History - Creating new human rights safeguards
Amnesty International is helping to build a world where respect for human rights is an integral part of the everyday life of the international community and its institutions.
In the early 1990s - especially at the 1993 Vienna World Conference on Human Rights - Amnesty International campaigned for a United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. The office would be a high-level human rights advocate within the UN system.
Today this position exists and is a strong voice for human rights within the UN.
In the mid-1990s Amnesty International joined with other organizations and concerned governments to create a permanent International Criminal Court. This world court would bring to justice those responsible for the worst human rights crimes, regardless of where they take place and who is responsible.
After years of intense campaigning, including leadership by the Canadian government, the permanent court was established on July 1, 2002 and has now begun its work.