Association, Freedom of

Principle laid down in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (see Human Rights, Universal Declaration of) that (1) everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association and (2) no-one may be compelled to belong to an association.

Freedom of association is basic to the idea of a free society, though abuses still persist in many countries. The operation of a ‘closed shop’ (where all workers must belong to a single trade union) would for instance seem to be a contravention of this principle, although the practice is quite common.