Amnesty International

Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization with the stated purpose of promoting all the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international standards. In particular, Amnesty International campaigns to free all prisoners of conscience; to ensure fair and prompt trials for political prisoners; to abolish the death penalty, torture, and other treatment of prisoners it regards as cruel; to end political killings and forced disappearances; and to oppose all human rights abuses, whether by governments or by other groups.

Organization

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Amnesty International is governed by the International Executive Council (IEC) – a board of eight members elected for two-year terms by the International Council Meeting, which is itself composed of delegates from each country's Board of Directors. The IEC hires a Secretary General (since 2001, Irene Khan) and an International Secretariat, located in London.

Related Topics:
Irene Khan - London

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National and local organizational structures vary. In the United States, individual members, regardless of age, and each individual organization votes to elect members to the 18-seat national Board of Directors for a three-year term. The Board of Directors hires an Executive Director and a staff.

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Secretary Generals

• Peter Benenson, 1961–1966 (President)
• Eric Baker, 1966–1968
• Martin Ennals, 1968–1980
• Thomas Hammarberg, 1980–1986
• Ian Martin, 1986–1992
• Pierre Sané, 1992–2001
• Irene Khan, 2001–present

Finances

Amnesty International is a non-partisan organization financed largely by subscriptions and donations from its worldwide membership, and except for a small core of paid directors, all of Amnesty's members, coordinators, organizers, and workers are volunteers. It does not accept donations from governments or governmental organizations. Amnesty's budget for the 2000 fiscal year included:

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• Membership Support: £2,486,700 (13%)
• Campaigning Activities: £1,811,200 (10%)
• Publications and Translation: £2,487,200 (13%)
• Research and Action: £5,065,100 (26%)
• Deconcentrated Offices: £1,246,300 (7%)
• Research and Action Support: £2,615,900 (14%)
• Administrative Costs: £3,247,200 (17%)
• Relief Payments: £125,000
• Total: £19,510,000