Amnesty International

Amnesty International (AI) is a global non-for-profit organisation whose mission is to undertake research and action aimed at preventing and ending abuses of human rights.

The organisation is based on worldwide voluntary membership and it consists of national branches (sections and structures), international networks, affiliated groups, and international members. It also has regional offices in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.

AI activities can be grouped in three main categories: research (looking at human rights violations by governments and others worldwide), advocacy and lobbying (with the aim to determine governments and companies to respect and protect human rights throughout their activities), and campaigns and other actions (such as petitions, letters, and protests meant to generate change in how human rights are upheld). These activities related to a wide range of human rights-related issues, such as armed conflict, discrimination, freedom of expression, international justice, and corporate responsibility.

Amnesty also works in the area of human rights online, looking into issues such as: freedom of expression in the digital space, censorship, and surveillance. In early 2016, the organisation published a report on encryption and human rights – ‘Encryption: a matter of human rights’.