The European Coordination Committee for Human Rights Documentation (ECCHRD) is a regional network of human rights
documentation centres and human rights organisations based in Europe. Since the ECCHRD was established, in the early
1980's, it has held 26 meetings. In the beginning years the meetings were bi-annual, but since 1989 the meetings of
the ECCHRD are held annual.
The ECCHRD does not have a formal membership and has no governing body. The secretariat is rotating among active network
members.
Participants of the ECCHRD meetings are documentalist and information workers from European based NGO's, IGO's and
academic institutions.
Since the founding of the ECCHRD, the world had seen a tremendous development in information technology, which was
very beneficial to the work of documentalists.
The Human Rights Directorate of the Council of Europe has provided logistical support to it throughout the years, and the
International Institute of Human Rights in Strasbourg and the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims
in Copenhagen maintained its Secretariat for several years. HURIDOCS activities in Europe and world-wide have always
been prominent on the agenda. As from 1994, several participants from Central and Eastern Europe could attend the meeting.
The participants of the ECCHRD meetings see them as a possibility to exchange information and experiences.
The ECCHRD as such does not envisage to organise additional activities besides the annual meetings,
but is certainly helpful in building up and maintaining contacts between the participating organisations.
History | Meetings | News | Secretariat