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Amnesty International Report 2008: State of the world’s human rights

28 May 2008 - Media Release Amnesty International - Governments must turn around 60 years of human rights failure

Amnesty International today challenged world leaders to re-commit themselves to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

In this, the 60th anniversary of the signing of the UDHR by the United Nations, people are still tortured or ill-treated in at least 81 countries, face unfair trials in at least 54 countries and are not allowed to speak freely in at least 77 countries.

"The human rights flashpoints in Darfur, Zimbabwe, Gaza, Iraq and Myanmar demand immediate action," said Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International.

"Injustice, inequality and impunity are the hallmarks of our world today. Governments must act now to close the yawning gap between the promise and the performance."

Australia received a mixed report card in this year’s Report.

"In 2007 the discrimination against marginalised people continued, and flaws in Australia’s counter-terror tactics were exposed," said Claire Mallinson, National Director Amnesty International Australia.

The large-scale intervention into Indigenous communities by the previous government was developed without adequate consultation. It overrode the Racial Discrimination Act, and resulted in a reduction of Indigenous control over their land.

Indian national Dr Mohamed Haneef was detained for 12 days without charge, before terrorism charges were dropped. Australian David Hicks was returned to Australia after more than five years of arbitrary detention in Guantanamo Bay, where he was allegedly tortured.

Asylum-seekers found to be genuine refugees continued to languish on Nauru before the new government announced the detention centre would be closed. In October Australia announced a moratorium on resettling refugees from Africa, and the use of Temporary Protection Visas continued throughout 2007, before being abolished in 2008.

"There was human rights progress in Australia and globally in 2007, but without shared vision and collective leadership, the principles of the UDHR cannot be fulfilled," said Claire Mallinson.

"2008 is an unprecedented opportunity for new leaders coming to power, and countries emerging on the world stage, to set a new direction."

"We need to turn around the ineffectiveness of Western governments and the ambivalence or reluctance of emerging powers, to tackle some of the world's worst human rights crises," said Claire Mallinson.

Secretary General Irene Khan warned there is a growing grassroots impatience with the failure of governments to deliver equality and justice.

"Restless and angry, people will not be silenced, and leaders ignore them at their own peril," said Irene Khan.

Notes to editors:

Amnesty International’s Report 2008, the organisation’s annual global assessment of human rights, published on the 60th anniversary year of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, covers 150 countries.

The report highlights the following trends:

• Targeting of civilians by armed groups and government forces with impunity;
• Pervasive violence against women;
• Promotion of torture and ill-treatment as acceptable modes of intelligence gathering;
• Suppression of dissent and attacks on journalists and activists;
• Lack of protection for refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants;
• Denial of economic and social rights; and
• Evasion of corporate accountability for human rights abuses.
• Amnesty International noted the progress made over the last six decades, in particular laws and institutions on human rights, growing support for an end to the death penalty, prosecution of some cases of war crimes and crimes against humanity by international tribunals and national courts.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations on 10 December 1948.

Source: Amnesty International

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