# EuroMed Rights

EuroMed Rights, formerly the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network is a network of 68 human rights organisations, institutions and individuals based in 30 countries in Europe and the Mediterranean region. It was established in 1997 in response to the Barcelona Declaration, which led to the establishment of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership.
The members of EuroMed Rights admit to universal human rights principles and are convinced of the value of cooperation and dialogue across and within borders. EuroMed Rights promotes networking, cooperation and development of partnerships between human rights NGOs, activists and a wider civil society.

## Aims and achievements

EuroMed Rights was created in relation to the existence of the inter-governmental Euromediterranean Partnership (EMP), and in particular, the Barcelona Process proposed by the EMP. EuroMed Rights' role is primarily as an intermediary between governmental institutions and grassroots human rights organisations. It received most of its funding during its first years from governmental sources and is closely linked to the EuroMed Civil Forums that constitutes a relatively government-linked alternative to the grassroots Alternative Mediterranean Conference that was organised in 1995. As of 2008, EuroMed Rights had become well recognised both by European Union (EU) institutions and NGOs. Its activities range from communication among NGO members and activist campaigning through to lobbying of institutions.
EuroMed Rights describes itself as a regional forum for human rights NGOs and a pool of expertise on promotion, protection and strengthening of human rights. Its online library is an important collection of press releases, statements, open letters and reports about the Euro-Mediterranean region.
It states that it brings people together in inter-cultural settings to promote dialogue and understanding, with stress on the following subjects:
* lobbying human rights mechanisms within the European Union (EU) and the Euromediterranean Partnership, especially concerning the association agreements with the Mediterranean Partners and the European Neighbourhood Policy
* supporting reform processes in the Arab World by strengthening democratization processes originating from the civil society
* working towards transforming the non-European Mediterranean region into states of law, especially by backing movements for the enforcement of the freedoms of speech and assembly
* bringing human rights values and principles as well as women rights and the idea of public education to the public in order to achieve a broad popular participation in changing the living conditions where human rights are abused or denied
* sending of delegations and observers, and publishing urgent alerts in cases of deterioration of human rights and when members are in danger or imprisoned
* close and critical monitoring of the own efforts of the EU
* information on human rights violations in North Africa and the Middle East by publishing reports, policy papers and newsletters
* research and training by means of training seminars and workshops

## History

* December 1997: The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network was founded during a meeting at the Danish Centre for Human Rights (DHRC) in Copenhagen by a group of human rights activists from the North and the South of the Mediterranean. Founding people were then director of the DHRC, Morten Kjaerum, and Said Essoulami from Moroccan human rights organisation CMF-MENA. Further participants in the founding assembly (but no members of the EMHRN) were the Dutch Council for Refugees, the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights, and the European Council on Refugees and Exiles.
* 1999: The network co-organised the EuroMed Civil Forum in Stuttgart.
* 2000: The EMHRN received a European Union funding contract. On its fourth General Assembly in Marseille, a new action plan was adopted, which saw the network multiplying its activities. In the following years, an office in Brussels was opened and preparations for offices in Rabat and Amman were taken. More staff in addition to the Executive Director were hired.
* 2006: During the European Ministerial Conference in Istanbul a five-year plan for promotion of the role of the women in society was adopted, which included proposals carried out by the EMHRN.
* 2015: The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) becomes EuroMed Rights
* 2017: EuroMed Rights celebrated its twentieth anniversary
* 2018: The 11th General Assembly of EuroMed Rights elects Wadih Al-Asmar, President of the Lebanese Center for Human Rights, as its new president.

## Structure

EuroMed Rights (formerly known as the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network) has the following members:
| Country | Organisation |
| Algeria | Coalition of families of the disappeared in Algeria (CFDA) Algerian league for the defence of human rights (LADDH) National autonomous union of public administration staff (SNAPAP) |
| Austria | Bruno Kreisky Foundation for Human Rights |
| Bulgaria | Center for legal aid – voice in Bulgaria Archived 2017-07-08 at the Wayback Machine |
| Cyprus | Mediterranean Institute for Gender Studies at University of Nicosia Action for equality, support, antiracism (KISA) |
| Czech Republic | People in Need |
| Denmark | Danish Institute for Human Rights Dignity The Danish center for research and information on gender, equality and diversity (KVINFO) |
| Egypt | Andalus institute for tolerance and anti-violence studies (AITAS) |
| Finland | Tampere Peace Research Institute at University of Tampere |
| France | Tunisian federation for a two banks citizenship Human Rights League - LDH (France) National federation solidarity with women (FNSF) Education League |
| Greece | Greek Committee for International Democratic Solidarity Greek council for refugees (GCR) |
| Ireland | 80:20 Education and Acting for a Better World |
| Israel Occupied Palestinian Territories | The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel (ADALAH) Arab Association for Human Rights B'Tselem Public Committee Against Torture in Israel Al Mezan Center for Human Rights Al-Haq Palestinian Center for Human Rights Women’s centre for legal aid and counseling (WCLAC) Archived 2017-07-10 at the Wayback Machine |
| Italy | ARCI Association Italian Refugee Council |
| Jordan | Amman Center for Human Rights Studies Sisterhood is Global Institute ARDD – legal aid organization Mizan law group for Human Rights |
| Lebanon | Palestinian Human Rights Organization in Lebanon Institute for Human Rights (IHR) – Beirut Bar Association Lebanese Center for Human Rights (CLDH) |
| Malta | Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies at University of Malta |
| Morocco Western Sahara | Democratic association of women from Morocco (ADFM) Moroccan Association of Human Rights Espace Associatif Moroccan Organisation of Human Rights Adala |
| Portugal | Portuguese human rights league – civitas (LPDHC) |
| Spain | CEAR – Spanish commission for refugees Institute of Human Rights of Catalonia (IDHC) Federation of associations for the defence and the promotion of human rights (FADPHR) SUDS – internacionalisme solidaritat feminismes |
| Sweden | Kvinna till Kvinna |
| Syria | Committees for the Defense of Democracy Freedoms and Human Rights in Syria Damascus Center for Human Rights Studies Damascus Center for Theoretical and Civil Rights Studies The Syrian organization for human rights (SWASIAH) Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) |
| Tunisia | Tunisian Association of the Democratic Women Tunisian Human Rights League Committee for the Respect of Freedom and Human Rights in Tunisia Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES) |
| Turkey | Human Rights Association (Turkey) Citizen Assembly |
| United Kingdom | Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (BHRCEW) Human Rights Centre at University of Essex Solicitors international human rights group (SIHRG) |
| Regional Members | European association for the defence of human rights (AEDH) Archived 2009-07-27 at the Wayback Machine Arabic network for human rights information (ANHRI) Arab institute for human rights (AIHR) Collectif 95 – Maghreb Egalité Cairo institute for human rights studies (CIHRS) African and Middle East refugee assistance (AMERA) |
| Associate Members | Amnesty International (EU Office) International Federation of Human Rights Human Rights Watch World Organisation Against Torture Women’s international league for peace and freedom (WILPF) International bar association’s human rights institute (IBAHRI) Norwegian Helsinki Committee [www.apt.ch Association for the prevention of torture (APT)] |