SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS
INTRODUCTION
A. Amnesty International welcomes the publication
of FCO Human Rights Annual Report 2001 and we hope that next year's
publication attains the same standards of presentation and content.
B. We welcome the Foreign Affairs Committee's
inquiry into the FCO's Human Rights Annual Report 2001 and hope
that this is now embedded as an important feature of the parliamentary
year.
COMMITMENT TO
HUMAN RIGHTS
WITHIN THE
FOREIGN OFFICE
C. We welcome initiatives to mainstream
human rights throughout the FCO.
D. We believe that HRPF provides an important
contribution in this respect, as well as being a useful form of
support to many human rights organisations.
E. Efforts to mainstream human rights must
be supported by clear commitments at the top. We therefore hope
that next year's annual human rights report will refer to a significant
speech from the Secretary of State, spelling out his principles
and priorities for UK human rights policy.
CHALLENGES AND
PROGRESS
F. Although it is based on the same structure
as 2000's edition, the Human Rights Annual Report 2001 has, to
a degree, improved its consideration of the situation in specific
countries.
G. The UK must continue to press Indonesia
to improve its human rights situation and to address the culture
impunity; this should be raised at the forthcoming session of
the UN Commission on Human Rights.
H. Where the report highlights positive
developments and initiatives in a particular country, we hope
that next year's report will provide an update of their progress
and impact.
CRITICAL ENGAGEMENT
AND HUMAN
RIGHTS DIALOGUE
I. We remain concerned that human rights
dialogues might become ends in themselves; we again recommend
that the FCO set out the broad criteria or principles that underpin
its human rights dialogues.
J. EU member states should endeavour to
co-ordinate their bilateral human rights dialogues with China.
"JOINED UP
GOVERNMENT"
K. Amnesty International welcomes the continued
attention to "joined up government" in this FCO human
rights report.
L. Amensty International welcomes the tenacious
work undertaken by the International Development Select Committee
on the Ilisu Dam project and believes that it exposes significant
failings in both the DTI and the FCO. In future, the FCO must
proactively supply, and the ECGD proactively seek, comprehensive
human rights assessments.
M. The Government should spell out in detail
the screening procedures used by ECGD to determine whether a project
may reasonably be assumed to contribute to human rights violations.
It should also indicate what actions would be taken when ECGD's
dialogue with a company fails to produce a significant improvement
in a project's social, environmental and human rights impact.
CONTROLS OVER
THE TRANSFER
OF ARMS
AND SECURITY
EQUIPMENT
N. The new exports controls legislation
should be used to achieve a ban on the brokering and trafficking
of torture equipment by UK citizens. We also believe that the
ban should be extended to cover the promotion and marketing of
such equipment.
O. The Government should work for the swift
adoption of a European Community instrument to establish a common
control list of non-military items. This instrument should cover
all arms and security equipment, servicing and training and the
provision of personnel. The Government should use this opportunity
to achieve an EU ban on the export, transhipment, brokering and
promotion of torture related equipment.
UN COMMISSION FOR
HUMAN RIGHTS
(CHR)
P. We believe that the Government should
urge other countries to follow its example of undertaking to agree
to any request for a visit from UN Special Rapporteurs or other
mechanisms of the UN Commission on Human Rights (CHR).
Q. Amnesty International believes that the
EU should table a resolution on China at the forthcoming CHR session.
R. The UK should ensure that Russia's compliance
with last year's resolution on Chechnya is carefully examined.
In the absence of credible and exhaustive investigation into allegations
of abuses of international humanitarian law and human rights,
a further resolution should be tabled.
S. The situation in Zimbabwe should also
be discussed, given the failure of various bilateral and multilateral
initiatives to achieve progress.
T. Israel and the Occupied Territories should
remain on the agenda and the CHR should address the systematic
and widespread human rights violations in Saudi Arabia in public
session.
OFFICE OF
THE UN HIGH
COMMISSIONER FOR
HUMAN RIGHTS
(OHCHR)
U. The UK government should play a leading
role in efforts to more secure funding from the UN regular budget
for the functions of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human
Rights.
EUROPEAN UNION
V. The EU should continue to scrutinise
the human rights record of candidate countries. The institutions
and member states should press the Turkish authorities to bring
about a lasting improvement in the human rights situation there,
including through close and comprehensive scrutiny of reform implementation
and the situation on the ground.
W. The UK government should play a leading
role in ensuring that the EU's political dialogue with third countries
pays particular attention to human rights.
X. Parliament should enhance its scrutiny
of EU agreements with third countries.
SMALL ARMS
AND LIGHT
WEAPONS
Y. The government should continue its strong
advocacy for stronger international control on the transfer of
small arms.
MERCENARIES
Z. The government merits condemnation for
its failure to deliver a consultation paper on regulating mercenary
activity. This should now be regarded as a priority.
CORPORATE SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY
AA. The government should revise company
law to provide that company directors have a duty to consider
the interests of all those affected by their companies' operations,
globally.
BB. The government should require companies
to report on the social, environmental and ethical aspects of
their activities in their annual reports.
HONOUR CRIMES
CC. The government's strong condemnation
of "honour crimes" is welcome. It should continue to
confront this issue. Next year's report should contain further
details of initiatives, obstacles, achievements and impact.
THE INTERNATIONAL
CRIMINAL COURT
DD. The government should amend the ICC
Act and the Scottish Executive should amend equivalent parts of
the ICC (Scotland) Act to (a) provide for domestic courts to have
jurisdiction over all persons present in the UK; and (b) eliminate
the discretion provided to the Secretary of State in Section 23(4)
of the Act.
EE. The government should work with other
countries to maintain the integrity of the Rome Statute and encourage
its wide ratification.
FF. The government should seek to ensure
the success of the ICC by:
— ensuring that the ICC is adequately
resourced;
— providing relevant evidence, including
evidence acquired through intelligence;
— acting on any request to arrest and
transfer individuals indicted by the ICC;
— ensuring the investigation of suspects
falling, or likely to fall, under the jurisdiction of UK courts.
INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL
TRIBUNALS AND
THE SPECIAL
COURT FOR
SIERRA LEONE
GG. The government should continue to urge
other governments to make voluntary contributions. It should also
indicate its readiness to reconsider the means of funding the
court should this be requested by the UN Secretary-General.
TORTURE
HH. The FCO should continue to accord a
high priority to the fight against torture and should develop
further initiatives to contribute to this struggle.
II. Withn the EU, the UK should work for
the effective implementation of the Guidelines to EU Policy Towards
Third Countries on Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading
Treatment.
JJ. The government should maintain its support
for a strong Optional Protocol to the UN Convention Against Torture;
it must not agree a weak text.
DEATH PENALTY
KK. The government's active opposition to
the death penalty is welcome and should be maintained.
Amnesty International
January 2002
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