GCUF

HUMAN RIGHT AND SOUTH ASIA

ASSIGNMENT OF SOUTH ASIA submitted to Sir.Qasim Salik

Submitted by Saba Jamal (8824)

11/24/2017

Human rights and South Asia

Disappearances, torture, police abuse... these are too common practices in the nations of South

Asia. Along with some of the oldest civilizations in the world, South Asia includes some of its

poorest countries. Civil war, ethnic tension, religious persecution (ill -treatment, especially

because of race or political or religious beliefs; oppression) and terrorism are but some of the

ailements of this region, as are the abuse of government power, censorship, and human rights

violations.

A right which is believed to belong to every person is a human right.

First of all in south Asia forum for human rights (SAFHR) introduced. SAFHR, based in

Kathmandu, was established in 1990 with the stated goal of acting as a forum for dialogue

between regional and local human rights organisations.SAFHR promotes people-to-people

dialogues as crucial to regional understanding along with the more conventional inter-

governmental dialogue.

SOUTH ASIA HUMAN RIGHTS

Human rights activists in South Asian countries have for a long time supported the concept of

evolving collective mechanisms on many issues of common concern, particularly in view of the

fact that many human rights issues demand bilateral and regional solutions. Recognizing this

need a five-member committee comprising Mr. I.K. Gujral, former Prime Minister of India, Dr.

Kamal Hossain from Bangladesh, Dr. Devendra Raj Panday from Nepal, Ms. Radhika

Coomaraswamy from Sri Lanka and Mrs. Asma Jahangir from Pakistan organised a convention

to discuss the possibility of a South Asian regional human rights organization. The convention

was held at the Neemrana Fort, Rajasthan, India on July 21-22, 2000. After extensive

discussions the convention adopted the Neemrana Declaration and decided to set up an

organization called South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR). The people of South Asia – human

rights activists, groups, networks and initiatives – belong to civil society in Bangladesh, India,

Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka met at Neemrana, Rajasthan, India on 21-22 July 2000.

SAHR is a democratic regional network with a large membership base of people committed to

addressing human rights issues at both national and regional levels. SAHR aims at fostering the

concept of multiple South Asian identities by enabling people to realize their ideals and

aspirations for peace, democracy, secularism and human security, while promoting pluralism in

approaches towards social, political, economic and cultural development of different

communities, ethnic, linguistic, religious and other groups.

OBJECTIVES OF SOUTH ASIA HUMAN RIGHTS:-

Uniform enjoyment of human rights

Realization of gender equality and justice; Strengthening regional interaction and mutual

enrichment in the spheres of education, literature, culture and the arts

Sharing experiences and developing platforms to assert the rights of labour and other working

people, and to eliminate poverty and disparities

To review laws, practices, social and political trends and economic policies which adversely

affect human rights and to suggest remedial measures;

To monitor and resist the violation of human rights by state authorities and non-state

elements;

To oppose customs whose practice in the name of the “community” or traditional “morality”

creates hatred, prejudice and sectarianism; and to assert the primacy of reason, tolerance and

mutual respect

To encourage the building of peaceful border areas between and among the countries of the

region without resorting to conflict and violence

To maintain mutually beneficial relations with international agencies such as the UN and SAARC

and to promote dialogue and mutual cooperation;

To campaign for a common strategy to protect the environment in the region and promote

ecologically sound development.

HUMAN RIGHTS AND SAARC

Efforts by South Asian civil society to engage SAARC on issues of human rights are praiseworthy,

given the sizeable challenges facing the region. However, these efforts are complicated and

hindered by the fact that SAARC is an inter-governmental organisation comprising of

governments with poor human rights records.

Afghanistan, which joined SAARC in 2005, signed the Convention in 2007. The Convention on

Trafficking, along with the SAARC Convention on Regional Arrangements for the Promotion of

Child Welfare in South Asia and the SAARC Social Charter, form the core of SAARC’s

commitment to empowering women and children.

When it was signed, it was heralded as a “significant and substantial” step forward in terms of

combating trafficking and moving SAARC towards taking on a greater role in human rights.50 It

was the first treaty in Asia to address human trafficking and, in fact, the first regional treaty of

its kind.SAARC Social Charter 4 January 2004 .The Social Charter was finally signed in the 12th

Summit in Islamabad in 2004, with targets including “poverty eradication, population

stabilization, empowerment of women, youth mobilization, human resource development,

promotion of health and nutrition, and protection of children.

REFRENCES:-

http://www.southasianrights.org/

SAARC and Human Rights: Looking Back and Ways Forward

http://www.derechos.org/saran/