolutions and other documents relating to the activities of the Human Rights Council and related bodies.

Optional Index:

• International Advocacy Groups
• Religious Organizations
• Regional and Country-Specific Links
• More Comprehensive Directories

International Advocacy Groups and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's)