Within the U.S., the American Association for the International Commission of Jurists works closely with the American Bar Association, with state and local bar societies, and with legal scholars and academic institutions. It maintains contact as appropriate with members of the Senate and House of Representatives, the Department of State, and other relevant organizations and individuals in the public and private sectors in order to provide analyses and information on human rights developments.
The AAICJ is a close observer and, when required, a vigilant critic of United States policies concerned with human rights goals. It believes that informed citizen participation is essential for an international human rights policy fully responsive to American values and traditions.
The AAICJ is dedicated to fostering a wider and more meaningful acceptance of provisions in the United Nations Charter which assert that all member nations have the obligation to observe and respect human rights. The AAICJ believes that the International Bill of Human Rights – comprising the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the two International Protocols on Human Rights and the Optional Protocol on Civil and Political Rights – must be considered as totality in United Nations theory and practice.
