Sep 23rd, 2009
Posted by Nahal Zamani, Human Rights Program at 5:12pm	Human Rights, Women's Rights

Just the Beginning

President Obama spoke eloquently this morning, delivering a historic speech before the United Nations General Assembly. In his speech, Obama outlined his administration's steps towards what he called a "new era of engagement," noting that ensuring basic human rights is essential to a peaceful world. Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the ACLU, said in a statement released today, "For eight years under President Bush, the U.S. undermined international human rights laws and refused to ratify treaties that have been embraced by the overwhelming majority of nations."

Indeed, the first steps taken by Obama in his first nine months in office have been important.  Issuing an executive order to close Guantanamo within one year, joining the U.N. Human Rights Council, signing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CPRD) and prioritizing the ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) all signal a new era of engagement with the United Nations and a commitment to human rights for the Obama administration. However, as President Obama proclaimed today, "this is just a beginning."

While these are critical steps towards upholding and protecting human rights and illustrate a clear commitment to advancing human rights on behalf of the Obama administration, it's just the beginning.  There is much work to be done both at home and abroad. The U.S. has concrete steps to take in order to uphold a robust human rights policy.  Read more about these steps at http://www.udhr60.org/udhr_mag.html.

In the press statement released by the ACLU, Jamil Dakwar, director of the ACLU Human Rights Program, noted:

The Obama administration has already taken steps to break with the Bush administration's disastrous human rights policies but there is still much more to do, including honoring and expanding U.S. human rights commitments and fully incorporating them into domestic policy … we look forward to his administration taking concrete actions to translate these commitments to a robust human rights policy.

Real action is needed, such as ratifying CEDAW, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the CPRD and other human rights treaties that are essential to promoting every human's dignity and well-being.

 

Lenora Lapidus, director of the ACLU Women's Rights Project concurred,

We hope that his speech today before the General Assembly will be followed by real action on the part of the U.S. in finally joining the overwhelming majority of nations of the world in ratifying CEDAW and other international human rights treaties, and making human rights a key component of both U.S. domestic and foreign policy.

Our credibility, just as Obama noted, will be judged by our deeds, not just by our words. Let's see how well we do.

 

Learn more at www.aclu.org/humanrights.

Permalink |	Human Rights, Women's Rights

Tags: Close Guantanamo

1. Vic Livingston Says:
   Sep 24th, 2009 at 1:26pm

   As POTUS Plays Upon the World Stage...

   A FEDERAL-LOCAL MULTI-AGENCY COORDINATED ACTION PROGRAM TARGETS U.S. CITIZENS WITH SILENT, HEALTH-DEGRADING MICROWAVE/LASER RADIATION DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPONS...

   AND GRASSROOTS VIGILANTE COMMUNITY STALKING HARASSMENT AND TERRORISM FRONTED BY FED-FUNDED COMMUNITY POLICING, TOWN WATCH AND ANTI-TERRORISM UNITS?

   • When will Team Obama realize that covert programs are subverting the rule of law and violating the civil and human rights of thousands of unjustly "targeted" Americans -- their lives and livelihoods ruined, a socio-political AMERICAN GENOCIDE conducted under the legal cover of the USA Patriot Act?

   • These are CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY AND THE CONSTITUTION -- enabled by federal officials who are either naive, misinformed, or complicit.

   And where is the ACLU on the issue of DOMESTIC TERRORISM against U.S. citizens and entire families, committed and/or aided and abetted by the U.S. government?

   Thus far, largely AWOL.

   http://nowpublic.com/world/gestapo-usa-govt-funded-vigila nte-network-terrorizes-america OR (if link is corrupted / disabled): http://NowPublic.com/scrivener RE: "GESTAPO USA"

2. Joe Medlock Says:
   Sep 25th, 2009 at 2:10pm

   Where was the ACLU when muslems destroyed the twin towers? Growling in the back ground about social injustice I suppose!

3. Janie Says:
   Sep 25th, 2009 at 7:07pm

   All you preach about is your rights, and
   what you think. Do you ever give a thought to the millions of Americans that acutually use their skill and brain
   power to do good in the world, not just go around looking for stupid causes to argue about, because that appears to be the primary function of The ACLU. Why don't you really find out how most Americans feel instead of a small amount
   of self centered people who obvioulsly
   need to find something of real value in
   their life to worry about instead of who
   is praying or Saying the word "GOD" which by the way is our right to do if we wish too!!!!

4. a nurse Says:
   Sep 26th, 2009 at 3:01pm

   I don't know about the "directed energy weapons" reported by "Vic Livingson", nor do I know for certain who is conducting the surveillance operations that are taking place domestically, but I do know that something sadistic, cruel, and criminal is going on in the U.S.

   I also know that no one appears to be doing anything to help those who are targeted. Victims are dismissed as "delusional" when they are not. How easy it is to get away with something by pointing a finger at the victim and failing to investigate.

   At least some of what "Vic Livingston" is reporting is true. Is what we're seeing COINTELPRO? Who is going to stop it? It's unAmerican.

5. Daryl K. Nelson Says:
   Sep 28th, 2009 at 2:36pm

   Copied from received email:
   Did you know that the ACLU has filed a suit to have all military cross-shaped headstones removed and another suit to end prayer from the military completely. They're making great progress. The Navy Chaplains can no longer mention Jesus' name in prayer thanks to the wretched ACLU and our new administration. Please leave this country you detest so much, and move your organization, and the Muslim lover in the White House with you, to Iran or Russia or some other unchristian country, and take all your associate traitors with you. PLEASE!!!! You desecrate everything this country was founded upon.

6. roald Says:
   Sep 29th, 2009 at 12:16pm

   Daryl, did you post this to bring it to the attention of the ACLU to refute it?

   I hate to tell you that this has been around for a long time and has been refuted by the ACLU and others.

   http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/cemetery.asp

   http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/jul/02/ch ain-email/no-aclu-lawsuit-over-cross-shaped-headstones/

   http:// www.factcheck.org/2009/07/aclu-and-cemetary-crosses/

   http://rw- infopedia.pbworks.com/Does+the+ACLU+want+to+remove+cross-shaped+headst ones+from+federal+cemeteries

   http://www.moaablogs.org/battleoft hebilge/2009/07/aclu_military_headstones_crosses/comment-page-1/

   < p>http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/a/aclu-markers.htm

7. Richard Says:
   Oct 10th, 2009 at 9:42pm

   Let's please remember that not all Muslims attacked the twin towers but rather it was the radical Muslims. But, I did notice the ACLU was no where to be found with either financial nor emotional support. They hid like the cowards they are. Pastors, priests and ministers from all forms of religions reached out and assisted.

   Let's not forget how we felt that day!

8. Anonymous Says:
   Nov 13th, 2009 at 1:58am

   How disappointing and disturbing that the issue of violence against women in this blog has been completely overlooked. It is also very telling of how marginalized the issue is and how indifferent people are about the pervasiveness of hate and discrimination that exists in this country alone.
   People actually find the need to speak and complain about the "stupid" issues of "selfish" rights? It seems the million of people using there brain to do good must be doing good only for there own selfish reasons.?
   I find it absolutely disgusting the intense misogyny that has been adopted in a country such as ours-that is suppose to be progressive and not a "third world" status.
   In my view very little has changed. It is all "cosmetic".(Restraining orders aren't even taken seriously, by law enforcement-a joke- nor the courts,etc.).
   I find the willful ignorance and acceptance of men's hideous acts baffling. It is like rape has become a right of passage and an accomplishment.
   Are these people's "use" of their brains even developed.(frontal lobe?) Have they even progressed with the rest of homo-sapiens . I am disturbed to think that men might just be defects.
   How disconcerting that women are still always blamed and a person who purposely takes such efforts to humiliate and defame someone are then looked upon as a victim or helpless in their actions!
   Unfortunately I don't have much hope in Obama nor the ACLU for that matter.

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