Facing the damages caused by the world economic crisis affecting the most vulnerable social groups, we are wondering if the human cause is still heard as it was before; is it still mobilizing the populations? Human rights defenders think that the world crisis has paradoxically opened their eyes to the economic and social rights, which are the fundamental aspects of human rights. The economic and financial crisis might have shown the pervert side of a very fast globalization of international exchanges, affecting whole sections of the south countries populations. A situation exacerbated in the absence of solidarity measures able to lessen the crisis effects.
In this perspective, the 4th World Forum on Human Rights will be held in Nantes (France), from 28 June to 1st July 2010. The meeting seeks to analyse the situation of human rights facing up the crisis. It takes for topic the significant question: “facing up the crisis, what kind of human rights?” The 2010 Forum will try to consider the different aspects of the world crisis and its consequences on the economic, social, financial, political, ethical and environmental levels.

Initiated in 2004 by the UNESCO, the forum’s importance resides in its openness to all entities concerned by defending and protecting human rights: NGOs, politicians, international organizations representatives, experts, academics, etc. The purpose is to strengthen dialogue and exchange good practices between these different parties called to take concerted actions within the scope of solidarity transnational network organisation, with view to protect and respect human rights.