International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH)

https://www.fidh.org/en/com/

Introduction:

International Federation for Human Rights is an international human rights NGO federating 192
organisations from 117 countries. Since 1922, FIDH has been defending all civil, political, economic,
social and cultural rights as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Its work is directed at States and those in power, such as armed opposition groups and multinational
corporations.
It acts at national, regional and international levels in support of its member and partner organisations
to address human rights abuses and consolidate democratic processes.
FIDH is founded by some twenty national organisations on the initiative of French and German member
organisations. It is the first international human rights organisation.
FIDH’s mandate: protect all rights

Case study:
https://www.fidh.org/en/region/north-africa-middle-east/libya/Libya-The-hounding-of-migrants-12255

FIDH, Migreurop, and Justice Without Borders for Migrants (JSFM) released a report painting a
devastating picture of the situation of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Libya. The report
exposes widespread and serious violations of the human rights of immigrants, in particular from sub
Saharan Africa, who find themselves persecuted by uncontrolled militias.

Link to concepts:

Power → FIDH is establishing power on an international level outside of simply individual government
powers. Considering power as the ability to influence others in some way, FIDH is establishing an
international mentality surrounding the significance of reenforcing the capacity and influence of local
actors because they believe that transforming a society in the sense of human rights perception revolves
around the power of those local actors.
Sovereignty → FIDH’s activity interferes with state’s sovereignty because it focuses on establishing
influence and power beyond government control. Generally dealing with human rights is the
responsibility of the government as they are often the source of the issue, but FIDH is one of many
organizations able to point out flaws in the government's approaches to human rights issues,help tackle
the issue and undermine the diplomatic position of sovereign states on the global stage.
Nation state → Because a nation state requires cultural unity or at least coexistence under one
government to properly function, human rights conflicts (such as in Libya) in which FIDH, an external
organization, has to get involved is problematic for the stability of the nation state.

Levels of analysis:
As a federal movement, FIDH operates on the basis of interaction with its member organisations. It
ensures that FIDH merges on-the-ground experience and knowledge with expertise in international law,
mechanisms of protection and intergovernmental bodies. This unique combination translates into joint
actions between FIDH and its member organisations at national, regional and international levels to
remedy human rights violations and consolidate processes of democratisation. It makes FIDH highly
representational and legitimate.