We explain what freedom of association is, why it is important for society and how it is included among Human Rights.
What is freedom of association?
Freedom of association or the right to free association is a fundamental human right, which is that any person or group of people can come together freely to form associations, organizations or groups (or freely withdraw from them).
This right defends those groups that have lawful purposes and respect the fundamental human rights of others. That is, this right does not protect those who associate to commit crimes.
freedom of association It is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in its 20th article, which reads:
- Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
- No one may be forced to belong to an association.
As explained there, this fundamental freedom guarantees that only our own desire is what commits us to a specific group: we can join it if we want (and if we meet its entry requirements), and we can leave it if we want. that's how we want it. No one can force us to do otherwise through force or coercion.
The right to free association is key to a healthy society, in which plurality and individual freedoms dominate, where people can join forces to achieve a goal or support an initiative, whether for profit or not. Political parties, commercial companies, ecological militancy, support groups, community organizations and a long etcetera are examples of the types of association that this right guarantees.
There are notable exceptions, linked to the public sphere and individual professional responsibility, such as professional memberships, State institutions and other similar associations whose membership is mandatory for some or all citizens.
For example, the formal practice of law usually requires the supervision of the bar association, in order to ensure ethics and responsibility in the exercise of the profession. Even so, a person can freely unsubscribe, but must accept the consequence that their professional practice of law will not be formally recognized.
Continue with: Freedom of movement
References
- “Freedom of association” on Wikipedia.
- “Freedom of association” in Civilis Human Rights.
- “What does my right to freedom of association mean?” in Government of Mexico.
- “Freedom of Assembly” in Human Rights Watch.
- “Right to Assembly (law and legal right)” in The Encyclopaedia Britannica.
