About the Urgent Action Network (UAN)
History / International UAN Network / The UAN in Canada / You can join the UAN / Is the UAN Effective?
A peasant activist 'disappears' in Mexico. In Turkey, a journalist is arrested and feared at risk of torture. Environmentalists in Kenya are imprisoned and ill-treated. An elderly political prisoner in Indonesia is denied medical care...
Every day, around the world, people from all walks of life are imprisoned, tortured or killed for peacefully exercising their basic human rights. And every day, Amnesty International works to free prisoners of conscience, stop 'disappearances' and torture, and speak for those whose voices have been silenced.
Amnesty campaigns for human rights in many ways, but when the immediate safety of someone is at risk, the method of choice is the Urgent Action Network (UAN). UAN participants stand by ready to send urgent faxes, letters and occasionally emails and telegrams to authorities around the world for individuals:
- at risk of torture / ill-treatment
- who disappear in detention
- with urgent health needs
- for whom AI has an urgent legal concern, such as unlawful arrest or incommunicado detention
- participating in a hunger strike in protest against a human rights abuse which falls within Amnesty International's mandate
- threatened with imminent execution
- faced with imminent repatriation (refoulement) who may be at risk of torture, 'disappearance' or death as a direct result
- threatened with or subject to extrajudicial execution by deliberate order or complicity by a government.
A Brief History of the Urgent Action Network
On December 10, 1972 (the 24th Anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights) Amnesty International initiated its Campaign for the Abolition of Torture. Its purpose was to arouse public consciousness throughout the world regarding the systematic use of torture by governments.
A little more than two months later, Amnesty would get its first opportunity to respond quickly to a situation: Luis Basilio Rossi, Professor of Brazilian History at Sao Paulo University, Brazil, was being tortured and his wife turned to the organization for help. A first "Urgent Action" was issued to Amnesty International members and the professor was released. Later that year, on December 10, 1973, after extensive publicity and in an effort to provide specific directions for future activities, A.I. held its Conference for the Abolition of Torture in Paris. The conference produced a large number of recommendations and proposals for future action, one of which was the establishment of a program to respond to situations of individuals who are under the threat of torture. Out of that commitment came the formation of the Urgent Action Network. In the first year, 11 new cases were issued. We currently respond to more than 500 annually.
The Urgent Action Network has since expanded its focus to include writing on behalf of prisoners at risk of: ill-treatment, death threats, the death penalty, 'disappearance', forced repatriation, extrajudicial execution, untreated health problems, unacknowledged detention and denial of access to legal counsel.
The International Network
When researchers at Amnesty's International Secretariat in London (U.K.) receive word of an individual at immediate risk, they prepare an Urgent Action casesheet. Each two-page casesheet has a UA number, the individual's name, the type of concern, details about the case and background information regarding relevant patterns of human rights violations in the country. There is also a list of Recommended Actions - suggestions as to which points should be raised in appeals - as well as addresses of authorities to whom appeals are to be sent.
Urgent Actions are distributed by the International Secretariat by email, fax or airmail to Sections worldwide who then distribute these to members of the UA network asking them to send appeals by the fastest means possible. There are more than 80,000 members participating in the UAN representing 80 countries and each case (or follow-up) can generate between 3,000 and 5,000 appeals! In 11 countries (including Canada), UA Coordinators have the ability to respond to emergencies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The Urgent Action Network in Canada
The UAN's 2000 Canadian members (consisting of both individuals and groups) play a major part in the worldwide network. Ours is one of the most 'wired' networks. We estimate that 75% or more of Canada's members receive their UAs via email and another 5% via fax. These same individuals then fax or mail off their appeal letters within hours. This speed is critical when time can mean the difference between life and death.
Is the UAN an Effective Human Rights Technique?
Amnesty International cannot claim to be directly responsible for the release, or improvement in the conditions of detention, of prisoners on whose behalf Urgent Action appeals have been issued because the authorities rarely let us know what impact our appeals have. However, some improvement is reported in more than one-third of the Urgent Action cases issued: that is, death sentences are commuted, people 'reappear', the whereabouts of detained persons are announced (thus reducing the chances of torture) or seriously ill prisoners are given medical attention.
Experience indicates that governments are concerned about their reputation, and are sensitive to international public opinion. Furthermore, the fact that AI is constantly approached with requests for help from released prisoners, relatives of prisoners, lawyers and other human rights groups suggests a widespread belief in the effectiveness of Amnesty International's techniques.
And, almost always, the knowledge that someone cares helps to sustain the families and friends of victims of human rights abuses. As the wife of Luiz Basilio Rossi said,
"We were heartened to know that people outside Brazil knew what was going on, that they cared, and that they were prepared to do something about it. It gave us great comfort and hope."
You can join the UAN
Most UAN participants are individuals like you - people who sit at their kitchen table to handwrite their letters, or who use their workplace computers at lunch time to respond to actions. Community groups, religious groups and student groups are also active participants in the UAN.
If you are able to write letters on a regular basis and respond quickly to cases as they arrive, we invite you to join the Urgent Action Network.
To join, please email your request to members@amnesty.ca. In your email, please include your full name, your mailing address, and how often you would like us to send you UAs (a common choice is one per month). Your UAs will be emailed to you unless you specify that you wish to receive them by regular mail or fax. The UAN Coordinators will register you and send you your first action without delay. Click here to read Amnesty's privacy policy.
In addition to the regular Urgent Actions, once per month the Coordinators also prepare an action specially for children and for people learning English as a second language. Click for more information on the monthly Lifesaver.
We encourage Urgent Action Network participants to also become formal members of Amnesty International. Click to join Amnesty International or renew your membership.
Contact the Urgent Action Network
Marilyn McKim, Urgent Actions
Amnesty International Canada
1992 Yonge Street, 3rd floor
Toronto, Ontario M4S 1Z7
(416) 363 9933 ext 325
www.amnesty.ca/urgentaction
For more information about other specialized action networks, click here.