In light of Human Rights Day, the body highlighted "rampant" impunity for international law breaches
In the wake of Human Rights Day, the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute has called out individual states that have reneged on their human rights commitments.
In 1948, countries of different legal and cultural backgrounds pledged to defend universal human rights by adopting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. However, many have since pulled back on their pledges, the IBAHRI said.
“We are at a critical juncture where international law and the rule of law are under threat. Individual states are rolling back on commitments to human rights. Proposed constitutional reforms, such as those adopted in Mexico that will likely undermine the independence of the judiciary, call into question the commitment of states to uphold the rule of law domestically and internationally,” said IBAHRI co-chair Mark Stephens CBE, who used to preside over the Commonwealth Lawyers Association.
Stephens highlighted incidents against journalists in Gaza and Hong Kong this year.
“Our global information eco-system is in crisis, with unprecedented attacks against truth-tellers, journalists. The highest number in a year have been killed globally owing to the journalists killed in Gaza,” he pointed out. “In many jurisdictions publishers and dissidents are being muzzled, such as in Hong Kong, where the owner of the shuttered Apple News, Jimmy Lai, remains imprisoned as do democracy activists and human rights lawyers Margaret Ng and Martin Lee, as well as democracy activists convicted for their role in organising unofficial primary elections to choose pro-democracy legislative candidates. The picture is bleak indeed.”
The IBAHRI also cited issues in Ukraine and Sudan, noting the “rampant” impunity for international law breaches. The Geneva Academy Rule of Law in Armed Conflicts project reported that 27 non-international armed conflicts, 45 international armed conflicts, and 10 situations of military occupation were ongoing.
“Many are desperately seeking justice and an end to abuses. Despite this, rather than supporting the independence of international courts, a number of states are challenging the issuing of arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court – for example in relation to crimes committed in Gaza – and questioning the independence and work of the court,” the IBAHRI said in a statement.
Co-chair Anne Ramberg Dr Jur hc, who was the immediate past secretary general of the Swedish Bar Association, urged governments, civil society organizations and individuals worldwide to unite in a global response to “protect vulnerable populations and uphold human rights.”
“Undoubtedly, much needs to be done to give full life to the fundamental human rights and freedoms set out in the UDHR. An invaluable blueprint of equality, fairness, and justice, it has paved the way for human rights treaties, instruments, and laws all over the world,” Ramberg said. “Now more than ever, it is essential that they are recognised as more than just words on paper, but rather, as concrete commitments, to be translated into reality through concerted effort and action.”
This year’s Human Rights Day was commemorated on December 10.
