Background

In May 2001, 140 academics, activists and representatives of civil society organizations from Africa, Latin America and Asia – the so-called Global South – gathered in São Paulo (Brazil) for the 1^st International Human Rights Colloquium. The meeting was held to debate and reinforce the perception of the need to intensify South-South collaboration and to connect people and organizations working for human rights in different countries. Banking on this idea, the non-governmental organization Conectas Human Rights was created in September of the same year.

In many countries of the Global South, the establishment or return of democracy raised expectations that human rights would be respected. However, violations of these rights and social vulnerability still persist. Many States do not safeguard the fundamental rights of their citizens, whether due to incapacity or lack of political will.

In this context, civil society organizations and activists are determined to strengthen democratic practices and consolidate the demands for government transparency and efficiency. This has made them some of the leading forces in the struggle for the realization of economic, social, cultural, environmental, civil and political rights. It is important to emphasize that these fundamental rights were created and reinforced by international treaties signed within the sphere of the United Nations and other multilateral organizations.

For the work of these organizations to be successful, given the challenge of transforming the state of affairs, it is extremely important not only to have access to successful practices and resources on a local and international level, but also for these organizations to establish and participate in national, regional and international cooperation networks.

After a decade of commitment to promoting the realization of human rights and consolidating the Democratic Rule of Law, Conectas broadened its activities. To achieve its mission, it created the Global South and the Justice Programs. The initiative to build a collaborative environment and support the sharing of experiences between the human rights organizations of Africa, Latin America and Asia remains at the heart of the organization.