OIDEL is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation, with consultative status with the United Nations, UNESCO and the European Council. It is legally recognized as a public interest association under Swiss law. The primary objective of OIDEL is the promotion of the right to education as a fundamental human right. Such a right cannot exist without the presence of State benefits and the protection of individual liberties. The action of OIDEL is mainly based on article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural rights.

FOUNDATION

OIDEL was created in 1985, by forty political personalities, educational experts and parents. It has consultative status with the United Nations, UNESCO and the European Council, and collaborates with the European Union and international non-governmental organisations.
The founding members of OIDEL
Lluis Alegre, (E) Former Member of Spanish Parliament and Catalan Minister of Commerce. Emilio Colombo,(I) Former President of the Minister Council, former President of the European Parliament. Ramón Durany, (E) Former President of the IFE. Concepció Ferrer, (E) Deputy Ombudsman, Former Member of the European Parliament. Antoine Humblet, (B) Former Minister of Education, honorary President of OIDEL. Kurt Malangré, (D) Former Member of the European Parliament, former Mayor of Aix-la-Chapelle. Joseph Michel, (B) Former Minister of Education. Alberto Michelini, (I) Former member ot the European Parliament. Juan Antonio Ortega y Díaz-Ambrona, (E) Former Minister of Education. Jacques Python, (CH) Lawyer, honorary President of OIDEL. Rosa Russo Jervolino, (I) Former Minister of the Interior and of Education. Stuart Sexton, (GB) Director of IPSET, Education Unit. Mario Viscovi, (I) Former President of the European Parents' Association. Frank Monagle, (AUS) Pared Foundation, Director.

Executive Committee

President: Eugenio Gil-Villén, Former School Principal. Vice-Presidents: Charles L. Glenn,Professor and Former Dean of School of Education, Boston University. Guy Guermeur, Former Member of the National Assembly and of the European Parliament. Secretary of the Committee and President of the Permanent Commission: Angel Sánchez, General Economic and Financial Director, IFE. Members: Maria de Jesús Barroso Soares ( †2015), President of the Foundation Pro Dignitate, former Vice-President of the Education Commission of the Parliament. Joan Curcó, General Director of Fomento. Francis Delpérée, Professor Emeritus, University of Louvain, Chairman of the group Cdh, Belgian Senate. Joan Gallostra, President of IFE. Paz Gutiérrez Cortina, Former Secretary of the Education Comitee of the Parliement, President of the NGO Enlace. Luisa Ribolzi, Professor Emeritus, University of Turin, Member of the National Agency of Education and Research Institutes. María Lurdes Rodrigues, Former Minister of Education.Luca Volontè, Honorary Chairman of the PPE in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

MEMBERSHIP

The members of OIDEL are individuals or legal persons (associations, school groups, NGOs):

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION
Institutional subscriber: US$ 980.-/ Euro 750.-/CHF 1000.-
Individual subscriber: US$ 290.- / Euro 220.-/CHF 300.-

OIDEL depends on subscription fees and conference and research subsidies for its income.

OIDEL is represented in the following countries:

AFRICA
Angola, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Zaire

AMERICAS
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, United States, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela

ASIA
Brunei, India, Japan, Pakistan, The Philippines, Turkey

EUROPE
Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Spain, France, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, United Kingdom, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Czech Republic.

OCEANIA
Australia, New Zealand