Human Rights Foundation’s Post

The Human Rights Act was fundamental to the peace process having both been given legislative effect within the same year. Not only would repealing the act cause disruption on how stormont & public authorities deal with contentious issues, it also halts direct access to the courts (domestic & European) in forwarding convention rights issues. #humanrights #parliament #houseoflords #stormont

JUSTICE has briefed all MPs and Peers on the importance of the UK's membership of the European Convention on Human Rights (the "ECHR"). We urge all those who support the ECHR to make their voices heard and ensure the importance of membership is more widely recognised.   The UK played a significant role in drafting the ECHR and has a leading role within the Council of Europe. Only two countries - Russia and Greece when it was a military dictatorship - have ever left the ECHR.   Withdrawal from the ECHR would: (i) endanger the Good Friday Agreement and Windsor Framework (ii) destabilise devolution; and (iii) harm international security cooperation.   The ECHR has significantly strengthened human rights protections across Europe and in the UK. There has never been a more important time for the UK to lead in the Council of Europe - supporting and promoting democracy, human rights and the rule of law across the continent.

Ultimately, this comes down to a choice. Either we support the notion that governments, officials and others abide by law that aims to guarantee some basic level of equality and human dignity for each and every one of us. Or we support the notion that governments, officials and others may (even should) govern our lives according to power - in the interests and preferences of whoever may be best placed at any time to grab and retain it. Respect for human rights certainly does raise challenging questions from time to time, and - albeit far less than some political commentators may suggest - those questions can arise in truly controversial circumstances where the very real interests of each, many or some of us are potentially at stake in some ways that can be conflicting. However, disrespecting human rights doesn't remove challenging questions or circumstances - rather it permits these to be resolved in ways that simply ignore the very real interests of most or many of us in favour of interests (often not all that intrinsically important) of people with power. And those in the UK who suggest that Parliament can be the guarantor of our legal rights (of whatever nature) rather than Courts are not only fundamentally misunderstanding the UK constitutional system, they're fundamentally misunderstanding the capacity of Parliament.

"Human dignity is inviolable". What a way to start a document that is the framework for the relationship between citizens and their state. Happy birthday, Basic Law! 🎉 75 years! I made a little film -see below. 📽 Kudos to Lukas Hansen! Let's all make sure we never take them for granted, all those freedoms, principles, rules, rights, and values enshrined in what is essentially the German constitution. Here's to the next 75! #BasicLaw #constitution #Grundgesetz

On the Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare & the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, my thoughts on the breakdown of human rights in a multipolar world & what to do about it: https://lnkd.in/g-2ax-HK Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)

🛑I’m calling on #journalists & #reporters 🛑 @SenatorCardin must realize that everyday that he spends in stalling and blocking the bipartisan #MAHSAAct (HR589/S2626) which already passed almost unanimously in the House, is equivalent to 1000s of lives lost in seeking dignity, basic human rights and democracy against a tyrannical dictatorship in Iran. The Iranian people are our best allies and assets in demolishing the #Islamic_terror-propagating regime. The #MAHSAAct (HR589/S2626) will bring sufficient international pressure on the regime’s leadership to isolate them via U.S. law and codified human rights abuse and terrorism sanctions which will NOT be lifted in any potential future NUCLEAR negotiation with this criminal regime. It will instead bring to light their crimes against humanity on a global international scale and be used to show a unanimous and nonnegotiable stance for human rights, the value of life and human dignity. ( as recent report by United Nations charged with committing Crimes against humanity https://lnkd.in/g6Hb79zd) This will undoubtedly support the Iranian women and men’s fight for their own liberation and freedom from the regime terrorizing them and the world for the past 45 years. We desperately need you, @SenatorCardin as Chair of @SFRCdems to take this first step, not just for the Iranian’s cause for freedom and democracy but for the safety of the entire world against IR’s terrorism and its impending nuclear proliferation and threat to all living beings. Please bring our two Nations together for good and for a common cause of freedom and democracy, which we share and value. Please MarkUp the MAHSA Act in your committee instead of silencing the voice of the voiceless‼️ We thank you for your bipartisan efforts in marking up the #SHIPAct and while its passage is absolutely critical in defunding the terror regime, it will NOT carry the same message to politically isolate and hold accountable the regime’s leadership for committing human rights abuses and terrorism with less resources and oil money to fund their domestic and international terror. Ultimate GOAL 👇 🛑supporting the OVERTHROW the regime by the Iranians, which #MAHSAAct will support our biggest allies, the brave people of Iran in this cause. The choice is clear, #Maximumsupport for Iranian people in the name of #mahsaamini and the 1000s who gave up their lives for freedom and democracy on this #International_Womens_Day And #maximumPressure the totalitarian regime in maintaining its foothold in our motherland‼️ once the land Cassandance, the wife of Cyrus the Great and Artunis, a woman lieutenant commander in his army. 👉We will not desist 👉We will not fall. We will not fail 👉We will uphold #WomanLifeFreedom https://lnkd.in/gHahh_E3 🦁🌞🇮🇱🇺🇸 narrative from X👇please open #SenatorRisch @hill @thomasomelia @POLITICOMag @SenMarcoRubio @RepTenney

Wir befinden uns mitten im „Superwahljahr“ 2024. Make your voice count and vote! Ensure access to reliable and accurate information for cultivating accountable knowledge before your choice is being made. ______________________________________ As most of us would probably agree, our democracy in general serves as a vital constitutional pillar against extremism as it promotes the principles of plurality, tolerance, and compromise, which are essential in countering extreme ideologies. We need to bare in mind, that by allowing for diverse viewpoints to be heard and by fostering peaceful means of resolving differences, democracies provide a platform for addressing grievances and preventing radicalization. We need to speak up! We strongly need to commit to upholding the rule of law, to protect human rights, and ensure inclusive participation in decision-making processes, that are crucial elements in safeguarding democratic societies from the threats posed by extremism. Especially my home country Germany! Wake up and stand up for our democracy! We ought to apply truthful principles in the dissemination of information, so that individuals can access a diverse range of perspectives and engage in constructive dialogue based on credible and trustworthy sources. We need to foster a culture of accountability and intellectual rigor. Let’s engage in respectful debates and advocate for peaceful solutions.

🗣️ Keith Best: It is perhaps invidious to look more closely at one issue when there remains in plain sight acts of genocide, crimes against humanity, aggression and war crimes as well as mass rape and suppression of women in evidence today. Nevertheless, I wish to look especially at the matter of trafficking of human beings which, in itself, often involves a denial of several human rights in the declaration." #StopHumanTrafficking #humanrights #worldjustice Read more: https://lnkd.in/gtesaXHg

The Nuremberg Laws, enacted in Nazi Germany on September 15, 1935, during the annual Nuremberg Rally of the Nazi Party, established a legal framework for the persecution of Jews, Romani, and Black people. The implementation of these antisemitic and racist laws marked a point of no return in what is known as the "Final Solution" to the Jewish Question and led to the Holocaust, resulting in the deaths of millions of people. However, amidst the darkness, a significant legal advancement emerged on the eve of the Trial of the Major War Criminals at Nuremberg in the post-war world: the concept of crimes against humanity. This concept aimed to safeguard civilian populations during both peacetime and wartime, even from abuses committed by their own governments. It continues to be a fundamental principle of international law to this day, serving as a vital safeguard for human rights and justice worldwide.

What does the current strife over the judicial overhaul in Israel mean for its national security and U.S.-Israel ties? In my latest piece for The Washington Institute, I discuss the reasonableness bill and widespread protests in the context of domestic politics, national security implications, and effect on the U.S.-Israel relationship. Bottom line for the bilateral relationship: In the longer term, Washington is no doubt wondering whether the Knesset’s decision is an aberration tied to the current political environment or a turning point in Israeli democracy. The vibrancy of the decades-long bilateral relationship is substantially based on the fact that Americans and Israelis share core values, not just military and economic interests. Any perceived erosion in these values could gradually affect the broad political base that supports the close relationship. Hence, supporters of U.S.-Israeli relations need to maintain focus on shared values as much as shared interests. https://lnkd.in/eq5SQJgf