Avocats Sans Frontières

Info

Avocats Sans Frontières/Advocaten Zonder Grenzen is an international NGO specialising in defending human rights and access to justice.

Geschiedenis

ASF is a NGO that intervenes in countries where human rights are not respected, where political violence and armed conflict reign, and where legal rules are flouted. Justice in those countries, too often arbitrary, does not guarantee the security of the population. Conflicts are not satisfactorily resolved before the local courts. People whose rights have been abused tend to resort to vigilante justice, which evolves into the law of the strongest or richest, and contributes to a climate of violence.

In agreement with the United Nations (UN), ASF supports the principle that the establishment of the rule of law is an indispensable precondition to the emergence of lasting peace, to the eradication of poverty, and to sustainable economic and social development. In order to ensure the democratic development of these countries, it is essential to resolve disputes by following the procedures of an independent, fair and equitable justice system – in both criminal matters (violations of human rights and freedoms) and civil disputes (domestic disputes, succession, land rights, etc.).