Humanists International

Humanists International is an international non-governmental organisation and democratic federation devoted to secular humanism, freedom of thought and the human rights of religious and non-religious people. It was established in Amsterdam in 1952 as the International Humanist and Ethical Union, commonly abbreviated as IHEU, by five organisations: the American Ethical Union, American Humanist Association, British Ethical Union, Vienna Ethical Society and Dutch Humanist League. The federation adopted foundational principles of modern ethical humanism at its inaugural congress and subsequently became a coordinating institution for humanist organisations around the world. The organisation’s public identity changed from International Humanist and Ethical Union to Humanists International in February 2019. The shorter name reflects its role as an international umbrella body rather than a single national humanist association. Its membership has included organisations representing secular humanists, atheists, agnostics, rationalists, skeptics, freethinkers and Ethical Culture communities. The organisation reported 120 member organisations from more than 60 countries after its 2025 General Assembly, while earlier descriptions recorded more than 160 organisations from over 80 countries; membership figures vary by reporting period and definition. Humanists International’s principal work is policy advocacy, public education, movement development and protection of people who face discrimination or persecution because they are non-religious. It campaigns against blasphemy and apostasy laws, religious privilege in government, restrictions on freedom of expression and coercive religious conformity. It also advocates for freedom of thought, freedom of conscience, secular government, equality before the law, women’s rights, sexual and reproductive rights, LGBT rights, children’s rights, opposition to slavery and caste discrimination, and a human-rights-based approach to bioethical and social questions. The federation maintains advocacy activity at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, the United Nations in New York and the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. It holds special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, general consultative status with the Council of Europe, observer status with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and operational relations with UNESCO. It assists member organisations with international mechanisms such as the Universal Periodic Review and supports activists and non-religious people exposed to danger, including people seeking assistance when states or non-state actors persecute them for their beliefs or lack of belief. A major recurring publication is the Freedom of Thought Report, launched in 2012. It assesses countries according to their treatment of humanists, atheists and other non-religious people, including legal discrimination, blasphemy provisions, religious courts, compulsory religious education and threats to freedom of expression. The federation also supports the growth of humanist organisations, provides advocacy resources and coordinates international events. Its democratic structure includes an annual General Assembly, a World Humanist Congress generally held every three years and an elected international board. Young Humanists International provides a youth-oriented component for people up to age 35. Humanists International defines humanism as a democratic and ethical life stance grounded in reason, free inquiry, natural values and human agency rather than supernatural belief. Its Amsterdam Declaration 2022, adopted unanimously at the organisation’s seventieth-anniversary General Assembly, replaced the 2002 declaration as the movement’s principal defining statement. The Happy Human symbol is used by the organisation and many of its members. As of 2025, the federation was led by President Maggie Ardiente and continued to operate through separately incorporated United States and United Kingdom entities.

Humanists International began at a founding congress in Amsterdam in August 1952. Five organisations—the American Ethical Union, American Humanist Association, British Ethical Union, Vienna Ethical Society and Dutch Humanist League—created the International Humanist and Ethical Union to provide an international framework for ethical humanism. The founding resolutions connected humanism with post-war internationalism, human rights and possible cooperation with UNESCO. The organisation’s foundational statement became known as the Amsterdam Declaration of 1952. During the following decades, the federation developed principles intended to express a non-theistic, ethical and rational life stance while accommodating differences among national member organisations. In 1965 the board formulated ten characteristics of ethical humanism; the text was adopted at the 1966 congress and later became associated with the Paris statement. A Minimum Statement on Humanism was adopted in 1991 and revised in 1996, providing a concise description of humanism as a democratic and ethical approach based on human values, reason and free inquiry. The organisation gradually professionalised its international work. It opened a London office in February 1997 and had grown to more than 100 member organisations by its fiftieth anniversary. In 2000 it received special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, strengthening its ability to raise issues concerning secularism, freedom of religion or belief, and discrimination against non-religious people in international forums. The early twenty-first century brought a series of formal policy declarations. The Amsterdam Declaration 2002 updated the 1952 statement and described humanism as an ethical, rational and democratic life stance that combines personal liberty with social responsibility. The Paris Declaration 2005 addressed state secularism and equal rights for believers and non-believers. In 2007, the organisation joined the European Humanist Federation and Catholics for Choice in issuing the Brussels Declaration, which opposed attempts to give religious identity or references to Christian roots a privileged place in the constitutional development of the European Union. At the 2011 World Humanist Congress in Norway, the General Assembly adopted the Oslo Declaration on Peace, calling on humanists and governments to promote peaceful resolution of conflicts. The 2014 Oxford Declaration on Freedom of Thought and Expression further articulated the right to develop, hold, change and express religious or non-religious beliefs without coercion. In 2017, a special conference in London examined threats posed by authoritarian populism and extremism to humanism and liberal democracy. The following year, members meeting in Auckland adopted the Auckland Declaration on the Politics of Division, linking humanist action to equality, the rule of law, democracy and minority rights. In 2012, the federation began publishing the Freedom of Thought Report, an annual comparative assessment of legal and social discrimination against atheists, humanists and other non-religious people. The report became one of its most visible public outputs and supports advocacy at international institutions. Humanists International also developed programmes to help activists establish or strengthen national organisations and to coordinate support for non-religious people facing persecution. The 2017 General Assembly mandated a change in the organisation’s identity. After a transition process, Humanists International became the operating name in February 2019. The rebrand retained the historical IHEU identity as an important part of the organisation’s institutional history while presenting a shorter and more accessible international name. In 2019, the federation adopted the Reykjavik Declaration on the Climate Change Crisis, recognising the scientific consensus on human-caused climate change and calling for urgent mitigation and long-term policy action. In 2022, delegates at the seventieth-anniversary General Assembly unanimously adopted the Amsterdam Declaration 2022, replacing the 2002 version as the principal official statement of world humanism. Humanists International currently functions through an elected board and annual General Assembly. Its member organisations participate in decisions on membership, policy and governance, while the federation coordinates international advocacy, reports, campaigns and movement support. It maintains institutional presence in Geneva, New York and Strasbourg and operates through separately incorporated United States and United Kingdom entities. In 2025, its programme included the Luxembourg General Assembly and a new declaration on artificial intelligence and human values. The organisation also maintains Young Humanists International and continues to use the Happy Human as its shared movement symbol.

• 2025

  Luxembourg Declaration on Artificial Intelligence and Human Values

  [1]Humanists Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  The humanist movement adopted principles for the ethical use and governance of artificial intelligence.

• 2022

  Amsterdam Declaration 2022 approved

  [1]Humanists Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  Delegates unanimously replaced the 2002 declaration with a revised statement intended to define contemporary world humanism.

• 2019

  Humanists International name adopted

  [1]Humanists Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  The federation completed its transition from the International Humanist and Ethical Union to Humanists International as its operating name.

• 2012

  Freedom of Thought Report launched

  [1]Humanists Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  The organisation began its recurring assessment of discrimination and legal restrictions affecting non-religious people worldwide.

• 2002

  Amsterdam Declaration 2002 adopted

  [1]Humanists Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  The fiftieth-anniversary World Humanist Congress approved an updated statement of humanist principles.

• 2000

  United Nations consultative status granted

  [1]Humanists Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  The organisation received special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

• 1997

  London office opened

  [1]Humanists Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  Humanists International’s predecessor opened an office in London as part of its administrative and advocacy development.

• 1991

  Minimum Statement on Humanism adopted

  [1]Humanists Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  The federation adopted a concise baseline description of humanism for use across its diverse membership.

• 1966

  Paris statement adopted

  [1]Humanists Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  A set of characteristics describing ethical humanism was approved at the organisation’s congress and later became known as the Paris statement.

• 1952

  International Humanist and Ethical Union founded

  [1]Humanists Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  Five humanist and Ethical Culture organisations established the federation at a congress in Amsterdam and adopted foundational principles of modern ethical humanism.

A global democratic voice for secular humanism and the rights of non-religious people, combining international human-rights advocacy with federation-building and public education.

• Research and advocacy report · 2012

  Freedom of Thought Report

  An annual country-by-country assessment of the legal and social treatment of atheists, humanists and other non-religious people. It examines issues such as blasphemy and apostasy laws, religious privilege, compulsory religious practices, restrictions on expression and discrimination in public life. The report is used as an advocacy tool at the United Nations and in national human-rights campaigns.

• Statement of principles · 2022

  Amsterdam Declaration 2022

  The organisation’s current defining statement of world humanism. It presents humanism as a democratic and ethical life stance based on human agency, reason, free inquiry and natural values, and rejects supernatural explanations while linking personal freedom to social responsibility.

• Human-rights advocacy

  International advocacy programmes

  A programme of submissions, briefings, campaigns and diplomatic engagement addressing freedom of thought, secularism, blasphemy and apostasy laws, equality, gender and sexual rights, children’s rights and protection of non-religious people. Work is conducted through the UN, Council of Europe, African human-rights mechanisms and member organisations.

• Youth network

  Young Humanists International

  A network and organisational wing for humanists aged up to 35. It connects younger activists with the wider federation and supports participation in international humanist advocacy and movement-building.

• International congress

  World Humanist Congress

  A major international gathering generally held every three years. Congresses bring together member organisations, activists and thinkers to debate humanist principles, adopt declarations and coordinate responses to social, political and human-rights issues.

• 2019Reykjavik Declaration on the Climate Change Crisis

  Global

  The federation adopted a humanist policy position recognising the scientific consensus on anthropogenic climate change and urging social and political commitment to urgent mitigation.

  Outcome. Climate action became an explicit policy concern of the international humanist movement.

  Source
• 2019Humanists International rebrand

  Global

  Following a 2017 General Assembly mandate, the International Humanist and Ethical Union transitioned to Humanists International as its operating identity.

  Outcome. The shorter name became the federation’s public-facing brand while preserving its institutional continuity.

  Source
• 2012Freedom of Thought campaign

  Global

  Humanists International began systematically documenting discrimination against atheists, humanists and other non-religious people through its Freedom of Thought Report and related international advocacy.

  Outcome. The report became a recurring advocacy resource used to raise cases and structural concerns in international human-rights forums.

  Source
• 2007Brussels Declaration

  European Union

  Humanists International’s predecessor joined the European Humanist Federation and Catholics for Choice in a secular response to a proposed constitutional reference to God and Europe’s Christian roots.

  Outcome. The declaration called for protection of equality, human rights, democracy and the rule of law without privileging a religious identity.

  Source

• 2025

  Luxembourg Declaration on Artificial Intelligence and Human ValuesOther

  Background

  Rapid development of artificial intelligence created new questions about human values, governance, safety and social responsibility.

  Action taken

  The humanist community adopted ten principles for ethical adoption of artificial intelligence and offered them as a contribution to global AI regulation and alignment debates.

  Aftermath

  AI ethics became an explicit issue in the federation’s contemporary statement of humanist policy.

  Source

• 2022

  Adoption of the Amsterdam Declaration 2022Strategy

  Background

  The organisation revisited its defining principles at its seventieth-anniversary General Assembly.

  Action taken

  Delegates unanimously approved a new declaration presenting humanism as a democratic, ethical and non-theistic life stance grounded in reason and free inquiry.

  Aftermath

  The 2022 declaration replaced the 2002 text as the official defining statement of world humanism.

  Source

• 2017

  Decision to change the organisation’s identityStrategy

  Background

  The long-standing International Humanist and Ethical Union name was viewed as less accessible as a public identity for a global federation.

  Action taken

  The General Assembly instructed the board to oversee a transition to a revised organisational identity.

  Aftermath

  The transition concluded with adoption of Humanists International as the operating name in February 2019.

  Source

• 2002

  Adoption of the Amsterdam Declaration 2002Strategy

  Background

  The organisation’s fiftieth anniversary provided an opportunity to update the 1952 statement of modern ethical humanism.

  Action taken

  The General Assembly unanimously adopted a revised declaration defining humanism as ethical, rational, democratic and compatible with human rights and social responsibility.

  Aftermath

  The declaration served as the federation’s principal statement of world humanism until it was replaced in 2022.

  Source

1. 1Humanists Internationalen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Humanists International official websiteiheu.org