Who we are
A network bridging two shores
EuroMed Rights, formerly the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN), is a non-governmental organisation aiming to promote cooperation and dialogue in and between countries on both sides of the Mediterranean Sea.
EuroMed Rights is a network representing 80 human rights organisations, institutions and defenders in 30 countries. It was founded in 1997, following the 1995 Barcelona Declaration, by civil society organisations dedicated to promoting human rights and democracy within the framework of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership.
The main asset and value of the network resides in its regional character as well as its capacity to gather human rights defenders from the whole Euro-Mediterranean region. Whether they are located in the North or South of the Mediterranean, our members collaborate regularly and on an equal footing.
Our mission and objectives
EuroMed Rights’ mission is to promote and strengthen human rights and democratic reforms at regional and national levels. By creating network opportunities and encouraging civil society cooperation, EuroMed Rights aims to develop and strengthen the partnerships between NGOs located within the Euro-Mediterranean area, to spread and promote human rights values and to increase members’ capacities to reach these objectives.
As a regional human rights network, EuroMed Rights is a major source of knowledge and concrete initiatives regarding human rights and democratic reforms in the Euro-Mediterranean region.
| Mobilising around specific themes | Managing country programmes |
|---|---|
| EuroMed rights focuses its work around the following themes: - Shrinking space for civil society - Women’s rights and gender justice - Migration and asylum - Social and economic rights - Justice and the rule of law | The network currently manages programmes covering seven countries: - Morocco - Algeria - Tunisia - Egypt - Occupied Palestinian Territory/Israel - Turkey |
The network strives to support and protect human rights defenders, in particular its members and their work when they are threatened.
How we work
EuroMed Rights implements its mission by combining the five working methods below:
Networking: EuroMed Rights promotes and defends human rights and democracy by initiating and facilitating the development, with its members and partners, of shared political priorities and strategies. These networking efforts mainly take the form of working groups and solidarity groups created in response to current political challenges and opportunities. These groups also serve as platforms to build capacity, trust and solidarity among the network’s members and partners to further strengthen cooperation and coordination.
Advocating: EuroMed Rights influences policy makers and authorities at national, regional and international levels to adopt and incorporate pro-human rights and pro-democracy policies, including the recommendations developed in the working groups and solidarity groups.
Communicating: EuroMed Rights mobilises support for human rights and democracy by disseminating its recommendations and positions to a wide range of audiences, including the general public through both traditional media work and social media. It also develops a host of written and audiovisual communication tools, e.g. newsletter, videos and podcasts.
Mainstreaming: EuroMed Rights promotes gender equality by systematically mainstreaming gender policies internally in its organisational policies and structures, and externally in its work to promote and defend human rights and democracy. EuroMed Rights also fights back against the repression and persecution of civil society by addressing the challenges related to shrinking space for civil society in all its programmes and activities.
Monitoring and evaluating: EuroMed Rights systematically monitors, documents and learns from its work. It uses these results to drive performance and impact, and to ensure accountability towards its members, partners, donors and the broader public. Monitoring and evaluation also helps foster internal learning and organisational development.
Executive Committee
The General Assembly is the supreme body of EuroMed Rights; it meets every three years and elects the Executive Committee.
The 2018-2021 Executive Committee is composed of:
Theodora Christou
Executive member of the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales. Theodora Christou is a barrister and an academic teaching at the London School of Economics and at Queen Mary University of London. Her primary areas of expertise are human rights, international and comparative law.
Franco Uda
Member of the National Board of the Associazione Ricreativa e Culturale Italiana (ARCI) and Vice President of ARCS (ARCI’s NGO). Franco is a member of the boards of the European Civic Forum and the Solidar International Cooperation Forum. He works mostly on human rights, peace and solidarity.
Kamel Jendoubi
Honorary President
Former President of EuroMed Rights (from 2003 to 2012), former Tunisian minister in charge of relations with constitutional institutions and civil society (2015-16). Kamel Jendoubi also presided the Tunisian High independent instance for the elections (2011-2014), and currently chairs the UN Group of experts to investigate human rights violations in Yemen.
Secretariat
EuroMed Rights Secretariat, headed by Executive Director Rasmus Alenius Boserup, is in charge of implementing the organisation's three-year work programme, as well as strategies and action plans adopted by the Executive Committee.
Our donors
EuroMed Rights fundraising strategy is articulated around three general principles; ensuring the network’s independence; minimising our donor dependence and guaranteeing our financial sustainability.
EuroMed Rights would like to acknowledge and thank the following donors for their financial support:
