Stories written by Irene Khan
Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International.

Free Speech and Free Media: Help or Hindrance to Development? / Part 2

The second part: the relevance of free speech and free media to development. Freedom is the central object of development, says Amartya Sen. He argues that development cannot simply be seen as GNP or industrialization or social modernization.

Free Speech and Free Media: Help or Hindrance to Development? / Part 1

The greatness of a newspaper is not measured by the size of its readership but by its influence and credibility. That is why the New York Times or the Guardian are better known and more respected than the tabloids in their respective countries with ten times their circulation. Like those broadsheets, The Daily Star too strives for quality over circulation, influence over income and credibility over sensationalism.

Q&A: ‘MDGs Don’t Recognise Role of Human Rights in Poverty Fight’

As the number of people living in poverty swell to over two billion, Amnesty International Secretary-General Irene Khan makes a strong argument for human rights to be made central to development and eradication of poverty.

IT IS TIME TO RETURN TO THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

Terrorists go on a rampage of senseless killing in Mumbai. Exhausted and terrified refugees pour into Uganda to escape the fighting in eastern Congo. Ten people are executed in Iran. Three hundred thousand civilians are displaced in northern Sri Lanka. Slowing rates of economic growth cast deep gloom around the world. Not a particularly auspicious moment to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, writes Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International. Anniversaries are a time for reflection and review. It is true that in many respects the human rights situation today is vastly improved from that in 1948. The equality of women, the rights of children, a free press and a fair judicial system are no longer disputed concepts but widely accepted standards that many countries have achieved and others are aspiring to. But it is equally true that injustice, impunity and inequality remain the hallmarks of our time. In 1948, in the face of the enormous challenges, world leaders turned to the Universal Declaration as the affirmation of their common humanity and the blue print for their collective security. Today\'s world leaders must do the same.

HUMAN RIGHTS: BROKEN PROMISES

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

Irene Khan Credit: Amnesty International

Q&A: ‘Europe Must Lead On Human Rights’

When Stojan Miodrac's corpse was identified by his wife in 1991, his ears had been cut off and his eyes gouged out. He met his horrific end after being asked to produce his identity card when he went to a social security office in Croatia. His only transgression was that he bore an ethnic Serb name.

2007 – A BAD YEAR FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

December 10th marked the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which began a period of impressive development of international human rights standards, laws, and institutions that have improved the lives of many millions around the world, writes Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International. The year 2007, however, has brought grave human rights violations and the failure to protect the economic, social, and cultural rights of an important part of the global population. From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, human rights are being violated, neglected, and eroded with audacity and impunity by governments, big business, and armed groups. Renewed commitment is needed by governments as well as civil society to convert rhetoric into reality, disillusionment and despair into hope and action. A global strategy of counter-terrorism, led by the US has undermined fundamental principles of human rights, while extremists and armed groups have unleashed a downward spiral of violence that has endangered the lives of ordinary people everywhere. Parliaments, courts and civil society must call for respect of human rights and the rule of law as the path to greater security.

THE POLITICS OF FEAR

A wall is being built in Baghdad, a fence/wall already exists in Israel and the Occupied Territories, another one is coming up in the border between Mexico and the USA, another one is in place between Ceuta and Morocco and between Melilla and Morocco and a barrier on water is being built by Frontex patrol boats. The walls and barriers of the world in 2006 are reminiscent of the divisions that existed at the time of the Cold War. Like in the Cold War times, the agenda is being driven by fear instigated, encouraged and sustained by unprincipled leaders. For this reason, fear is at the centre of the Amnesty International Report 2007, writes Irene Khan, Secretary General of A.I. Fear can be a positive imperative for change, as in the case of the environment, where alarm about global warming is forcing politicians belatedly into action. But fear can also be dangerous and divisive when it breeds intolerance, threatens diversity and justifies the erosion of human rights. Today far too many leaders are trampling freedom and trumpeting an ever-widening range of fears: fear of being swamped by migrants; fear of “the other” and of losing one's identity; fear of being blown up by terrorists; fear of “rogue states” with weapons of mass destruction. Fear thrives on myopic and cowardly leadership. There are indeed many real causes of fear but the approach being taken by many world leaders is short-sighted, promulgating policies and strategies that erode the rule of law and human rights, increase inequalities, feed racism and xenophobia, divide and damage communities, and sow the seeds for violence and more conflict.

IS US OF PRESIDENT BUSH THE GULAG OF OUR TIMES?

A hooded prisoner balanced on a box with wires dangling from his outstretched arms. A naked man cowering in terror as soldiers threatened him with snarling dogs. A Quran being desecrated. \'\'Offensive.\'\' \'\'Irresponsible.\'\' \'\'Reprehensible.\'\' \'\'Unfortunate and sad.\'\' \'\'Absurd.\'\' It would be natural to assume that these words were used to describe the horrific images detailed above -- but they were not. In fact, they are the words used over recent weeks by senior US officials in response to Amnesty International\'s Report 2005, writes Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International. This defensive reaction was the latest in a long series of attempts by the US administration to deflect and divert attention from allegations of serious human rights abuses committed against detainees held in US custody in Guant namo, Bagram, and other undisclosed locations around the world. The outrage expressed by senior US officials including the President, the Vice President and the Secretary of Defense at AI\'s condemnation of US policies and practices is not merely hypocritical but also a diversionary tactic to deflect attention from some hard truths. The Bush administration must stop attacking the messenger and begin dealing with the message, which is simple: close Guant namo detention camp and charge the detainees under US law in US courts or release them. Disclose the rest and carry out a full, independent investigation into US policies and practices on detention and interrogation including torture and ill-treatment.

20 YEARS AFTER BHOPAL: MULTINATIONALS AND HUMAN RIGHTS-FREE ZONES

To mark the twentieth anniversary of the Bhopal disaster, Amnesty International published a report that documented the continuing plight of people who continue to suffer chronic and debilitating illnesses for which treatment is largely ineffective, writes Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International. In this article, Khan writes that the Bhopal disaster is a prime case of the failure of international and national law to hold corporations accountable for human rights abuses. Notwithstanding the far-reaching impact of companies on human rights, most companies oppose any move towards binding regulations. Instead, following several high-profile cases and public pressure, some business sectors have drawn up voluntary codes of conduct, but these have failed to reduce the negative consequences of corporate behaviour on human rights. Under the current state of law, national systems are effectively unwilling or unable to hold companies operating in their countries accountable. Governments are afraid that, in a globalised economy, if they exercise strict control over businesses, foreign investors will go elsewhere. Companies must be brought within the framework of international human rights law. Yet global rules governing trade and investment are being drawn up without regard to their human rights impact. Amnesty International believes that the United Nations Norms on the Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Regard to Human Rights (UN Norms) are the logical next step in a strategy to develop corporate legal accountability This column is part of the series on Globalisation and Human Rights, a joint project of Dignity International and IPS Columnist Service (http://www.dignityinternational.org).



antes de diciembre