We believe that every person should be knowledgeable of their basic rights as a human, so we have written out some of the general but important information on the definitions with which we work.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is an international document adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), on 10 December 1948 in Paris, France, that established the rights and freedoms of all human beings. The UDHR commits nations to recognize all humans as being born free and equal in dignity and rights, indifferent of nationality, place of residence, gender, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, language, or any other status. The UDHR is historic in setting precedence of international human rights law and other declarations that followed its development for its universal language and no reference to a particular culture, political system, or religion.
UNHCR / ACNUR
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is the UN Refugee Agency founded on 14 December 1950. The UNHCR strives to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the UNHCR was created to address the refugee crisis which resulted from World War II. Displacements resulted from the Hungarian Uprising and decolonization of Africa and Asia broadened the scope of UNHCR operations. Although the UNHCR operates globally, majority of its operations are centered in developing countries. By 2015, the UNHCR had aided more than 50 million refugees across the world. Work of the UNHCR includes providing protection, shelter, healthcare, emergency relief, assisting in resettlement and repatriation, and advocating for policies on behalf of refugees.
IOM
The International Organization for Migration (IOM), headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, was founded on 6 December 1951. IOM is a UN Agency that advises governments and migrants on migration related themes that include internally displaced persons and refugees.
ECHR
The European Convention on Human Rights is an international convention to protect human rights and political freedoms in Europe. The convention was put into effect on 3 September 1953. Currently, all Council of Europe member states have ratified the convention with new member states expected to do so as soon as possible. The European Court of Human Rights was established by the convention. The Committees of Ministers of the Council of Europe are responsible for monitoring the execution of judgments of the Court. Several protocols exist which amend the convention framework.
The convention has had a significant influence on the law in member states of the Council of Europe. It is often recognized as the most effective international treaty for human rights protection.