Amnesty International takes on divided world

  • Reference: ORG 50/041/2007
  • Published on 20/08/2007
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(Cocoyoc, Mexico) In a world marred by division and discord, fuelled by inequality and impunity, the global leadership of Amnesty International today concluded their 28th International Council Meeting with a resounding commitment to tackling poverty and disparity as the gravest global threats to universal human rights.

For the past week, more than 400 delegates from 75 countries have participated in the International Council Meeting which is a forum that Amnesty International convenes every two years to plan, review and decide the organisation's human rights work.

"The human rights challenges of a world divided by inequality, impunity and poverty call for courageous and broad based human rights defense," said Amnesty International Secretary General Irene Khan.

"Amnesty International - the world's largest movement of human rights activists - joins together in concerted action for human rights, people from all over the world, people of many different nationalities, ethnicities, ages, religions, cultures who share one common vision that human rights must be respected, protected and fulfilled for all people everywhere."

Delegates from every region of the world affirmed the contribution that Amnesty International makes in defending the human rights of the most marginalised. To better challenge governments' erosion of human rights standards and ensure Amnesty International's relevance to those who face the bigotry and exclusion of discrimination, the organisation took a decision to address grave abuses of human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights instruments.

"People living in poverty have the least access to the power needed to shape policies that may eradicate poverty and frequently are denied effective remedies for violations of their human rights," said Ms Khan.

With the prevention of violence against women as its major campaigning focus, Amnesty International's leaders committed themselves anew to work for universal respect for sexual and reproductive rights. Amnesty International committed itself to strengthening the organisation's work on the prevention of unwanted pregnancies and other factors contributing to women's recourse to abortion and affirmed the organisation's policy on selected aspects on abortion (to support the decriminalisation of abortion, to ensure women have access to health care when complications arise from abortion and to defend women's access to abortion, within reasonable gestational limits, when their health or human rights are in danger), emphasising that women and men must exercise their sexual and reproductive rights free from coercion, discrimination and violence.

The International Council Meeting also marked the one year countdown to the Beijing Olympics 2008 noting that during the bidding for and awarding of the Olympics to Beijing, both the Chinese authorities and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had stated that the Games would help develop human rights in China. Amnesty International agreed it will campaign to hold the Government of China and the IOC accountable to their pledge.

Amnesty International concluded its week-long gathering emphasising its own roots of standing up for those whose rights are imperilled by injustice, impunity and abuse.

"Working for the release of prisoners of conscience or prisoners of poverty, prejudice and violence, Amnesty International will stay true to its mission of standing up for the marginalised. The human dignity of all people is at the heart of the human rights cause. Promoting the dignity of people who by reason of poverty and prejudice have least access to human rights is Amnesty Internationals most pressing task. And as the leaders of this world-wide movement for human rights, we renew again our conviction and our determination to do everything in our power to stand up and defend universal human rights for all people everywhere." Ms Khan said.

Comments

Comments are submitted by members of the public and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of Amnesty International Australia. If you find a comment objectionable please contact the web editor.

I can’t comment on this text as it’s full of enthusism and short on detail.  I am, however, worried by AI’s ever widening mandate.  The new causes are good but I fear AI risks getting bogged down by “mission creep”.

No doubt broadening the mandate feel good, but each expansion means less resources go to our core business. I’m not aware of any news that Prisoners of Conscience and torture victims are getting rarer.

I’m the father of a severely disabled 16 year old.  I could easily argue he faces inequality, poverty and impaired “Human Rights”. But I don’t lobby AI to start campaigning for the disabled.  That would be an irresponsible high jacking of the world’s premier human rights organization to suit my hobby horse. 

At present, I fear our leaders would let this happen, especially if I got some passionate parents of the disabled to turn up to AGM’s.

Sometimes leaders have to be hard headed, accept that there is such a thing as focus and say no.

comment by:

Michael Wild
22/08/2007
06:46 PM

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