What is Amnesty International?

Amnesty International is a worldwide movement of people with close to two million supporters dedicated to the protection and promotion of human rights. We are building a world in which every person enjoys the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards.

The way we work:

• Amnesty International takes action to stop grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience and expression, and freedom from discrimination.
  
  We campaign, for example, to free prisoners of conscience, ensure fair trials for political prisoners, protect refugees, abolish the death penalty, end political killings, “disappearances” and torture, and bring to justice those responsible for human rights violations.
  
  
• Amnesty International seeks to expose human rights abuses accurately and quickly. We independently and impartially research and publicize the facts of individual cases and patterns of human rights abuses.
  
  
• Our members, supporters and staff then mobilize persistent public pressure on governments, armed political groups, companies and others to prevent and stop these violations.
  
  
• Amnesty International promotes public awareness and understanding of the full range of human rights, and we work within a global community of organizations to ensure broad support and respect for all human rights.
  

Independence and impartiality

Amnesty International is independent of any government, political persuasion, and religious creed. To maintain our impartiality as well as to safeguard our members, AI members do not work on cases from their own country. AI is funded by its worldwide membership and donors; no funds are sought or accepted from governments.

The basis for AI's work

Amnesty International's work is based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international covenants, conventions and treaties.