By Irene Khan and - -
LONDON, May 28 2008 (IPS)

In the 60th anniversary year of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, world leaders must apologize for six decades of human rights failure, and re-commit to concrete action, writes Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International. In 1948 in a move of extraordinary leadership, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Today, it amounts to no more than paper promises for countless millions of people around the world. Amnesty International\’s Report 2008 paints a grim picture of the state of the world’s human rights in 150 countries. Civilians are treated as “fair game” by governments and armed groups in entrenched conflicts. Violence against women is pervasive in every region of the world. The absolute ban against torture and ill-treatment is being eroded. Political dissent is suppressed in many countries, and journalists and activists attacked and silenced. Hundreds of thousands of refugees, migrants and asylum seekers are left unprotected. Despite unprecedented global prosperity, millions of people are being left behind. Big business is largely oblivious of its impact on human rights. Add to this dismal picture the human rights flashpoints around the world – in Darfur, Zimbabwe, Gaza and Myanmar. The burning imperative for action is clear – but where is the leadership and political will? 2007 was characterised by the impotence of Western governments and the ambivalence or reluctance of emerging powers to tackle human rights problems

In 1948 in a move of extraordinary leadership, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Today, it amounts to no more than paper promises for countless millions of people around the world. Amnesty International’s Report 2008 paints a grim picture of the state of the world’s human rights in 150 countries. Civilians are treated as “fair game” by governments and armed groups in entrenched conflicts. Violence against women is pervasive in every region of the world. The absolute ban against torture and ill-treatment is being eroded. Political dissent is suppressed in many countries, and journalists and activists attacked and silenced. Hundreds of thousands of refugees, migrants and asylum seekers are left unprotected. Despite unprecedented global prosperity, millions of people are being left behind. Big business is largely oblivious of its impact on human rights. Add to this dismal picture the human rights flashpoints around the world – in Darfur, Zimbabwe, Gaza and Myanmar. The burning imperative for action is clear – but where is the leadership and political will? 2007 was characterised by the impotence of Western governments and the ambivalence or reluctance of emerging powers to tackle human rights problems. Western governments have lost their moral authority as the world’s human rights champions through their own failure to respect the principles they call on others to uphold. The US Administration has flouted the most fundamental principles of human rights in the name of counter-terrorism. Hundreds of prisoners in Guantánamo and Bagram, and thousands in Iraq languish without charge or trial. Last July the US President authorized the CIA to continue secret detention and interrogation, contrary to international law. Over the past year, more evidence came to light of the collusion between some EU member states and the CIA to abduct, secretly detain and illegally transfer prisoners to countries where they were tortured or ill-treated. Despite repeated calls by the Council of Europe, no European government has fully investigated the wrongdoings, come clean and put in place adequate measures to prevent future use of European territory for rendition and secret detention. These actions have done nothing to further the fight against terrorism and a great deal to damage their ability to influence the behaviour of other governments on human rights issues. In Myanmar, when the military junta violently cracked down on peaceful demonstrations led by monks, the USA and the EU condemned their actions in the strongest terms and tightened their trade and arms embargoes, but with little or no effect on the human rights situation on the ground. In Darfur too, Western governments failed to make much of a dent. International outrage and widespread public mobilization etched the name of Darfur on world conscience but brought little change to the suffering of its people. Whether in the context of Darfur or Myanmar, it was to China that the world looked for action. As the largest trading partner of Sudan and the second largest of Myanmar, China had the necessary political and economic clout. Under pressure from the international community, China shifted its stance on Darfur in the UN Security Council and put pressure on the Myanmar junta to open dialogue with the UN. But China has long taken the position that human rights are an internal matter for sovereign states and not an issue of foreign policy – a position that serves China’s political and commercial interests well. Like China, Russia – another major player on the world scene – has not been vocal on human rights. Political dissent has been suppressed as “unpatriotic”, independent media has come under pressure and NGOs have been reined in with legislative control. Impunity prevails in Chechnya, driving some victims to seek justice in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. As the geopolitical order undergoes tectonic shifts, old powers are reneging on human rights. What are the prospects for new leadership? As a well-established liberal democracy with a strong legal tradition of human rights and an independent judiciary, India has the makings of a powerful role model. But it needs to be more forceful in its domestic implementation of rights and more forthright in its international leadership of human rights. Countries such as Brazil and Mexico have been strong on promoting human rights internationally but weak on implementation at home. South Africa’s ability to lead on human rights is being tested by its willingness to tackle Zimbabwe. On the other side, Australia’s new government has shown itself eager to set a new human rights agenda. The road ahead is rocky but not without hope. There is a global movement of people standing up for their rights and holding governments to account. Some of the most striking images of 2007 were of protests by monks in Myanmar, lawyers in Pakistan and women activists in Iran protesting. Worldwide, people who have been left behind because of broken promises are demanding justice, freedom and equality. New leaders are coming to power in key countries of the world. New powers are emerging on the world stage. They have an unprecedented opportunity to set a new paradigm for leadership. The UDHR is as relevant a blueprint for enlightened leadership today as it was in 1948. (END/COPYRIGHT IPS)

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