Objectives of the WG on Freedom of Association
 

  • To promote and protect human rights values and international standards related to freedom of association in the Euro-Med region, in particular in the South Mediterranean area.
  • To develop sustained civil society monitoring and expertise on freedom of association conducive to change in legislation and to democratic reform.
  • To draft annual reports on freedom of association in the EuroMed region based on a consensus the of a broad group of civil society representatives reached through a participatory and consultative process and to diffuse this report widely.



Activities



The Network has identified freedom of association as one of its key working areas for the future and decided at its last GA to establish a working group dealing with this specific issue.

During its first meeting, the WG had set up, as a first priority, to implement a project aimed at establishing a regional civil society instrument to monitor freedom of association and, indirectly by extension, progresses or setbacks in terms of democracy. The project will consist of writing annual reports on the situation of freedom of association in legislation and practice.

See minutes from the 1st WG meeting

During the second WG meeting, last December 2007, the EMHRN has published its first Review on freedom of association. The distinctiveness of this report is based on the fact that its redaction is based on a consensus of a broad group of civil society representatives reached through a participatory and consultative process with EMHRN members. The Review includes one chapter for the 11 countries surrounding the Mediterranean, as well as one chapter dealing with the situation within the EU. Finally, it provides several recommendations to the governments from both North and South Mediterranean.

See Minutes from the second WG meeting

The general outline of the second EMHRN Freedom of Association Review was approved on the third working group meeting. This second edition will be an update of the main events in the region in 2007-2008 related to Freedom of Association. It will focus on the impacts of counter-terrorism laws on Freedom of Association, and it will discuss gender specific issues in relation to Freedom of Association.

See Minutes from the third WG meeting

Due to the elaboration of a new Law on associations in Jordan, which has raised serious concerns (See our letter published on 30 July 2008)  the Working group decided to meet for  the fourth time in Amman, on November 8th, 2008. This meeting aimed at analyzing the findings of the second EMHRN Freedom of Association Review in order to identify the issues and the countries the EMHRN could focus on in its lobbying efforts. An advocacy strategy for the launching of the Review was also discussed during the meeting. A specific session on the new Jordan Societies Law was held in close cooperation with national and international NGOs.

 

See Minutes from the fourth WG meeting 

 





 

 

 

 

 

 

 
WG Members


Solida Wadih Al Asmar
(Political referent)
Moroccan Association for Human Rights   Hassan Aharrat
CDF

Cairo Institute for Human Rights Moataz El Fegiery
National Council for Freedom in Tunisia

Omar Mestiri

Danish Institute for Human Rights
Ashraf Mihkail
Algerian League for the Defense of Human Rights  
Collectif des Familles de Disparu(e)s en Algérie   Nassera Dutour
Intercenter Diana DiPietro
Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights
Mustapha Tlili
Moroccan Organisation for Human Rights Amina Bouayach
World Organisation Against Torture
Delphine Reculeau
Osman Isci
Fondation Moawad  Mira Yaacoub
Ligue des droits de l'Homme  Jacques Montacie
Sisterhood is Global Insitute Lubna Dawany

For more info, contact the WG Coordinator, Thibaut Guillet