Human Rights

Democracy, social justice and solidarity are the focus of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung’s socio-political work, which has always been understood basically as human rights work. Human rights are the foundation stone of work in international development cooperation.

Against the background of the current global financial and economic crisis, as well as the food crisis in the past year, there is a danger that the human rights situation will deteriorate across the world. According to World Bank estimates, the crisis may have pushed a further 53 million people into poverty in 2009, exposing them to human rights violations. There is reason to fear that increasing poverty goes hand in hand with armed conflict, more severe violence and repression, xenophobia and racism. Action must therefore be taken, first, to ensure that human rights are respected and promoted at all stages in the response to the various crises, and second, to combat the structural causes of crisis developments, as well as persistent poverty in many parts of the world.

The Human Rights working line operates principally in Geneva, the home of the UN Human Rights Council and the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and in Berlin, where important international debates resonate in the political sphere and among the community of experts. The human rights dimension of global issues, such as climate change or the food crisis, is illuminated.

Focal topics of human rights work include:

• International human rights policy and legal framework
  UN Human Rights Council; International Criminal Court; European Court of Human Rights
• Development and human rights
  Economic, social and cultural rights; right to development; development cooperation and human rights
• Business and human rights
  International guidelines and standards; corporate social responsibility (CSR)

Human Rights Award 2011 for Slim Amamou and Khaled Said (1982-2010)

The award ceremony for the bestowing of the Human Rights Award on Slim Amamou and the late Kahled Said takes place on 19 September 2011, 17.00 - 20.00 hrs at House 1 of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in Berlin, Hiroshimastr. 17; the laudation will be held by Dr. Joachim Gauck, chairperson of the Association "Against Oblivion - for Democracy". For the late Khaled Said, his sister Zarah Kassem will accept the award and take part in the panel discussion.

go to FES Human Rights Award website

watch ceremony livestream (beginning at 17.00hrs on September 19, 2011)

Human Rights Handbook online!

Over the past few years the Human Rights Handbook has met with broad support and positive resonance. This compendium has been regularly updated and there is strong demand for it. Presentation of the handbook as a website ensures improved, user-friendly access to its contents. The internet version includes a new chapter on legal proceedings and truth commissions, as well as a section with information on the authors.
Human Rights Handbook

 

An interactive CD-ROM is also available, which can be ordered here:
Susanne.Boehme[at]fes.de

The Human Rights Work of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung

What are the main objectives and focuses of the FES' Human Rights Work? Find out about all our activities in Germany and abroad in the flyer The FES Human Rights Work

Also available in:

French: Les activités de la FES en matière de droits de l'homme

Spanish: El trabajo de derechos humanos de la FES

Participation in the Human Rights Forum

The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung was a co-founder of the Human Rights Forum in 1994. For more information on the work of the Forum, click here.