“The challenges for human rights around the world are many”

With the intention of strengthening relations between UK and Peru, especially on human rights issues, the British Global Ambassador for Human Rights, Rita French, paid a three-day visit to Lima.

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During her visit to the Peruvian capital, French met with activists linked to press freedom, gender equality, international cooperation, indigenous leadership, environmental defense, among others. Additionally, she spoke with local authorities such as the Minister of Women, Nancy Tolentino; deputies Ruth Luque, Flor Pablo and Janet Rivas; the supreme judge, Jorge Luis Salas Arenas and the ONPE judge, Piero Corvetto.

The French also received The trade at the residence of the British ambassador in Peru to talk about the world’s biggest humanitarian challenges, the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, a controversial immigration bill in the United Kingdom and the complaint filed at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IDH Court) against the government of Dina Boluarte.

– What is the main global concern regarding human rights at the moment?

Unfortunately, there are many conflicts and challenges around the world. Of course, Gaza prevails, as does the war in Ukraine, but there are also adverse situations in Afghanistan, Iran, Myanmar, just to name a few. There are many countries in conflict. The challenges to human rights and democracy around the world are many, but I think there is also a lot to see in terms of how much progress we have made. I think, for example, of women’s economic parity, political participation, the decriminalization of same-sex marriage, improving access to education for girls, or that more and more countries are introducing moratoriums on the death penalty or even suppress it.

There is local or national progress around the world in terms of human rights, although, of course, this does not make the headlines and does not change the conflicts that the world suffers. It is difficult not to become depressed when analyzing the situation of human rights in the world and the violations they suffer, but it is important to remain optimistic thinking about the progress that different communities are making. I would say that there is a real ambition and commitment to improving rights in the world, here I heard this from the Minister for Women and also from the representatives of the organizations I met. This gives me hope.

South Africa accused Israel before the International Court of Justice of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip as part of the war against Hamas.

– Israel was accused by South Africa before the ICJ of perpetrating genocide in Gaza. What is the British government’s position regarding this accusation against its ally?

What happened on October 7th was frightening. And the terror continues for people who still have family members kidnapped. Israel clearly has the right to defend itself and maintain the security of its population. Genocide is a very strict term and it is up to an independent court to determine when it applies. It is an accusation with which we do not agree, but of course we respect independent courts and their verdicts on these matters.

– The other major conflict is between Russia and Ukraine. The Russians have been repeatedly accused of violating human rights during the war and the sanctions do not appear to have any effect on them. How do you approach the relationship with a government like Vladimir Putin’s?

We are approaching the second anniversary of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. And not only was it illegal, but it was also unprovoked. The UK and its allies have been steadfast in their support for Ukraine, to ensure that Ukrainians can defend themselves and counter Russian intentions. I met with Ukrainian civil society, saw and heard members of the commission investigating rights violations, met family members of children who were deported away from their families and women who suffered gender-based violence. These are very serious violations and it is important that they are held accountable for what is happening.

Putin, whom I don’t want to call president because I don’t respect him as such, underestimated his allies’ ability to support Ukraine. And it is a support that has been maintained over time. Our sanctions will not change the situation on their own, but they are important. We may see investors and companies abandon Russia, and if any Russian investor wants to take their money to another part of Europe, they will not be able to do so. This is really affecting Russia, its economy is suffering. Normally, the world acts late in the face of atrocities that happen, but in the case of Ukraine I think we were quite quick to provide it with what it needed to accumulate evidence so that, when the time comes, it can turn to the courts for justice. Finally, the UN firmly condemns Russia’s crimes and has demonstrated this on its different platforms.

In March 2023, the UN concluded that Russia committed war crimes in Ukraine, such as murder, torture and rape of civilians.

– Your position was created five years ago. What are the main contributions this role has made to the UK’s approach to human rights?

I am honored to have been named the first global human rights ambassador. I believe this position represents the UK’s commitment and leadership on human rights, not only nationally but also internationally. This allows me to connect with different communities and advocate for change for their progress.

An example is Sierra Leone, where, after my visit, we financed a project aimed at abolishing the death penalty. Currently, the president has already signed a law to eliminate this punishment. This is a concrete example of what we can achieve. We are responsible for driving initiatives or programs that already exist. But it also gives me the opportunity to advocate for change in countries where governments are not spaces for advancing rights. Then we ask ourselves how we can create value and we normally do this with civil associations. Another element of my role, I would say, is to become a resonator for communities that suffer some type of oppression to be heard by the United Nations or platforms at that level.

That’s why whenever I visit a country I tell the local ambassador that I’m going to cause a humanitarian headache, they do an excellent job on economic, security and trade issues; But I always ask that you add more and more human rights issues to this busy agenda. Investing in a human rights project will not allow you to put your flag on a large building, but believe me when I tell you that there is no more sustainable solution than investing in education or training for judges and police forces.

– However, there are two issues in your country that make your job a little more complicated. The first is criticism of Rishi Sunak’s government over its measures to combat climate change.

Climate policy is not part of my role, but the British government has very ambitious targets on environmental issues. The important thing for me is to ensure that our climate police include protection and support for those who are directly affected by climate change. All over the world I have seen that there are women who spend 2 or 3 hours a day trying to fetch water, for example. Other families who can no longer fish where they always fished. The scale of the challenges facing environmental rights are enormous and real threats to the lives of many.

. What can you tell us about the controversial law presented to the British Parliament that seeks to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda?

Migration is a huge political issue not just in the UK, but in Europe and Latin America too. The challenges are both for the countries that receive and for those through which migrants transit, these are very challenging dynamics. What the government is trying to do is tackle illegal migration coming into the UK because the only people who benefit from it are criminal organizations and cartels, while vulnerable people become even more vulnerable. We are absolutely committed to addressing this framework and ensuring that we continue to support orderly migration. In recent years, we have opened specific routes for those arriving seeking refuge from Ukraine, Hong Kong, Syria or Afghanistan. We must somehow ensure that these gangs do not continue to feed on people’s tragedies.

– But will Rwanda be a good ally for this?

It’s not my job to judge you. This project will still have to go through parliamentary procedures and also through some courts. The process is not over yet, that is the importance of our institutions, that is why they are the pillars of our democracies. Institutions represent the necessary filter for all policies to be evaluated and their effects to be fully understood, to analyze whether they comply with the international obligations to which we subscribe.

Rishi Sunak’s government has promoted a controversial bill that aims to deport asylum seekers who enter the UK illegally to Rwanda.

– Did you know that the Inter-American Court denounced Dina Boluarte’s government for violating human rights during the 2022 protests? Does your office or your government have anything to say on this matter?

I fully respect regional institutions dedicated to human rights, I believe they are crucial to ensuring accountability on the part of States in relation to their international obligations and signed treaties. I know that the Peruvian Government has until March to respond to the accusation and I understand that it will do so. I don’t think I’m in a position to offer opinions other than these on the matter.

– If the court rules in March that the Peruvian Government violated the rights of protesters, how will this affect bilateral relations with the United Kingdom?

For any country it is very important how it is perceived internationally, unless you are a very closed economy and don’t care. International reputation is important and the decisions of these institutions undoubtedly have an impact that all governments take into account. Peru has been very active in defending human rights through the UN, including when it was a member of the Human Rights Council, and has also signed several treaties before the United Nations and the Inter-American Court. I hope you see the same importance in ensuring that you respect the decisions issued by these bodies. For now we just have to wait where this process takes us.

Source: Elcomercio