COMMITTED TO THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS SINCE 1968

The Unione forense per la tutela dei diritti umani is an association of lawyers, founded on March 2, 1968, with the dual purpose of spreading knowledge of domestic and international standards concerning the protection of human rights through education and promoting the concrete and effective compliance with such standards in court, out of court, in the administrative and legislative fields through advocacy.
Each activity of the association is related to a specific strategic area and always has the promotion and guarantee of the universal exercise of human rights as its ultimate goal. Indeed, it is the driving force behind all activities of the association.
Within these two areas, the association has paid particular attention to some specific rights, which are considered a priority for the importance they hold in the Italian and international context: fighting against discrimination, immigration, asylum and statelessness, right to health, environmental protection, rights of minors, freedom of the press and freedom of expression.
A particularly important asset of the Association is represented by the network of connections with jurists and human rights activists in European countries and those that are part of the Mediterranean basin. UFDU’s initiative to create a Permanent Commission on Human Rights in the Mediterranean, whose statute has already been approved by independent jurists of high prestige from many countries in Northern and Southern Europe, has led to considerable interest in the field. The association has also established collaborative relationships with various international organizations, it is an affiliated member of the Fédération International des Droits de l’Homme (FIDH) and it has joined IDHAE, the Institute for Human Rights of European Lawyers.
The Unione forense per la tutela dei diritti umani has been publishing the quarterly scientific journal “I diritti dell’uomo. Cronache e battaglie” since 1990. The Presidency of the Council of Ministers, the Department of Information and Publishing, as part of the Human Rights Observatory, and the Ministry of Culture have recognized its high scientific and cultural value. To date, the journal is a valuable reference tool for practitioners of justice, human rights activists, action movements and non-governmental organizations.
The National Bar Association recognized the Unione’s status as one of the “most representative specialized legal associations” and, in this capacity, the Unione organizes high-level training courses for lawyers.