Human Rights Move up the Commonwealth Agenda

As world attention moves from East-West problems to North-South issues, the Commonwealth is examining the role it can play in the dramatic worldwide movement towards democracy and individual freedom. It is paying increased attention to problems of human rights within its membership. The Commonwealth may be progressing towards becoming a monitor, consultant and judge of conduct affecting human rights in its 50 member countries.

THE 50-nation Commonwealth is moving human rights higher up on its agenda. Organizations of doctors, lawyers, journalists and trade unionists want it to reinforce and encourage peoples awareness and respect for basic human rights. A non-governmental advisory group on human rights is recommending that the Commonwealth adopt a declaration of human rights, create a commission of experts to advise and monitor countries on human rights issues and eventually set up a body to investigate and judge problems as they arise. Dr. Beko Ransoms Kuti, a member of the advisory group from Nigeria, was himself jailed in 1985 for taking part in a strike to obtain proper medical supplies for his patients. He says people are now getting bolder as awareness of human rights grows throughout the world. An initiative such as this will help people confront authorities "on a more serious basis." Flora MacDonald, chairperson of the committee and former foreign affairs minister for Canada said: "we're not trying to invent something 'new, we just want to hear the Commonwealth make a definitive declaration on the matter." The United Nations has put forward several conventions on human rights but many Commonwealth countries still have no chance of basic human rights. The purpose of the new group, known as the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHM), is to support people who are struggling for their rights and to raise awareness among all about what their rights arc. Struggles for democratic and human rights are surfacing most- strongly throughout developing nations, but consciousness is also rising in developed nations. The Commonwealth's presence in every continent puts it in, an ideal position to set human rights standards. It is a role the organisation has left largely untouched until now. Says MacDonald: "The Commonwealth is at a crossroads the preoccupation with East-West issues is moving to one side so that there is now more concern with North-South, problems." Because Commonwealth countries stretch around the globe it is in a perfect position to reinforce people's cries for justice. Over the past dozen years, its focus has been on struggles for democracy in South Africa and Namibia. Now that the resolution of those problems is in sight, the attention of the Commonwealth and of other nations, particularly in Africa, is turning towards democracy in their own countries. After the lifting of the state of emergency in South Africa in 1990, many countries were forced to reconcile the situations in their own countries. Zambia and Zimbabwe, for instance, have haci in place in their countries states of emergency during all the time they were pushing for the abolition of the state of emergency in South Africa. Both countries have made serious moves to-wards changing their own policies. In a state of emergency, citizens have few rights and the government assumes sweeping powers. Securing the power of the state has been considered a good enough reason to violate people's rights. The final report and recommendations of the Human Rights Advisory Group will be discussed by member countries at the Commonwealth summit in Harare in October. The bodies that contributed to the new Commonwealth recommendations were the Commonwealth's Journalists Association, Trade Union Council, Lawyers Association, Legal Education Association and Medical Association. Each has its own reason for fighting human rights violations. "Journalists report it, lawers fight it in the courts, and trade unionists can strike over it," says group director, Richard Bourne. The goal is to make each free to do so. Journalists, whose profession depends on the right to freedom of expression, are often silenced by governments. Frequently, they, as well as doctors and lawyers, become instruments of the state, with no freedom to exercise detached professional judgement.

Doctors in many countries are asked to take part in capital punishment, or torture, and are not permitted to act according to their consciences. In the case of South African black rights activist Steve Niko, doctors permitted him to be hauled along miles of bad road, even though he was close to death. In Pakistan, where hands are amputated as a form of punishment, there is a group of doctors now refusing to perform the operation. Although basic rights are generally enjoyed by citizens of developed nations, tights arc violated in subtler forms. For example, Canadian aboriginal people are demanding acknowledgement of treaties signed last century and the government is starting to listen. After 17 years. the British courts have finally released the "Birmingham Six," a group convicted of a bombing they did not commit. The admission that a mistake was made has given new hope to many prisoners who claim Irmoccnce. The same day the recommendations to the Commonwealth were pub linked, Amnesty International condemned Britain's handling of major human rights issues. It said the nation's protection of human rights "clearly falls short of international standards." —GEMINI NEWS

LILLIAN FORRESTER Is a gradual, of the University of Raul, School of Journalism and Communications In Canada working on a fellowship fur Gemini News.