Toulouse will become, for a weekend, a national rallying point for human rights defenders. THE June 20 and 21, 2026, Amnesty International France will organize his Assemblée générale nationale au Pierre Baudis Conference Centera meeting which will bring together several hundred activists from all over France, in person and remotely. For the organization, the event is of particular importance: it is both a time for internal debate, strategic orientation, election of its bodies, but also a moment of public visibility in a city where associative and activist life occupies an important place.
Pour Anne Savinel-Barras, president of Amnesty International Francethe moment goes far beyond the sole associative framework. The organization believes that the current global situation marks “a change of timesâ€with entry into “a new era of fear, instability and violenceâ€. In this reading, Amnesty International warns of the questioning of what has been built for almost 80 anssince the end of the Second World War: international mechanisms for the protection of rights, peace and security. “Predatory leaders seek to destroy the foundations of human rights and the foundations of international law,” warns Anne Savinel-Barras, citing in particular Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu and Vladimir Putinaccused of targeting civilian populations, increasing discrimination, widening inequalities, destroying the planet and extending impunity.
Pour Thierry Galvez, co-secretary of the Amnesty International group in Toulousethis General Assembly is first “an important moment in democratic life†of the organization. “We are a big movement, a big NGO, and all strategic decisions, positioning and orientation decisions also involve democratic life. Members take part in this democratic life, in particular by voting on resolutions…, he explains. In Toulouse, the French section of Amnesty International will have to debate its strategic framework, in an international and national context considered particularly worrying.
A General Assembly to decide on the orientations of Amnesty International France
L’Assemblée générale d’Amnesty International France changes city every year. For 2026, the choice of Toulouse responds to the candidacy submitted by the local teams. “It is a large city, with a richness of activist life and important infrastructure. This gives visibility to the city, but also to the movement in the city…underlines Thierry Galvez.
The Toulouse meeting should allow members of the NGO to discuss the situation of human rights in France and around the world, but also to determine the means of action to be favored for the years to come. The program includes a conference entitled “Orient our strategy to enter into resistanceâ€with representatives ofAmnesty International Spain, United Kingdom et Tunisia. A round table will also be organized on the theme “When the rule of law is attacked: how does the shift take place, how to resist?â€in présence Magali Fourcadesecretary general of the National Consultative Commission on Human Rightsand Wiem Poussedirectrice générale d’Amnesty International Tunisia.
For Thierry Galvez, the period requires the organization to combine long-term vision and rapid reaction capacity. “We need a strategic framework because we need a long-term vision to move everyone in the same direction. But we also need a lot of flexibility, because the world is moving fast…, he analyzes. This reflection takes place in a context that the president of Amnesty International France describes as particularly serious. Under the influence of leaders considered “predators” of human rights, authoritarian practices are spreading across the world, including in countries with a democratic tradition. “France is no exception,†warns Anne Savinel-Barras, who, one year before a decisive electoral deadline, evokes “early signs of a possible shift towards authoritarian practices†. Faced with this “historic†and “extremely difficult†moment, Amnesty International France intends to choose mobilization, resistance and action. “We need to be prepared, to have solid elements to counter all this and resist. Orientation means resisting, defending our rights and freedoms and working towards a more just and united world, for us and for future generations,” summarizes Thierry Galvez.
In Toulouse, a dynamic activist life but crossed by doubt
Beyond the institutional framework of the General Assembly, Amnesty International France also intends to measure the vitality of citizen engagement. In Toulouse, Thierry Galvez observes an active activist life, nourished by demonstrations, committed cultural events and a dense associative fabric. “There is an emulsion, a desire to resist things that are happening…he notes. But this mobilization is also accompanied, according to him, by a feeling of helplessness among certain citizens.
“People sometimes have the impression that activism or actions are not meaningful enough to act in a world that, according to them and according to us too, is going in the wrong direction,†he continues. It is in this space of doubt that Amnesty International intends to play a role: producing documented information, based on surveys, reports and verified facts, far from the immediacy of social networks. “We write reports, we conduct investigations. In conflicts, we seek to have solid, very factual elements. This is also what is sometimes missing in social networks, where information is very fast, very short, and where we no longer always know if it is true or false…, believes the Toulouse representative of the NGO.
This investigative and advocacy work is, according to him, inseparable from strong citizen mobilization. Amnesty International France thus claims a method which combines documentation of human rights violationsthe questioning of political decision-makers and the local action of activists.
Rights to demonstrate, freedom of expression, surveillance: French concerns
As we approach the 2027 electionsAmnesty International France wishes to place human rights back in the public debate. The organization indicates that it does not analyze political parties as such, but the programs, the proposed measures and their potential consequences on fundamental freedoms. Thierry Galvez cites several areas of concern: police violencethe right to demonstratethe freedom of speechthe liberté d’information or even the algorithmic video surveillance.
“A demonstration is a right, it is not a privilege. The State must protect the holding of a demonstration, not prohibit it on grounds of security…, he recalls. In Toulouse, Amnesty International notably observed tensions around freedom of expression, citing the censorship of an exhibition of Médecins Sans Frontières on Gaza as a signal considered worrying. The NGO believes that security should not become a systematic argument for restricting public freedoms.
Another subject of vigilance: the algorithmic video surveillance. Amnesty International had already warned about these devices during the Olympic Games. In Toulouse, Thierry Galvez discusses a recent municipal deliberation aimed at testing this type of tool. “We believe that town halls are not necessarily trained in the consequences that the use of algorithmic video surveillance can have on human rights, nor in the bias and discrimination that can exist behind it,” he explains. The local Amnesty International group has already carried out awareness-raising and advocacy actions on this subject, in particular by organizing a round table with relevant stakeholders.
Making battles sometimes perceived as distant concrete
One of Amnesty International’s major challenges remains mobilizing locally on international crises which may seem distant from the daily lives of citizens. Thierry Galvez recognizes this: human rights violations committed in other countries can sometimes seem abstract. But the challenge, according to him, is precisely to show the dynamics at work. “We can say that this is happening in this or that country, but never in France. But we have to look at the dynamics. If we accept behavior from leaders who are indifferent to international law, there is a risk that this will also give ideas elsewhere,†he warns.
For Amnesty International, international solidarity is therefore not only a moral matter. It also makes it possible to remind States of their own commitments and to avoid a progressive trivialization of attacks on freedoms. “We must not wait for this to directly impact us before taking action. The best way to act is to mobilize, to alert as soon as possible…insists Thierry Galvez. In his eyes, the erosion of rights does not always occur suddenly. It can develop in small stages, until it becomes more difficult to react.
This logic will be at the heart of the Toulouse program. The presence of officials from Amnesty International Spain, the United Kingdom and Tunisia should make it possible to compare perspectives, compare situations and understand how democratic fragilities appear in different national contexts. In a world riddled with conflicts, impunity and violations of international law, Amnesty International France intends to remind that human rights are not a moral supplement, but a basis of collective protection.
An inter-association stroll to tell the story of exile
The Toulouse event will not be limited to the internal debates of the General Assembly. THE Saturday June 20 at 6:30 p.m.a déambulation inter-associative will have Compans-Caffarilli within the framework of the World Refugee Day. Amnesty International will participate alongside several organizations, including Doctors of the World, SOS Méditerranée, RESF 31, ALDA, Lesbians from Toulouse, The Circle of Neighbors, Lawyers for the defense of foreigners and the collective Grain of sandengaged on issues of climate justice and the environment.
The objective will be to make the journey of an exiled person visible through a staging accessible to the public. “We are going to do tableau-theatres, something very visual, a stage expression. We are going to tell the story of a fictional character, Charmin, who has to leave Bangladesh because of rising waters…, explains Thierry Galvez. The character will pass through Libya, cross the Mediterranean, encounter health problems, then have to face procedures in France linked to the right to asylum, residence permit, studies, work and discrimination.
Through this story, each association will intervene at some point along the way, depending on its field of action. SOS Méditerranée will allow us to discuss rescue at sea, Doctors of the World health issues, associations specializing in questions of asylum, residence permits or discrimination linked to sexual orientation. “What is interesting about this event is that we are several associations. We have the same framework, human rights, but each has its function, its objectives and its scope of action. We complement each other…, explains the co-secretary of the Amnesty International group in Toulouse.
The Toulouse group, local relay of an international movement
In Toulouse, Amnesty International relies on several local groups. Thierry Galvez discusses five groups in Greater Toulouse et eighteen groups in the Mediterranean regionwith young antennae. On this Mediterranean perimeter, the organization has approximately 250 active members and près de 4,000 members in the broad sense, that is to say people who have contributed or joined. The Toulouse group to which he belongs brings together approximately 25 active members.
This local network allows Amnesty International to carry out awareness-raising activities among the general public, to organize events, to challenge decision-makers and to relay national or international campaigns. In Toulouse, the topics covered range from refugees to algorithmic video surveillance, including the freedom to demonstrate, international law, the environment and even discrimination.
One of the campaigns mentioned by Thierry Galvez concerns the simplification of procedures for obtaining and renewing residence permits. Amnesty International is calling in particular on the state and prefectures to make these procedures more accessible and less precarious. The NGO also warns of the situations of dependence in which certain foreign workers may find themselves vis-à-vis their employer, when their right to stay conditions their possibility of working.
Companies called upon to take their part
For a regional economic media, the issue of human rights also concerns businesses. Thierry Galvez recalls that Amnesty International works on the responsibility of economic actors, particularly in conjunction with trade union organizations. “The defense of the environment is also part of the defense of human rights, since the damage caused by climate change has a very direct impact on human rights…he emphasizes.
According to him, companies have a responsibility in their choices of production, supply and traceability. He cites in particular the issues linked to globalized chains, working conditions and the risks of serious violations, such as those concerning Uighurs in China. “It is the responsibility of companies to pay attention, to be vigilant and to demonstrate the traceability of what they do and the choices they make,” he believes.
In his eyes, respect for human rights is therefore not just the responsibility of states or NGOs. It also concerns economic players, since their decisions can have consequences on the environment, workers, subcontractors or populations affected by their activities. In this area, vigilance is not only an ethical requirement: it becomes an issue of responsibility, coherence and trust.
“Think about human rights in every actionâ€
At the end of this General Assembly, Amnesty International France intends to send a message to citizens, elected officials and decision-makers. For Anne Savinel-Barras, the period requires us to measure the seriousness of the current historical moment. “Our movement, like many people and associations around the world, is choosing to mobilize and resist, to act with ambition and courage to say no to the world that we seek to impose on us…says the president of Amnesty International France.
For Thierry Galvez, this message is also a conviction: human rights must no longer be perceived as an abstraction or a constraint, but as a common protection framework. “We are in a very negative dynamic for human rights. For a long time, we sometimes have the impression that they are judged as something beautiful, but which is of no use. However, when we delve into it, we see that these are universal things. Everyone must realize that everyone must do their part, he insists.
In Toulouse, Amnesty International France wants to remind you that the protection and defense of human rights is part of both a moral and legal obligation, and opens up essential levers of action. In a world riddled with conflicts, authoritarian withdrawals, disinformation, impunity and the weakening of public freedoms, the organization defends a simple compass: “Think about human rights in every action.â€
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