The World Today:
Human Rights and Democracy
This Congress applauds the still continuing international movement towards democracy. However we condemn the worsening of the human rights situation that has taken place in the past years. Millions of people still have to flee their home, are displaced, are starving or being tortured and killed. Individual life seems to count for less. Liberal values are under threat.
We see the protection of universal human rights and the promotion of pluralist democracy as a central part of promoting political stability and good governance. In many countries in Africa and Asia democracy has advanced, although enormous problems still have to be overcome. In particular the transition to democracy in countries such as Malawi and South Africa is encouraging and should serve as an example for neighbouring countries.
At the same time the Liberal International expresses its concern over the deteriorating political situation in many countries. In Nigeria opposition members were executed without due process of law, despite pleas from across the world. In China the arrest and torture of dissidents is a matter of routine. In Iran religious and political freedoms are outlawed. In East Timor the suppression of dissent with the illegal occupation by Indonesia continues unabated. In Burma, although Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was released, there is no relaxation of military rule. In Guatemala the murderers of Jorge Carpio have still not been brought to book. In several European countries democracy runs the risk of developing into a façade rather than a meaningful reality, such as in Serbia, Croatia, Slovakia and Romania. Democracy is a continuous process of which the holding of elections is only a part. Freedom of assembly, multiparty democracy, independence of the judiciary, transparency and accountability, freedom of press and broadcasting expression and independence of the electoral commission and recognition of election results are universal and equally important pre-conditions before any state can be described as a genuine democracy.
Despite the remarkable development towards democracy in Latin America in the past decade we see the continuation of a dictatorship in Cuba. We condemn Cuba’s ruthless repression of Concilio Cubano members, whose only crime was an open attempt to exercise their universally recognised right to peaceably assemble to petition their government for a redress of grievances. We call upon the Cuban regime to put its policies to the test in free, fair and pluralist elections, and to allow the peaceful transformation towards becoming a democratic society ruled by respect for human rights as proposed by the moderate opposition.
The record of other Latin American states also causes grave concerns. The role of the army in Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua needs to be monitored carefully, and democratic, centrist forces deserve all international support. The situation of lawlessness and corruption in many parts of Latin America damages individual, political, economic, social and cultural rights.
We note that five years after the Gulf War most countries in the region are still ruled undemocratically and many of them violate human rights. The Iraqi government still violates UN Security Council resolutions which concern human rights. This Congress requests the continuation of sanctions until the government of Iraq has implemented all UNSC resolutions.
The congress expresses serious concern on the human rights situation in Sudan, urges the government of Sudan and all parties concerned to give the UN special rapporteur on human rights access to the country and to cooperate with other UN mechanisms.
In general this Congress calls upon governments to take action on the following issues:
