2012 Annual Human Rights Report launch

Yesterday the Foreign Secretary, William Hague, officially launched the 2012 Foreign & Commonwealth Report on Human Rights. You can read it here: http://www.hrdreport.fco.gov.uk/.

The report once again highlights the British Government’s determination to strengthen the development of human rights around the world, working through the global network of British Embassies and Consulates. This includes our Embassy in Guatemala and our work in Honduras. The Foreign Secretary’s words yesterday resonated here.  He said: “…whether it is seeking a moratorium on the death penalty, or ending what is happening in Syria, or rallying the international community to destroy the culture of impunity that surrounds sexual violence in conflict, the promotion of human rights is at the forefront of the work of the FCO and of my own objectives as Foreign Secretary.” You can read his full speech here.

This year’s report also includes a new section on the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI), which the Foreign Secretary launched last May.  The aim of this initiative is to strengthen and coordinate international efforts to prevent and respond to atrocities involving sexual violence, and to break down the culture of impunity around such crimes. PSVI will be a focus of the UK’s Presidency of the UN Security Council in June, and we hope Guatemala’s Foreign Minister will be able to attend. We are already working with Guatemala on PSVI where there have been efforts made to investigate crimes of sexual violence that occurred during the country’s internal conflict.

We know about the human rights challenges facing Guatemala and Honduras. We think the UK’s objective to promote and protect human rights, democracy and the rule of law, can make a difference. We will continue to provide targeted financial support to human rights projects. And we’ll continue working with our European Union colleagues, including supporting Human Rights Defenders.

The Foreign Secretary acknowledged yesterday that tackling issues like human rights requires a collective effort, adding that “It is vital that we work through international organisations such as the UN Human Rights Council and the International Criminal Court, drawing on their expertise, collaborating with partners, and strengthening these international institutions in the process. We are committed to making them as effective as possible, which is why we are seeking election to the Human Rights Council in November for a two year term.”

We hope you find the Human Rights Report interesting. Please feel free to comment on it.