Welcome on the European Association for the Defense of Human Rights (AEDH) website

AEDH in brief

The European Association for the defense of Human Rights (AEDH) gathers together leagues and associations defending Human Rights in European Union countries. It is a partner of the FIDH, the International Federation for Human Rights. Within a Europe where important choices concern more than 500 million people, we try to influence the institutions by taking position and promoting Human Rights. We act to make fundamental rights accepted as universal, indivisible and effective for all residents of the European Union, and to make these rights elaborated by and for the citizens. We advocate:

*A democratic Europe in which citizens get a real power
*A Europe grounded on the respect of freedom of each and every person
*A Europe which maintains its concern for social equality
*A Europe respectful of the environment and engaged in sustainable development
*A Europe without discrimination
*A Europe open to the world and taking into account its international responsibilities

We are calling for the existence and the recognition of a real citizen counter-power. We maintain our commitment in favour of a civic movement in Europe. Human Rights do not belong only to the field of states; citizens are actors and guarantors of them. Rights should be built by and for citizens.

Our activities

Because the European Union should not be an exception to the common rules of humanity—those defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and those ensued from democracy and social justice—we lead actions to promote them and influence European institutions (the Commission, the Parliament and the Council). We lead actions in connection with national members of our organisation, FIDH and other organisations (trade unions, associations...) which share our values and our goals. We act through:
* Position papers and press releases, especially, when European Union policies can be a threat to Human Rights
* Collective actions and European networks fighting for the respect of Human Rights, such as:

 European Civic Forum, ECF

European Digital Rights, EDRI

  European Liaison Committee on Services of General Interest, CELSIG

 European Network Against Racism, ENAR

 Human Rights & Democracy Network, HRDN

Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network, EMHRN

NGOs platform - Immigration and Asylum policy

AEDH participates to European meetings such as the European Social Forum, ESF.

* On the institutional side:

-AEDH is a member at the Liaison group of the civil society of European Economic and Social Committee, EESC.

-Its President, Pierre Barge, is a member of the Contact Group at the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights.

-It is a member of the "Public Services" Intergroup of the European Parliament.