60 years of Human Rights failures
28 May 2008, 03:00PM
Governments must recommit to the UDHR
To mark the 60th year of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Amnesty International has created a Passport for Human Rights for all citizens of the world. Click on 'Open Publication' to view your Human Rights Passport in full size, or download it here (PDF, 25Mb)
Amnesty International's Report 2008 was launched on Wednesday 28 May. The report looks back on key events in 2007 and ahead to major human rights challenges for 2008, which is the 60th anniversary year of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
The Report covers human rights abuses across 150 countries. It reveals governments' failures to deliver on human rights, a growing impatience across the world among people with their leaders' lack of action, and challenges world leaders have to make a fresh commitment to the UDHR in this significant anniversary year.
2008 - The State of the World’s Human Rights:
- In the 60th anniversary year of the UDHR, governments must turn around six decades of human rights failures.
- 2007 was characterised by growing grassroots impatience with the failure of governments to deliver equality and justice. World leaders ignore the voices of people at their peril.
- New leaders must show the same courage and leadership in making a fresh commitment to human rights as we saw in 1948 when world leaders adopted the UDHR.
Australia in summary:
Indigenous issues - Amnesty International supported genuine measures to address the chronic problems outlined in the Little Children are Sacred report. We expressed concern with the large-scale intervention approach taken by the previous Government in the Northern Territory. Indigenous communities were not adequately consulted in the process, which is required by international law. The intervention also overrode Indigenous controls over access to their land, and claimed exemption fro the Racial Discrimination Act.
Amnesty International also publicly called for the previous Government to sign the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Australia was one of a handful of countries which did not support the declaration.
In December 2007 Amnesty International welcomed the announcement by the new Government that it would formally apologise to the Stolen Generations. This act was carried out in February 2008. We hope this will be the symbolic end to the tragic legacy of the horrific treatment of Indigenous children.
Counter terror - Flaws in Australia’s counter terror legislation were highlighted through the case of Dr Mohamed Haneef. The Indian national was held in detention for nearly four weeks - two without charge or the ability to apply for bail. His right to presumption of innocence was seriously compromised, before all charges were dropped and was released. We continue to call for a review of the laws, as we have since they first began to be introduced in 2001.
Guantanamo Bay detainee David Hicks was returned home to Yatala prison, after more than five years in detention. Amnesty International welcomed his return to Australia, but continues to be critical of the military commission process which convicted him of providing material support for terrorism. We believe he pleaded guilty to trumped up charges before a kangaroo court.
Refugees and asylum-seekers - In 2007, 89 asylum-seekers continued to languish on Nauru under the Pacific Solution, before the Rudd Government promised to shut down the policy and closed the detention centre. The 89 detainees were determined to be genuine refugees, yet some were held in the detention centre for more than 12 months. The use of Temporary Protection Visas also continued throughout 2007, before being abolished this year.
Read the report:
You can read the Amnesty International Report 2008 online or download a PDF version.
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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.
Sivas Sivaskanthan
6 June 2008, 11:38PM
My first thought to Elliots comment below was maybe AI didn’t condemn Israeli killings of innocent Palestinians as well (possibly Israeli political pressure) and hence chose to do the same the other way around to maintain the neutrality of human rights.
But the second left me stumped. Better let AI respond to that…
Elliot Blume
6 June 2008, 10:53PM
Prime Minister Rudd has apologised to the indigineous Australians to re-gain their respect and make up for past wrong doing, isn’t it time for Amnesty International to admit how many dreadful mistakes it has made as an Organisation over the years ? To apologise to the innocent Israeli civilians that were killed by suicide bombers while Amnesty stood idly by refusing to condemn the attacks until last year? Isn’t it time that Amnesty International apoligised to the est. 60% of Russians falsely imprisoned in Psychiatric hospitals by their government so that their property can be acquired while Amnesty refuses to even discuss this issue with the World Health Organisation ? Amnesty will never be properly respected if it can’t apologise for these things and just publishes manuscripts about its victories.
Sivas Sivaskanthan
1 June 2008, 03:50AM
In response to Caiti, its on it way.
The movement for an improved aboriginal reconciliation has been set with the apology by Kevin Rudds government and the rest will be a gradual infusion into policy and social mindsets.
There is a history that needs to be overcome and its difficult to achieve that overnight. But the right stage has been set with the apology and the increasing visibility of indigenous culture and relationships in government events and media.
Caiti
31 May 2008, 08:23PM
Where may I ask is the rights of these people? We pride ourselves on being a free country yet our government cannot even take the measures to provide basic human rights
Sivas Sivaskanthan
31 May 2008, 05:55PM
A fantastic publication!
Very ascetic and a convenient resource for all concerned.
Excellent use of funding.
Krupa Shah
31 May 2008, 12:39AM
this is a wonderful eyeopening report.love the layout and design.very impressive.
it reminds us that it is a time to get up, get united and fight for our basic rights to live in this lovely world.
good document..keep it up..
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