Lawyers Without Borders

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Lawyers Without Borders is a international organisation^[1] of legal professionals dedicated to promoting access to justice^[3] and the human rights^[2] globally. Established in Belgium in 1992, the organisation initially gained international recognition through its participation in the Court^[4] International Criminal for Rwanda in 1994. The network expanded significantly after its official launch in Paris in 2009, with sections in multiple countries across Europe, Africa and Latin America. Its main activities include defending legal professionals at risk, providing legal training, offering counselling services and fighting impunity through strategic litigation. With consultative status at the UN Economic and Social Council, the organisation has received numerous international awards. The Brazilian section plays a particularly important role, representing Latin American and Lusophone countries, with active international collaborations in regions such as Colombia and Suriname.

Terms definitions

1. ↑ international organisation. International organisations are formal institutional structures that transcend national borders to promote global cooperation. They include intergovernmental organisations (IGOs) such as the UN and international non-governmental organisations (INGOs), typically established by treaty and having legal personality. These entities operate in various domains, including global, cultural, economic and regional spheres. Their primary functions include setting international agendas, facilitating diplomatic negotiations, resolving disputes and addressing transnational challenges. They serve as platforms for collaboration, standardising rules and practices across borders, and promoting international law and norms. Although they play crucial roles in global governance, international organisations face criticism regarding transparency, democratic representation and potential bias towards powerful states. Despite the challenges, they remain essential mechanisms for managing complex international relations, fostering co-operation and addressing global issues that individual nations cannot effectively resolve independently.

2. ↑ human rights. Human rights are fundamental freedoms and protections inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, gender, nationality or status. Rooted in the philosophical traditions of natural rights and social contract theories, they encompass civil, political, economic, social and cultural dimensions. The modern model of human rights emerged after the Second World War, with the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights serving as its cornerstone. International and regional systems such as the European Convention on Human Rights and the Inter-American Commission have developed mechanisms to monitor and enforce these rights. Key organisations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch advocate globally for human dignity. Contemporary challenges include addressing ongoing violations, balancing universal principles with cultural contexts and confronting emerging issues such as digital rights and environmental protections. The field continues to evolve, reflecting complex global dynamics of justice, equality and human dignity.

Lawyers Without Borders (Wikipedia)

Lawyers without Borders (in French: Avocats without frontiers), also known by the acronym ASFis an international movement of lawyers e jurists ASF is made up of autonomous local chapters that operate internationally and are present in several countries. ASF's local sections are characterised as non-governmental, non-profit organisations.

The movement began in Belgium in 1992. Its members have already acted in different international tribunals, including participation in the UN International Criminal Tribunal for the Rwandan genocidein 1994, the organisation's first major activity.

Actions to defend legal practitioners in situations of risk and threat, legal and human rights training, legal and legislative consultancy on all continents, the fight against impunity, strategic litigation of emblematic cases, have been some of the activities carried out by ASF organisations to achieve their objectives, which can be summarised as "promoting access to justice and human rights in order to build a society in which the law and its institutions are at the service of the most vulnerable".

From 2009 onwards, shared and coordinated activities began between the Lawyers Without Borders NGOs that joined the ASF Network (Avocats Without Frontiers Network - Lawyers Without Borders Network) at its launch, which took place in the city of Paris in November of that year.

The following organisations make up the Network: ASF-Brazil, ASF-Cameroon, ASF-France, ASF-Guinea (Conakry), ASF-The Netherlands, ASF-Italy, ASF-Mali, ASF-Mauritania, ASF-Sweden and ASF-Switzerland. They are also "Avocats Sans Frontières" organisations ASF Belgium, the founder of the movement, based in Brussels, and ASF Canada.

Through local organisations, the ASF Network - Avocats Sans Frontières has consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. United Nations Organisation and has won several international awards in his respective fields.

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