International Association of Democratic Lawyers

International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL) is an international organization of left-wing and progressive jurists' associations with sections and members in 50 countries and territories.^[1][2] Along with facilitating contact and exchange of views between and among lawyers and lawyers' associations of all countries, the IADL works to conduct research on legal issues affecting human, political and economic rights, organizes international commissions of enquiry and conferences on legal and judicial concerns, and takes part in international legal observer missions.^[3][4] Through its activities the Association works as a recognized consultative organization with the United Nations through ECOSOC, UNESCO and UNICEF.^[3]

History

The Association was founded in Paris in 1946 by leftist French lawyers with connections to the French resistance.^{[5]: 62 [6][7]} Many of its founders served as prosecutors at the Nuremberg trials.^[8] Its first president was René Cassin, who was largely responsible for writing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.^[9]

The IADL stated that it had documented proof of the US dropping poisoned mosquitoes on North Koreans and mass-torturing civilians during the Korean War. Cassin resigned his presidency in 1951 due to the resulting U.S. pressure, and the US successfully lobbied France to expel the headquarters of what it considered a communist front from Paris.^[10] The Central Intelligence Agency started funding the International Commission of Jurists to counter the IADL.^[11]

From 1967 the IADL was one of the original NGOs accredited with Consultative II Status with ECOSOC and is represented at UNESCO and UNICEF.^[12] The Association is also a member of the Conference of NGOs (CONGO) of the United Nations.^[12]

In 1990, the Soviet Union funded the organization with 100,000 US dollars.^[13]

Headquarters

International Headquarters – Rue Brialmont 21, B-1210, Brussels, Belgium^[3]

International Secretariat – Ito Bldg 2nd Floor, Yotsuya 1–2, Shinjuku-ku, 160–0004, Tokyo, Japan^[3]

Organization

The IADL is organized on the basis of institutional member organizations, regional and affiliated sections, groups and individual membership, representing about 200,000 members in all.^[3]

Institutional Members:

• Bangladesh – Democratic Lawyers Association of Bangladesh (DLAB)^[14]
• Belgium – Progress Lawyers Network^[14] As of 2010 it has offices in Antwerp and Brussels.^[15]
• Bulgaria – Union of Jurists in Bulgaria^[14]
• Cuba – Unión Nacional de Juristas de Cuba^[14]
• Finland – Suomen Demokraattiset Lakimiehet (Oikeuspoliittinen yhdistys Demla [fi])^[16]
• France – Droit Solidarité^[14]
• Germany (West) – Vereinigung Demokratischer Juristen Deutschlands^[17]
• Italy – Giuristi Democratici^[14]
• India – All India Lawyers Union^[14]
• India – Indian Association of Lawyers^[14]
• Japan – Japanese Lawyers International Solidarity Association (JALISA)^[14]
• Morocco – Association Marocaine des Droits Humains^[14]
• North Korea – Korean Democratic Lawyers Organisation^[14]
• Philippines – The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL)^[14]
• United Kingdom – Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers^[14]
• United States – National Lawyers Guild^[14]

Regional and Affiliated Members:

• Arab Lawyers Union^[14]
• American Association of Jurists^[14]
• Palestinian Centre for Human Rights^[14]
• European Association of Lawyers for Democracy and World Human Rights^[14]
• European Lawyers for Democracy and Human Rights
• European Democratic Lawyers. Its member organizations are:^[18]
  • Belgium – Le Syndicat des Avocats pour la Démocratie (S.A D.)
  • France – Le Syndicat des Avocats de France (S.A.F.)
  • Germany – Der Republikanische Anwältinnen und Anwälteverein (RAV)
  • Italy – La Confederazione Nazionale Delle Associazioni Sindicali Forensi d 'Italia
  • Italy – L'Iniziativa Democratica Forense (I.D.F.)
  • Italy – Legal Team Italia ( L.T.I.)
  • Netherlands – De Vereniging Sociale Advokatuur Nederland (VSAN)
  • Spain – L 'Associació Catalana per a la Defensa dels Drets Humans (A.C.D.D.H)
  • Spain – La Asociación Libre de Abogados (ALA)
  • Spain – Euskal Herriko Abokatuen Elkartea (ESKUBIDEAK)

Activities

• IADL sent a team to investigate allegations of biological warfare in the Korean War in 1951, and published "Report on U.S. Crimes in Korea", alleging the United States has used biological weapons during Korean War.^[19]
• In 2006, IADL claimed that the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti was manipulated by the United States, and called for the release of members of leftist party Fanmi Lavalas.^[20]
• IADL filed an amicus curiae with the US Supreme Court in 2009 relating to the trial of five Cuban intelligence officers who were convicted in Miami of conspiracy to commit espionage and murder. The IADL stated that the large Cuban exile population in Miami "supports many political and paramilitary groups dedicated to the overthrow of the Castro government". As a result, the IADL believed that the defendants had not received "a fair trial by an impartial fact finder".^[9]
• IADL made statement saying they oppose the use of military force against Syria and Iran in 2012.^[21]

Economic and Social Council consultative status

IADL applied for Category B consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council in 1954, 1955, 1957 and 1959, but the application was rejected.^{[22][23][24][25]} The application was accepted in 1967.^[26][27]

At the end of 1967, there were 377 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) which the United Nations Economic and Social Council could consult on questions with which they are concerned.^{[citation needed]}

The organizations are divided into three groups: those in Category A, which have a basic interest in most of the activities of the council; those in Category B, which have a special competence but are concerned with only a few of the council's activities; and those with a significant contribution to make to the council's work, which are placed on a Register for ad hoc consultations. At the end of 1967, there were 143 NGOs with Category B status.^[26]

See also

• International Organization of Journalists
• International Union of Students
• Women's International Democratic Federation
• World Federation of Trade Unions
• World Federation of Democratic Youth
• World Federation of Scientific Workers
• World Peace Council

References

1. "Our Aims". November 29, 2015.
2. . Archived from the original on 2013-06-22. Retrieved 2013-07-28.
3. . Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-07.
4. IADL
5. Yves Dezalay, Bryant G. Garth (2002). The Internationalization of Palace Wars: Lawyers, Economists, and the Contest to Transform Latin American States. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-14426-7.
6. Donert, Celia (12 April 2016). "From Communist Internationalism to Human Rights: Gender, Violence and International Law in the Women's International Democratic Federation Mission to North Korea, 1951". Contemporary European History. 25 (2): 313–333. doi:10.1017/S0960777316000096. S2CID 159814571.
7. Van Daal, A.J.M. (October 1955). Under False Colors: A report on the Character of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers (PDF). The Hague: International Commission of Jurists.
8. New York City Law Review, Volumes 9-10. 2005. p. 1
9. "No. 08-987 in the Supreme Court of the United States – RUBEN CAMPA, RENE GONZALEZ, ANTONIO GUERRERO, GERARDO HERNANDEZ, AND LUIS MENDINA, PETITIONERS v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" (PDF).
10. Tolley, Jr., Howard B. (2010). The International Commission of Jurists: Global Advocates for Human Rights. University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 28–29. ISBN 978-0812203158.
11. Tolley, Jr., Howard B. (2010). The International Commission of Jurists: Global Advocates for Human Rights. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 31. ISBN 978-0812203158.
12. . Archived from the original on 2015-02-18. Retrieved 2015-03-07.
13. Richard Felix Staar (1991). Foreign policies of the Soviet Union. Hoover Institution Press, Stanford University. p. 80. ISBN 9780817991029
14. . Archived from the original on 2010-07-07. Retrieved 2010-07-02.
15. "Progress Lawyers Network | Welkom | Bienvenue". www.progresslaw.net.
16. . Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2010-07-02.
17. (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-12. Retrieved 2010-07-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
18. "Avocats Européens Démocrates – European Democratic Lawyers".
19. (PDF). International Association of Democratic Lawyers. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-10-02. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
20. "International Association of Democratic Lawyers Calls on UN to Respect Haiti's Sovereignty". Political Affairs. April 19, 2006. Archived from the original on August 2, 2013.
21. Marjorie Cohn (March 24, 2012). . Archived from the original on July 19, 2013.
22. "Chapter XIX Consultative Arrangements with Non-Governmental Organizations". 1954 Yearbook of the United Nations (pdf). United Nations. p. 303. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-08-01.
23. "Chapter XVII Consultative Arrangements with Non-Governmental Organizations". 1955 Yearbook of the United Nations (pdf). United Nations. p. 238. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-08-01.
24. "Chapter XVI Consultative Arrangements with Non-Governmental Organizations". 1957 Yearbook of the United Nations (pdf). United Nations. p. 279. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-08-01.
25. "Chapter XIV Consultative Arrangements with Non-Governmental Organizations". 1959 Yearbook of the United Nations (pdf). United Nations. p. 280. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-08-01.
26. "Chapter XXII Consultative Arrangements with Non-Governmental Organizations". 1967 Yearbook of the United Nations (pdf). United Nations. pp. 562–564. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-08-01.
27. "List of non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council as of 1 September 2010" (PDF). United Nations. 1 September 2010. p. 38.

External links

• Official website