Would the lawyers who founded Avocats Sans Frontières in 1992 have foreseen that this organisation would today be internationally recognised for its expertise in the field of access to justice?
Thanks to you, ASF turned 20 this past year, having celebrated two decades of active commitment for human rights. We are grateful to those of you who have provided us with your longstanding support and those of you who have more recently taken interest in us.
The world will not dramatically change in 2013. Whether in Colombia, in Eastern Congo or in Tunisia, the rights of the most vulnerable people will not be fully respected.
Nevertheless, we can act for more accessible justice, for more perpetrators of human rights violations to be tried by the justice system, and for more widespread acknowledgement of victims. As in 2012, 2011 and each year since our first missions, we will pursue our work in the field, alongside populations in need of justice, as well as with our partners, lawyers, bar associations and civil society organisations.
Poverty will not disappear in 2013. The Millennium Development Goals to which the international community committed to will not be met.
This is the reason why we will appeal States and donors to invest in the field of justice. Because fighting poverty will continue to be ineffective without improved access to justice and remedy for the most marginalised people in society.
Despite the economic crisis, ASF will meet the challenges that 2013 will bring. Because we, as do you, consider injustice to be unacceptable.
The ASF teams
