Avocats Sans Frontières
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Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF), also known as Advocaten Zonder Grenzen or Lawyers without Borders, is an international NGO, active in the human rights and development sector. Created in 1992 by a group of Belgian lawyers, ASF’s main objective is the realisation of institutions and mechanisms that facilitate access to independent and fair justice systems that ensure legal security and guarantee fundamental human rights for everyone.


History

The ambition of the first Lawyers Without Frontiers in 1992 was to lend assistance and/or to defend persons whose rights were not respected in their country, because the cases were ‘sensitive’. Between 1992 and 1996 countless missions for immediate assistance were realised. As part of the project ‘Solidarity and Defence’ (later renamed ‘Lawyer for Lawyer’), lawyers were sent abroad for several weeks to give assistance and/or intervene in sensitive cases. In 1994 the genocide in Rwanda caused commotion within the international community. Even though ASF was not yet equipped for long-term interventions, it decided to take action anyway. Between 1995 and 1998 different trainings were realised in Arusha, Tanzania, to educate lawyers on the proceedings of the
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR; french: Tribunal pénal international pour le Rwanda; rw, Urukiko Mpanabyaha Mpuzamahanga Rwashyiriweho u Rwanda) was an international court established in November 1994 by the United Nation ...
. Furthermore, there was the problem of a gross lack of lawyers in the country. During the genocide many people died, while others fled. The remaining lawyers could not or did not want to be involved in trials to convict the perpetrators. To answer this problem ASF started the program ‘Rights for Everyone in Rwanda’. To realise this program, ASF opened its first permanent mission abroad in Rwanda. The necessity to execute a long-term detailed project facilitates ASF’s growth into an international organisation. Besides the initial mission for direct assistance and defence of people, ASF sets itself another goal: to contribute, as an independent actor, to a more just and equitable society, in which the law serves the most vulnerable people. In this respect, ASF opens new missions in Burundi (1999),
Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
(2000), the
Democratic Republic of Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
(2000),
Timor-Leste East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-west ...
(2000),
Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The sou ...
(2007), and
Nepal Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...
(2010).


Goal

Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF), also known as Advocaten Zonder Grenzen (AdZG) is an international
non-governmental organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from g ...
contributing to the creation of fair and equitable societies, in which the law and its institutions serve the most vulnerable groups and individuals. ASF aims to realise this objective through field interventions in the areas of access to justice, legal aid and legal assistance before both national and international jurisdictions, such as the International Criminal Court. ASF uses the law to serve the most vulnerable people: e.g. minors, women, persons illegally imprisoned, victims of human rights violationsm and any individual or group unable to access justice. ASF currently has field offices in Burundi, the
Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
, Rwanda,
Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...
,
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
,
Central African Republic The Central African Republic (CAR; ; , RCA; , or , ) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the southeast, the DR Congo to the south, the Republic of th ...
,
Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The sou ...
, Chad and
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. The organisation also works on thematic issues such as access to justice, defending the 'defenders', international criminal justice, strategic litigation, and economic and social rights. In the countries of intervention, ASF teams work in close collaboration with local partners (lawyers, bar associations and civil society organisations). The legal professionals in the International Legal Network (ILN) support ASF missions on ad hoc basis.


Activities


Access to Justice

Where the legal aid system is inadequate or absent, the most vulnerable populations have limited access to courts and other mechanisms used for resolving disputes. Their right to fair and equitable justice is at risk. Together with local partners, ASF develops and establishes mechanisms, tailored to the local situation, improving access to justice for the most vulnerable populations. We organize awareness campaigns amongst the local population to improve knowledge on their rights. Our legal aid centres offer free legal information, advice and referrals. ASF lawyers are available to help the most vulnerable. If needed, mobile courts are organised to ensure access to justice in remote and rural areas. Finally, ASF strengthens the capacity of local NGOs and bar associations by providing structural support and regular training.


Defending the "defenders"

ASF intervenes in cases where lawyers and human rights defenders are threatened, criminalised, harassed or even killed. ASF intervenes in these cases by providing legal and/or material aid to the victim, or serves as an observer at their trial. ASF also supports local bar associations and human rights organisations through capacity building and advocacy.


Supporting international justice

An international justice system assures the protection of human rights and supports the restoration of victims’ dignity. ASF assists victims who wish to be represented before national and international courts that prosecute international crimes. In this context, ASF provides assistance to victims in several court cases pending before the
International Criminal Court The International Criminal Court (ICC or ICCt) is an intergovernmental organization and international tribunal seated in The Hague, Netherlands. It is the first and only permanent international court with jurisdiction to prosecute individuals f ...
(ICC) in
The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital o ...
.


Strategic litigation

ASF is active in
strategic litigation Strategic litigation, also known as impact litigation, is the practice of bringing lawsuits intended to effect societal change. Impact litigation cases may be class action lawsuits or individual claims with broader significance, and may rely on st ...
. Intervening in a specific case not only contributes to ending injustice for the involved parties, but can also serve – by changing the law – greater public interest. ASF intervenes for the benefit of vulnerable people in emblematic cases through negotiation, mediation and/or taking a case to court for groups such as child soldiers, victims of human trafficking, torture or mistreatment, threatened journalists, etc.


Economic and social rights

Economic and social rights, such as the rights to decent work conditions, the highest attainable standard of health, education, adequate standard of living including access to land, food and water, are typically violated as a result of lack of political will, negligence and/or discrimination. ASF provides legal assistance to vulnerable communities to ensure that they have equal access to legal mechanisms in their interactions with more powerful actors (State and non-State), to ensure that people know their rights and are empowered to use them. ASF works with communities to encourage legislative reform through advocacy and, if need be, strategic litigation.


International Legal Network

Created by Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF) in 2010, the ILN brings together legal professionals from around the world eager to share their expertise and participate in activities to ensure that the law is a driving force for sustainable change. Members of the ILN take part in ASF interventions in countries where justice is inaccessible or where there are few security guarantees for vulnerable populations. They contribute to developing mechanisms and actions for strengthening judicial stakeholders and improving access to justice. With a strong emphasis on solidarity, members of the ILN perform their missions in accordance with pro bono conditions: voluntary work, constantly ensuring quality of services that benefit the most vulnerable people. The ILN offers a lasting partnership for law firms and other legal professionals wishing to develop their pro bono activities.


Awards

In 2007, ASF was granted the CCBE Human Rights Award by the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe. In 2009, ASF won the Law and Sustainability Prize of the Association of Flemish Jurists.


Misc

Avocats Sans Frontières has no affiliation with "
Lawyers Without Borders Lawyers Without Borders (LWOB) is an international non-profit organization founded in 2000 by Connecticut Attorney, Christina M. Storm, which operates worldwide from its central headquarters located in New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.A. Its single ...
". Its Dutch name is "Advocaten Zonder Grenzen"; the organization does not carry an English name. Avocats Sans Frontières is also commonly known by its abbreviation "ASF".


See also

*
Human rights Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...
* Legal aid * Rule of law *
International Criminal Court The International Criminal Court (ICC or ICCt) is an intergovernmental organization and international tribunal seated in The Hague, Netherlands. It is the first and only permanent international court with jurisdiction to prosecute individuals f ...


References


External links


Avocats Sans Frontières Official Website in English, French and DutchDownload ASF general flyer

ASF CanadaOfficial press release of The Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE)announcing that the CCBE Human Rights Award is granted to Avocats Sans Frontières

ASF publication that won the Solidarity Prize (Solidariteitspreis) of the newspaper De Standaard
{{DEFAULTSORT:Avocats Sans Frontieres Human rights organisations based in Belgium International human rights organizations International criminal law Organisations based in Brussels International law organizations Organizations established in 1992 1992 establishments in Belgium