Amnesty International, International Secretariat

The Amnesty International, International Secretariat Archive contains material dating back to the foundation of the organization in 1961. It holds a collection of governance papers and other material relating to the development of the AI Movement, as well as information about prisoners of consciences and other cases, missions, correspondence and campaigns.

Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) with the stated purpose of campaigning for internationally recognized human rights. 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 held by international law to be cruel or inhumane; to end political killings and forced disappearances; and to oppose all human rights abuses, whether committed by governments or by other groups.

Based in London, the International Secretariat ensures that Amnesty International speaks with one voice globally, by enabling and implementing the work and functioning of the movement. This work includes:

• Conducting research and reporting
• Providing expert legal analysis of our research data, forming the basis of expert lobbying of international government organisations
• Providing endorsed materials to sections for campaigning
• Monitoring AI's financial health

The wider AIIS Archive in London is intended for the primary use of internal staff & researchers and as such is not open to external users. However, enquiries can be made to the Archivist on archives@amnesty.org.

In addition, selected records comprising the official historical AIIS archive is held at the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, which can be consulted at https://search.iisg.amsterdam/Record/ARCH00200