Geneva Tuesday, 15 March 2011 - The ICHR Kashmir Centre.EU, in association with the International Human Rights Association of American Minorities, today hosted an interactive dialogue and roundtable entitled Human Rights and the Pursuit of Democracy at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. Speakers included Barrister A. Majid Tramboo - Chairman ICHR Kashmir Centre.EU, Prof. Katerina Dalacoura, International Relations - London School of Economics, Prof. Rawtha Benothman, Social Sciences - University of Tunis, Prof. Alfred de Zayas, Public and International Law Geneva School of Diplomacy & International Relations, Prof. Joeseph Wronka Springfield College, Massachusetts, Altaf Hussain Wani - Islamic Federation of Students Organisation, Mr. Ronald Barnes - Chairman Indian Council of South America.
Barrister Tramboo drew attention the high status that is afforded to democracy and the pursuit of self-determination in the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration for Human Rights. He noted that in those places of the world where a legitimate authority, chosen by the people, is not in place to govern then there is an increased risk of ongoing human rights violations. Highlighting the plight of the people of Indian Held Kashmir, who have been denied legitimate government chosen by the people for over six decades, Barrister Tramboo linked the flagrant human rights violations in Kashmir to both a lack of legitimate government and continued inaction by the world community.
Prof. Alfred de Zayas noting that the international community is often ill-equipped to deal with emerging threats and situations around the globe. Noting that swift action can be taken on occasions when it suited the geopolitical interests of the world community he called for an alteration of the rules and laws by which the world is currently governed.
Prof. Joeseph Wronka highlighted the fact that those countries which have limited access to genuine democracy often face the plight of endemic poverty. He called for the Human Rights Council to face up to the huge task of eradicating extreme poverty worldwide as a means to ensuring a more just world. Noting that extreme poverty is the base of all violence he suggested that the United Naitons adopt a convention on the eradication of extreme poverty as a mean to working towards a more just world. Equity and liberty are words that are open to interpretation and we need to work towards public discussion so that those words and the work of governments reflect the will of the people.
Prof. Katerina Dalacaoura discussed the current events in the Middle East and said that no expert on the region had predicted the current situation. She said that though the events in Egypt and Tunisia had been described by many as revolutions this was not the case and they were indeed civil insurrections leading to partial regime change. The events were momentous and could potentially be better for democratisation in the region than wholesale revolution.
Prof. Rawtha Benothman, who is currently based in Tunis, called upon the international community to ensure that the current changes in Tunisia result in free and fair elections representing all sections of society. In the following discussion several suggestions were made with regard to the work the NGO community could undertake to ensure that the changes in Tunisa are inline with international standards and human rights norms.
Altaf Hussain Wani highlighted the fact that the word democracy does not appear anywhere in the UN charter but is inherent in both the opening line of the charter and throughout the document. Further he stated that the principle of the right to self-determination is inherent throughout. With the end of the cold war the will of the international community to pursue self-determination for all waned and the UN Human Rights Council devalued the principle with a lack of legitimate debate. Citing the example of Indian Held Kashmir he noted that the people will continue to adapt and transform in order to succeed in the quest for self-determination. It is in these situations where human rights abuses are rife and there are considerable obstacles in the search for justice that the UN should focus its efforts.
Ronald Barnes noted that with democracy comes an inevitable rise in access to human rights and the international community which governs them. Those situations, such as Alaska, where occupiers have enforced their own mandates often leave the indigenous people without a legitimate voice or representative.
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