TNS Analysis: 60 years and counting, Human rights fight continues

By John Peter – TNS

PARIS - Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,

Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,

Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,

Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,

Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,

Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

Ninety-year-old Holocaust survivor Stephane Hessel read out the UN human rights preamble before a gathering of European and United Nations officials, artists and rights groups at 8pm, in a solemn ceremony at the Palais de Chaillot near the Eiffel Towel, where it was adopted on December 10, 1948, and yes 60 years ago.

"Still today, it is a text worth reading. It is perfectly relevant. All the more so because it has not been upheld - and it is asking us to fight for it," said Hessel, who helped draft the declaration.

Rights champions and diplomats who gathered in Paris on Wednesday to mark the 60th anniversary of the UN human rights declaration, arguing its ideals remain as relevant as ever six decades on from its adoption.

When the General Assembly of the newly born United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on Dec. 10, 1948, an emotional Eleanor Roosevelt predicted that the idea of inherent rights would "creep like a curious grapevine into the consciousness of peoples around the world."

Was she right? In principle. The Holocaust was the immediate inspiration for the document, the first of its kind, and millions have since been educated about these abuses. But without international commitment to take action to defend human rights when necessary, the seminal declaration remained largely theoretical.

In 2006, this disconnect was addressed (again, in theory) when the Security Council adopted the Canadian-inspired doctrine known as "responsibility to protect," which commits the world body to protect civilian populations from genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity - in other words, to enforce established international law. R2P, as it is known. Human rights are always vulnerable to politics, a point that has been proved repeatedly since R2Ps's adoption.

Despite periodic steps in the right direction, the unfortunate reality since 1948 has been six decades of human-rights failures. In May, Amnesty International reported that people are still tortured or ill-treated in at least 81 countries. They face unfair trials in at least 54 countries; they cannot speak freely in at least 77.

While the Human rights issue take center stage again after 60 years, the U.S. arms trade is booming — sales reached $32 billion last year — and more than half of the purchasers in the developing world are either undemocratic governments or regimes that engaged in human rights abuses, a private think tank, New America Foundation reported Wednesday.

The sales total "contrasts sharply with the Bush administration's pro-democracy rhetoric," the report said. "U.S. arms transfers are undermining human rights, weakening democracy and fueling conflict around the world," the report further said.

William D. Hartung, the lead author of the report, said, "The United States cannot demand respect for human rights and arm human rights abusers at the same time." U.S. arms sales grew to $32 billion in 2007, more than three times the level when President Bush took office in 2001, the report further said.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today sounded the alarm at the widespread violation of journalists' rights to mark the 60^th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

"Journalists are witnessing the steady erosion of the respect for their rights, in particular the most basic ones such as the right to life and to press freedom," said Paco Audije, IFJ Deputy General Secretary. "Each year, the IFJ records unacceptably high numbers of journalists from around the world who are killed, detained and intimidated for the lawful exercise of their profession."

The IFJ is further deeply disturbed by frequent incidents where journalists who cover armed conflict and other dangerous situations are victims of deliberate attacks, in violation of provisions under international law banning such acts.

Genocide and other mass atrocities are underway or risk breaking out in at least 33 countries, says a new comprehensive watch list slated for release Tuesday - the 60th anniversary of the United Nations prevention of genocide convention.

Since the world pledged "never again" in the wake of the Holocaust, Cambodia, Rwanda and Bosnia-Herzegovina are but three examples of places where mass slaughter has occurred.

The list by the New York-based Genocide Prevention Project for the first time combines the findings of five leading independent watch lists to create a "watch list of watch lists." "Red alert" countries include Afghanistan and Iraq alongside commonly known regions currently experiencing genocidal conflict such as Sudan's Darfur and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These and Myanmar, Pakistan, Somalia and Sri Lanka all made the list's top eight because they appear in each of the five "expert" indexes.

So as we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the UN human rights declaration, we can hope that the seminal declaration, adopted so long ago with such high expectations, may finally have acquired some teeth.