CITIZENSHIP: Amnesty International brings out 2006 report

Amnesty International has published its 2006 Report [en français]. This Report documents human rights abuses in 150 countries around the world. It highlights the need for governments, the international community, armed groups and others in positions of power or influence to take responsibility. It also reflects the vitality of human rights activists globally, whether in local initiatives, international summits or mass demonstrations. "Outraged by continuing human rights abuses and inspired by hope, Amnesty International members and supporters around the world campaign for justice and freedom for all."

According to AI, during 2005 some of the world’s most powerful governments were successfully challenged, their hypocrisy exposed by the media, their arguments rejected by courts of law, their repressive tactics resisted by human rights activists. After five years of backlash against human rights in the “war on terror”, the tide appears to be turning. Nevertheless, the lives of millions of people worldwide were devastated by the denial of fundamental rights. Human security was threatened by war and attacks by armed groups as well as by hunger, disease and natural disasters. Freedoms were curtailed by repression, discrimination and social exclusion.

The report has of course been received with different enthusiasm by the different countries and organisations. AI denounces that sometimes those countries which refer most to democratic values, of justice and freedom that are sometimes in a position to violate human rights. For the US, however, a spokesman has recalled that it was precisely AI the first to denounce Saddam Hussein's regime. The US considers that the NGO should better focus in participating in the process of the ex-dictator instead of denouncing the use of mercenaries in Iraq or the situation in Guantanamo.

The report focus on several issues and considers that there is reason for hope:

· DEATH PENALTY: there are good reasons for hope. By 2005, 122 countries had abolished the death penalty in law or in practice, in comparison to only 16 abolitionist countries in 1977.

· HYPOCRISY: In 2005, the US Administration acknowledged the use of "renditions". Rendition is the practice of transporting persons forcibly and without due process from one country to another where they risk being interrogated under torture or ill-treatment. AI says that renditions are illegal under international treaties to which all European governments are party.

· DUPLICITY: Governments championed human rights on the one hand, and undermined them on the other (examples needed?).

· TORTURE: 141countries are party to the UN Convention against torture and other ill-treatment. However, 104 countries out of the 150 countries in AI’s 2006 report that have tortured or ill-treated people.

· PARALYSIS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY: The conflict in Darfur has been described as staggering in scale and harrowing in nature. Urgent action is needed by the United Nations and the African Union to protect civilians in Darfur. Since 2003, there has been an estimated number of deaths from starvation, disease and killings of some 285,000 plus 2.2 million refugees and people displaced by the conflict. In the meantime, 13 UN Security Council resolutions have been adopted on Darfur, but ZERO United Nations peacekeepers have been deployed in Darfur.

· FAILED PROMISES: At the Millennium Summit in 2000, the world’s leaders set clear targets to solve some of the most vexing global social problems. But, they failed to turn their promises into performance. For instance, Governments promised to achieve universal primary education by 2015, however still more than 100 million children remain out of school. At the same time there is an estimated number of child soldiers of 300,000.

· TORTURE & TERROR: Thousands of people have been detained without charge or trial, tortured and ill-treated in the name of counter-terrorism, as for instance in Guantanamo.

- VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN: From birth to death, in times of peace as well as war, women face discrimination and violence at the hands of the state, the community and the family. 2 million girls are still at risk of female genital mutilation each year. Only 9 countries have specific legislation outlawing female genital mutilation. Also 25% of women experience sexual abuse by an intimate partner in their lifetime. 79 countries have still no legislation against domestic violence.

· ARMS CONTROL: The proliferation of small arms is fuelling conflict, poverty and human rights abuses worldwide. 1000 is the average number of people killed every day by small arms !!! 1 to 10 - for every $1 spent on development assistance $10 is spent on military budgets. Plus: 88% reported conventional arms exports are from the 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council: China, France, Russia, UK and USA !!!

None of this is surprising, since, as the report well says, this is a world of duplicity and hypocrisy. To notice only that the violation of human rights based on sexual orientation does not seem to be one of the priorities for AI, and there also is a lot to be reported…