Regional Programmes

       Africa

       Central and Eastern Europe

       South Asia

       Commonwealth Caribbean

      Middle East and North Africa

       Development of Human Rights Standards

                Freedom of expression

                Equal Treatment without Discrimination

                Liberty and security of the person

                Economic, social and cultural rights

Dissemination of Information

                Interights� Bulletin

                Commonwealth Human Rights Law Digest 
                and Database

                Other Publications

        Organisational Development & Financial Report

Interights is an international human rights organisation, established to provide leadership and support in the legal protection of human rights worldwide. Since 1982, it has promoted the effective use of human rights law to protect rights and freedoms worldwide, in cooperation with lawyers, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and judges. This report provides information on Interights' activities over one year from April 2000 to March 2001 covering regional and thematic programmes, dissemination of information on human rights law, and organisational developments. An appendix details some of the case work undertaken by Interights, whether as advocate or adviser, during this period.

The African Commission on Human and Peoples� Rights was a key focus of our Africa Programme, with a range of activities designed to strengthen and support different aspects of the Commission�s mandate, and to assist those seeking redress from it. A training programme for Magistrates in Malawi and Zambia drew to an end with renewed requests to develop a handbook for use in ongoing training, and to adapt the programme for use in other countries. In order to encourage more cross-border cooperation on human rights strategies around Africa, Interights published a study of cross-border initiatives in the continent, including analysis as to how these can be used to strengthen effective human rights advocacy.

Under two new initiatives, the Central and Eastern Europe Programme is seeking to address two fundamental issues of concern in Europe, namely lack of access to the law for the poor, depriving them of any means of legal redress for violations, and racial discrimination affecting large populations throughout Europe. Expanding into countries of the former Soviet Union, including Russia, the programme is developing and implementing models for training of lawyers in applying human rights law, and linking these with institution-building to provide sustainable resources for human rights advocacy.

With limited access from the region to international remedies, the South Asia programme focuses on domestic application of international human rights norms. A series of judicial colloquia developed this year will reach judges throughout the region and create networks for ongoing exchange of information. In the second year of a project on �honour crimes�, we aimed to build on existing initiatives, to facilitate cooperation and exchange of information and ideas among activists and lawyers, and to develop strategies to combat impunity for those responsible for such crimes.

Freedom of expression, equal treatment without discrimination, liberty and security of the person and economic, social and cultural rights were the main thematic focuses of Interights' work. An organisation-wide initiative was undertaken to ensure that a gender perspective informed each programme.

Finally, Interights� Bulletin and the Commonwealth Human Rights Law Digest provide essential information to lawyers and judges using human rights law worldwide about developments in international and comparative developments in that law. Work on the Commonwealth Human Rights Law Database and on updating Interights� website continued and came near to completion.