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International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)

Website:

www.fidh.org/en/
Type:

Non-Governmental Organization (NGO)
Formation:

1922
Location:

Paris, France
President:

Alice Mogwe
Budget (2022):

Revenue – €8,960,716
Expenses – €8,828,472 1

References

  1. “Nos financements.” Fdration internationale pour les droits humains. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.fidh.org/fr/qui-sommes-nous/nos-financements/.

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The International Federation for Human Rights (known by the French-language-derived acronym FIDH) is an international non-governmental organization that advocates supporting human rights laws that pertain to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations in 1948 to uphold all “civil, political, economic, social and cultural” rights. 1 2

The organization supports Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (better known by its acronym BDS), an international campaign to delegitimize the State of Israel as the expression of the Jewish people’s right to national self-determination by isolating the country economically. 3 4

The organization receives funding from international and national institutions as well as private grantmaking foundations including Open Society Foundations, Sigrid Rausing Trust, and the Ford Foundation. 5 6 7

Background

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that advocates supporting human rights laws that pertain to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations in 1948 to uphold all “civil, political, economic, social and cultural” rights. 8 9

FIDH was founded in 1922 by approximately 20 national organizations, making it the first international human rights organization. FIDH proposed the creation of an international criminal court, as well as an “international declaration of human rights,” in 1927. According to its website, the organization was “dispersed or forced underground during the Second World War,” but reformed after it ended. The organization states that two of its leaders at the time, Rene Cassin and Joseph-Paul Boncour, assisted in drafting the UN-adopted Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 10

Affiliated Organizations

The International Federation for Human Rights is comprised of 188 organizations across 116 countries as of 2022. 11

Such member organizations include the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, a non-governmental organization that opposes Israeli law; the Center for Constitutional Rights, a center-left legal advocacy group involved in issues related to race and ethnicity, immigration, limits on war-related government power, LGBT and gender issues, and other matters; and the Center for Justice and Accountability, a U.S.-based nonprofit international human rights organization. 12 13

FIDH is also partnered with the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights (“RFK Center”), a human rights advocacy and litigation organization. It is run by Kerry Kennedy, one of the seven children of the late U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy (D-NY) and his wife Ethel. 14 15

Criticism

The International Federation for Human Rights elected Shawan Jabarin, the general director of Al Haq, as the secretary general of FIDH in August 2016. Al-Haq is a Palestinian non-governmental organization. 16 17

FIDH also supports Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (better known by its acronym BDS), an international campaign to delegitimize the State of Israel as the expression of the Jewish people’s right to national self-determination by isolating the country economically through consumer boycotts, business and government withdrawal of investment, and legal sanctions. 18 19

After Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, FIDH blamed Israel for the attack, claiming “the cycle of violence is a predictable result of Israel’s illegal occupation and apartheid regime.” 20

Financials

The International Federation for Human Rights had a total revenue amount of approximately €8.9 million (slightly less than $9.6 million) in 2022, while its total expenses amounted to around €8.8 million (just under $9.5 million). 21

Funding

The International Federation for Human Rights receives most of its revenue from private grantmaking foundations and international, and national, institutions. 22 Partners and donors that are listed on its website as international and national institutions include the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, Irish Aid, and the European Commission, the main executive arm of the European Union. 23

FIDH also received funding from private grantmaking foundations. The Open Society Foundations (OSF, formally Open Society Institute) is a private grantmaking foundation created and funded by billionaire financier and liberal philanthropist George Soros. OSF granted FIDH a total of $3,425,000 from 2016 to 2022. 24

The Sigrid Rausing Trust is a grantmaking organization that provides funding for several programs that support efforts towards defending human rights, protecting marginalized populations from violence and discrimination, and environmental advocacy. The organization granted FIDH $480,000 in 2015. 25 26

The Ford Foundation granted FIDH a total of $2.8 million from July 2010 to July 2017. 27

References

  1. Mogwe, Alice. “International Federation for Human Rights.” International Federation for Human Rights. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.fidh.org/en/about-us/What-is-FIDH/.
  2. “Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” United Nations. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights.
  3. Admin, The CJN. “Calling out BDS anti-Semitism.” Canadian Jewish News. August 26, 2015. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://thecjn.ca/perspectives/opinions/calling-bds-anti-semitism/.
  4. “FIDH supports the right to participate in and call for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions.” July 20, 2016. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.fidh.org/en/region/north-africa-middle-east/israel-palestine/fidh-supports-the-right-to-participate-in-and-call-for-boycott.
  5. “Open Society Foundations – Awarded Grants, Scholarships, and Fellowships.” Open Society Foundations. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/past?filter_keyword=International+Federation+for+Human+Rights.
  6. “Annual Report – 2015.” Sigrid Rausing Trust. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.sigrid-rausing-trust.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/SRT-Annual-Report-2015.pdf.
  7. “Grants Database.” Ford Foundation. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/?search=International+Federation+for+Human+Rights.
  8. Mogwe, Alice. “International Federation for Human Rights.” International Federation for Human Rights. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.fidh.org/en/about-us/What-is-FIDH/.
  9. “Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” United Nations. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights.
  10. Mogwe, Alice. “International Federation for Human Rights.” International Federation for Human Rights. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.fidh.org/en/about-us/What-is-FIDH/.
  11. “Our organisation.” International Federation for Human Rights. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.fidh.org/en/about-us/our-organisation/.
  12. Mogwe, Alice. “International Federation for Human Rights.” International Federation for Human Rights. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.fidh.org/en/about-us/What-is-FIDH/.
  13. “What We Do.” Center for Constitutional Rights. May 20, 2019. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://ccrjustice.org/home/what-we-do.
  14. [1] “Our Partners.” RFK Human Rights. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://rfkhumanrights.org/who-we-are/partners?page=5.
  15. “Kerry Kennedy.” RFK Human Rights. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://rfkhumanrights.org/who-we-are/our-people/kerry-kennedy.
  16. “About Al-Haq.” April 4, 2023. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.alhaq.org/about-alhaq/7136.html.
  17. Duby, Justine. December 1, 2020. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.coordinationsud.org/wp-content/uploads/Tdr_Audit-financier_AFD_FIDH-mondialisation-valid%C3%A9-AFD-VF.pdf.
  18. [1] Admin, The CJN. “Calling out BDS anti-Semitism.” Canadian Jewish News. August 26, 2015. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://thecjn.ca/perspectives/opinions/calling-bds-anti-semitism/.
  19. “FIDH supports the right to participate in and call for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions.” July 20, 2016. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.fidh.org/en/region/north-africa-middle-east/israel-palestine/fidh-supports-the-right-to-participate-in-and-call-for-boycott.
  20. “Israel/Palestine: FIDH condemns the escalation of violence and double standards.” November 10, 2023. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.fidh.org/en/region/north-africa-middle-east/israel-palestine/israel-palestine-the-international-federation-for-human-rights.
  21. “Nos financements.” Fdration internationale pour les droits humains. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.fidh.org/fr/qui-sommes-nous/nos-financements/.
  22. “Our funding.” International Federation for Human Rights. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.fidh.org/en/about-us/our-funding/.
  23. “Our funding.” International Federation for Human Rights. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.fidh.org/en/about-us/our-funding/.
  24. “Open Society Foundations – Awarded Grants, Scholarships, and Fellowships.” Open Society Foundations. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/past?filter_keyword=International+Federation+for+Human+Rights.
  25. “What we do.” The Sigrid Rausing Trust. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.sigrid-rausing-trust.org/what-we-do/.
  26. “Annual Report – 2015.” Sigrid Rausing Trust. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.sigrid-rausing-trust.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/SRT-Annual-Report-2015.pdf.
  27. “Grants Database.” Ford Foundation. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/?search=International+Federation+for+Human+Rights.
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