Over the past decades, Human Rights Internet (HRI) in Ottawa has been serving as
an unofficial depository for the documentation produced by non-governmental
human rights organizations (NGO's) throughout the world. During these years the
organization has gained Consultative Status with the United Nations and Observer
Status with the African Commission on Human and People's Rights. The effective
worldwide network in which Human Rights Internet operates, ensures the
availability of a vast amount of material that otherwise would not be
retrievable from the country of origin. It brings together a wide variety of
reports on human rights issues, which would otherwise be very difficult to
locate, obtain and consult. Many of the publications originate directly from
countries where human rights are challenged. The collection which HRI has
amassed over the last twenty-five years includes publications by more than 350
nongovernmental organizations.
Human Rights Internet was affiliated with Harvard University's Faculty of Law
from 1985 until 1990 (the organization was independent but worked in cooperation
with the faculty's Human Rights Program). In 1990 HRI moved to Ottawa and was
initially affiliated with the University of Ottawa (again, the organization was
independent, but worked in cooperation with the university's Human Rights
Research and Education Centre). In 1994 HRI left the university premises and now
works entirely independently from its office in Ottawa.
Website:
http://www.hri.ca/about.aspx
