fundamental human rights are an absolute prerequisite

We consider that fundamental human rights are an absolute prerequisite to creativity, innovation and, ultimately, to long-term economic growth.

Based on this acknowledgment, we decided to build up a donation program focusing on this theme when we launched our Anti-Benchmark Emerging Markets strategy in 2011, which led us to consider the human rights track record of certain governments in emerging countries. Concretely, this contribution takes the form of significant annual financial sponsorship of NGOs to promote human rights. Every year since 2011, we have dedicated a share of TOBAM’s Anti-Benchmark Emerging Markets Equity Fund’s revenues to such donations. This donation program was initiated in 2011 by sponsoring Amnesty International activities in France. We have since then expend our donations program and build strong relationships with the following two NGOs:

Tobam’s commitment to human rights

proud human rights watch sponsor since 2015

Human Rights Watch investigates and reports on abuses happening in all corners of the world. The team is of roughly 450 people of 70-plus nationalities who are country experts, lawyers, journalists, and others who work to protect the most at risk, from vulnerable minorities and civilians in wartime, to refugees and children in need. Advocacy is directed towards governments, armed groups and businesses, pushing them to change or enforce their laws, policies and practices.

To ensure independence, HRW refuse government funding and carefully review all donations to ensure that they are consistent with their policies, mission, and values.

 

Human Rights Watch is known for the high quality of its research; for its strategic, targeted, high-level advocacy; for the independence of their work, and for the impact they have on the lives of millions of people. The strength of Human Rights Watch is their influential membership, the “fatstops” advocacy – their ability to access world leaders and effect change policy.

TOBAM’s sponsorship was used notably to fund 100% of HRW activities in Ukraine. TOBAM’s initiative with Human Rights Watch reaches a range of issues: the use of explosive weapons, landmines, monitoring of the humanitarian situation, illegal detentions and torture and freedom of speech.

” The support we have received from TOBAM in the past years has enabled our team in Ukraine to make under-reported rights violations more visible in the local and international debate and advocate for change. Be it Crimean Tatars who were wrongfully accused of terrorism for politically motivated reasons, the older people particularly affected by the conflict in Eastern Ukraine or journalists who were attacked or threatened, none of their stories would have been heard without the support of our partners like TOBAM. ” Yulia Gorbunova, HRW research on Ukraine and Russia 

Yulia Gorbunova, HRW research on Ukraine and Russia

THINKING LONG TERM: OLE SOLVANG INTERVIEW (DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE EMERGENCIES DIVISION)

RENDEZ-VOUS WITH BRUNO STAGNO (DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR ADVOCACY)

funding reporters without borders journalists task force

Based in Paris, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is an independent NGO. Its foreign sections, its bureaux in ten cities, including Brussels, Washington, Berlin, Tunis, Rio de Janeiro, and Stockholm, and its network of correspondents in 130 countries give RSF the ability to mobilize support, challenge governments and wield influence both on the ground and in the ministries and precincts where media and Internet standards and legislation are drafted.

TOBAM believes in the freedom of expression & information as a fundamental right and takes pride in associating itself with Reporters without Borders (RSF).

To fight the issue of impunity related to press reporters, Reporters Without Borders set up a Justice for Journalists Task Force through which it implements a litigation strategy to ensure accountability for crimes against journalists. TOBAM supported the launch of the project in 2020 with initial funding round.

Since then, Reporters Without Borders Task Force notably contributed to support Bielorussian journalist Raman Pratassevitch via a lawsuit against A.Loukachenko.

” TOBAM’s support to RSF’s Justice for Journalists Task Force has enabled the launch and development of this innovative project to fight-back impunity for crimes against journalists around the world, where 90% of these crimes go unpunished. Thanks to TOBAM’s support, the J4JTF has been able to initiate unprecedented judicial moves in highly emblematic cases such as that of daphne Caruana Galizia, a Maltese journalist murdered in 2017, Jamal Khashoggi, a saudi journalist murdered in Turkey, and Amadou Vamoulké, a Cameroonian journalist arbitrarily detained for more than 5 years! ”

Antoine Bernard, RSF Director, Advocacy and Strategic Litigation
Over the last 10 years, TOBAM donated over €2 million to Non-Governmental Organizations. We will continue doing so: in our mind, it is more than aligned with the long term financial and economic interest of our clients.