Non-governmental organizations and their role in protecting human rights

Abstract

International non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play a role in protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms. These organizations find the legal basis for their work in this context in the texts of international agreements and conventions, such as the 1945 United Nations Charter and the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which address human rights and fundamental freedoms. It is worth noting that there are numerous NGOs concerned with human rights, and in this research, we have examined the role of three organizations: the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International. We have found that these organizations provide a complementary guarantee to that offered by governmental organizations regarding human rights and fundamental freedoms.

It remains to point out that the legal basis for the work of these organizations is not limited to international agreements and conventions. Regional human rights agreements and conventions also provide a legal foundation for these organizations to carry out their work. Among the most important regional agreements in this context are the European Convention on Human Rights of 1950, the American Convention on Human Rights of 1969, and other regional agreements.