Amnesty International publishes its World Report 2009 |
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The Amnesty International Report 2009 documents the state of human rights during 2008 country-by-country and provides a summary of each continent and the Middle East.
The report points out that the global economic crisis is also an unfolding human rights crisis with signs of creating new violations, inequality, insecurity, xenophobia and racism. "Ignoring one crisis to focus on another is a recipe for aggravating both. Economic recovery will be neither sustainable nor equitable if governments fail to tackle human rights abuses that drive and deepen poverty, or armed conflicts that generate new violations." Irene Khan, Amnesty's Secretary General, said.
The economic crunch is expected to push 53 million more people around the world into poverty on top of the 150 million hit by the food crisis last year. The Report states that the food crisis had a disproportionate impact on vulnerable population groups, especially those already living in poverty. Millions continue to be deprived of their basic needs in spite of sustained economic growth in many developing countries. "In the name of security, human rights were trampled on. Now, in the name of economic recovery, they are being relegated to the back seat," Khan continues. The report also underlines this statement by revealing that hundreds and thousands of people in slums and rural communities were forcibly uprooted in the name of economic development. As a result of skyrocketing food prices more people were suffering from hunger and disease. In Myanmar, North Korea and Zimbabwe governments used food as a political weapon. The organization is therefore launching a worldwide campaign called Demand Dignity, which aims to put human rights at the centre of poverty eradication and end the human rights violations that keep people poor.
The report notes that many countries adopted more restrictive measures to keep migrants out. Especially in Europe "there remained a consistent pattern of human rights violations linked to the interception, detention, and expulsion by states of foreign nationals, including those seeking international protection." Discrimination and violence against migrants and asylum seeker persisted.
The report also examines other marginalized communities. Indigenous people in Brazil, India and Mexico were denied basic rights for a decent life, despite economic growth in those countries. Amnesty International sees Latin America as possibly the most unequal region in the world.
The organisation calls for "a different kind of leadership, a different kind of politics as well as economics - something that works for all and not just for a favoured few" and focuses on the special role of the G-20 by saying that it "must subscribe to global values and confront their own tarnished records and double standards on human rights."
Amnesty International encourages everybody to fight for human rights as history showed the importance of the endeavour of ordinary people in the struggle for great causes like the abolition of slavery or the emancipation of women.
Terry Bamford, IFSW’s representative to Amnesty International, said that the Report shows how far we have to go in the struggle for human rights. He welcomed the emphasis in the Report on economic social and cultural rights. “ Amnesty has deliberately broadened its focus from its initial emphasis on civil and political rights. When the global economic crisis poses a real threat to the living standards of the poorest in the world it is important that organisations like Amnesty continue their fight for social justice. IFSW is proud to be associated with that fight”.
Interview with Amnesty International Secretary General Irene Khan
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 Download the report (available in English, Arabic, French, German, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish)
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page last updated on 03.06.2009
