UN is urged to bolster democracy
By kanwal TARIQ hameed
Published: 17 September 2001
A BAHRAIN human rights group has joined a national campaign calling on the United Nations Democracy Caucus to act “urgently” to strengthen its record on human rights and democracy.
The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) along with more than 40 Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) from countries including the USA, Taiwan, Afghanistan, Belgium, the UK, India, Italy, Vietnam and Morocco, is calling for “concrete measures” from the UN organ to promote democracy at national, regional and international levels.
UN is urged to bolster democracy
By kanwal TARIQ hameed
Published: 17 September 2001
A BAHRAIN human rights group has joined a national campaign calling on the United Nations Democracy Caucus to act “urgently” to strengthen its record on human rights and democracy.
The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) along with more than 40 Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) from countries including the USA, Taiwan, Afghanistan, Belgium, the UK, India, Italy, Vietnam and Morocco, is calling for “concrete measures” from the UN organ to promote democracy at national, regional and international levels.
“The UN Democracy Caucus should seize the initiative this month and lead efforts to bolster the world body’s record on human rights and democracy,” the coalition says in a statement released locally by the BCHR.
The statement calls for concrete measures to be made at the second meeting of the UN Human Rights Council, beginning tomorrow and the Community of Democracies meeting on Wednesday.
Promise
“New instruments such as the UN Human Rights Council and UN Democracy Fund provide democratic member states an opportunity to fulfil the promise they made at the first Community of Democracies meeting in Warsaw in 2000 – to work together to strengthen and promote democracy at the national, regional and international levels,” it said.
UN member states should undergo a regular and credible review process to scrutinise its adherence to basic international human rights standards, added the coalition.
“The details of the country review system, currently being negotiated in Geneva, must incorporate a significant role for independent experts and nongovernmental organisations in order for it to be effective and credible,” it said.
NGOs also call for a special session of the Human Rights Council to highlight abuses being committed in Darfur, Sudan, and for attention to be turned to abuses in Iran, North Korea, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan and Zimbabwe. The statement also calls on the Community of Democracies meeting to speak out against assaults against democracy and human rights defenders, and support greater international monitoring of such abuses.
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