The 37th Congress of FIDH in Yerevan - Armenia

08/07/2010
Press release
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The Congress of FIDH is a meeting held every 3 years gathering representatives of its member organisations and partners throughout the world. The Congress represents a unique opportunity for FIDH members to come together to make decisions on the general thrust of their actions and their joint strategy for the coming three years, notably by electing the International Board. It is a major event for FIDH and the only one for which all its member organisations can meet.

This 37th Congress was organised in collaboration with its member organisation, the Civil Society Institute in Yerevan, Armenia. The symbolic importance of this place is significant as the region is marked by geo-strategic challenges. Armenia is a country in political transition in which the human rights situation remains fragile, despite some progress but offering new opportunities for change.

This Congress also gave an opportunity for reflection through the organisation of a Forum on the right to an effective remedy before an independent court, regional priority and global challenge.

The Justice Forum

Organised on the theme “JUSTICE: new challenges – the right to effective recourse before an independent court”, this forum offered a unique opportunity to work on the different types of recourses for victims of human rights violations in their struggle for truth, justice and reparation at the national, regional and international levels, and examined the question of the prevention of international crimes based on the exchange of experiences between the NGOs attending from all continents. The forum was dedicated to the memory of Natalia Estemirova, a Chechen human rights defender, assassinated in July 2009.

See Report of the FIDH Forum, "Justice - New Challenges: The right to an effective remedy before an independent tribunal", April 2010 (released in May 2013), only available in French.

Report of the FIDH Forum, "Justice - New Challenges: The right to an effective remedy before an independent tribunal", April 2010 [FR]

Opening ceremony of FIDH’s 37th Congress, attended by human rights defenders from 155 FIDH member organisations around the world, together with key personalities and renowned national and international experts.

Discours de Souhayr Belhassen, Présidente de la FIDH, à l’ouverture du Congrès [Fr]
Speech of Stefan Füle, European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy, at the opening [En]
Speech of Janez Lenarcic, Director of the OSCE ODIHR, at the opening [En]
Discours d’Abdou Diouf, Secrétaire général de La Francophonie [Fr]
Discours de Françoise Tulkens, Juge à la Cour européenne des droits de l’Homme, à l’ouverture du Forum [Fr]

More informations on the Justice Forum

Activities carried out with FIDH member organisations in Yerevan during the 37th Congress

Press conference ahead of the forum, attended by many journalists from the Armenian and regional press

FIDH’s 37th Congress saluted the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide. Delegates from all FIDH member organisations visited the Memorial to the Armenian Genocide

A fir tree was planted on behalf of FIDH’s leagues in memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide, with the inscription "Memory. Justice. Peace. From the 37th Congress of the International Federation for Human Rights, Yerevan, 10 April, 2010", in English and Armenian.

A historic moment: during FIDH’s 37th Congress, FIDH member organisations in Armenia (the Civil Society Institute, CSI) and Turkey (Human Rights Foundation of Turkey, HRFT and Insan Haklari Derneg, IHD) drew up a joint declaration.

Press conference of 9 April 2010 during which the joint declaration was made public

Internal Congress

Elections

The new International Board was elected by FIDH member organisations on 10 April 2010 at the end of its 37th Congress in Yerevan (Armenia)



Resolutions

Resolutions were adopted by representatives of FIDH’s leagues defining the general thrust of its actions and strategies for the next three years.

Resolutions

Composition of the newly elected International Board

Press review : Armenian Press (1)

(PDF – 4.5 Mo)

  • Press review : Armenian Press (2)
    (PDF – 948 ko)
  • Press review : Russian
    (PDF – 5.1 Mo)
  • Press review : English
    (PDF – 4.1 Mo)

  • Press review : French

    (PDF – 229.3 ko)

  • Press review : Spanish
    (PDF – 228.8 ko)
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