Amnesty International's Report 2008: State of the World's Human Rights

From the press release:

“Injustice, inequality and impunity are the hallmarks of our world today. Governments must act now to close the yawning gap between promise and performance.” [Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International, launching AI Report 2008: State of the World’s Human Rights.]

Amnesty International’s Report 2008, shows that sixty years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations, people are still tortured or ill-treated in at least 81 countries, face unfair trials in at least 54 countries and are not allowed to speak freely in at least 77 countries.

“2007 was characterised by the impotence of Western governments and the ambivalence or reluctance of emerging powers to tackle some of the world’s worst human rights crises, ranging from entrenched conflicts to growing inequalities which are leaving millions of people behind,” said Ms Khan.

Amnesty International cautioned that the biggest threat to the future of human rights is the absence of a shared vision and collective leadership.

Resources:

AI Report 2008: State of the World’s Human Rights website

Report 08 mini-documentary for a snapshot of the state of the world's human rights in 2007:

Launch page for AI YouTube Channel

[JH]