The Universal Declaration was a prudent recognition that states are obliged to ensure protection of fundamental rights that guarantee freedom and dignity of individuals and groups. Perhaps even more importantly, it represents the realization that the international community is duty bound to assist in the protection of such rights.
While it would be tempting to believe that we are on a permanent road of progress towards ever greater rights-respecting societies, with an effective and consistent support from the international community, there is rather serious cause for concern.
In the context of the UN General Assembly vote on the Palestine’s observer status in the UN, we had the profoundly distasteful exhibition of double standards by France and the UK in trying to extract promises from the Palestinian leaders that they would never seek to refer Israel to the International Criminal Court (ICC). This cynical effort was led by the same parties who call daily for accountability for the Assad regime in Syria.
The issue here is not whether Israel has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity but rather that two powerful States Parties of the Rome Statute for the ICC think it appropriate to impede even the prospect of an independent and impartial investigation by the court that they helped to create.
This is grist to the mill for all those who claim that the ICC is nothing but an instrument of western political interests and it relegates the people of Palestine to second class citizens in terms of the possible protection they can expect from the court.
If the integrity of the ICC has been tarnished by France and the UK, two key member states, the flagship of accountability set up by the UN – the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) – has been damaged by the Appeal Chamber’s decision to acquit Croatian generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac. The majority of the Appeals Chamber stands accused by the minority and independent observers of distorting the findings of the Trial Chamber and of significantly reducing the degree of protection civilians can expect from attacks by combatants.
Source: OgoniNews
Enjoying Our News? Then Like OGONI/NIGER DELTA NEWS On Facebook. Click here to like US & Follow US on Twitter @huraclub or click here (We will always follow you back)JOIN OGONI ONLINE FORUM TODAY!!!
Join other Ogonis to discuss pressing environmental issues, Bori state creation, UNEP REPORT, Ogoni land grab and a whole lot of other interesting topics. You can even include your own topic for discussions. All are welcome to join the forum. Make friends with other Ogonis and join interesting groups including all the Ogoni 6 kingdoms, Bori residents, Port Harcourt residents, RIVPOLY, UNIPORT AND RSUST student groups. To join the forum, please click on the ”register” button at the top right of the homepage. Join Ogoni Online Forum today(http://forum.huraclub.org/)……………….HURAC
