ASIA/PAKISTAN - A regional system for the protection of human rights in South Asia is necessary

Monday, 13 October 2014

Lahore (Agenzia Fides) - The Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Malala Yousafzai and the Indian, Kailash Satyarthi "is a powerful appeal to the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, SAARC to establish a regional system for the protection of human rights": says Peter Jacob, a Catholic Pakistani activist in a note sent to Fides Agency, who for years has been at the head of the "Justice and Peace" Commission of the Bishops of Pakistan. SAARC includes eight members: Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Maldives.
The system is supported by renowned experts in human rights, such as Hina Jilani in Pakistan, Mizanur Rehman in Bangladesh, Henri Tiphagne in India and Subodh Raj in India and in Nepal, who agreed with the request. The proposal to establish a "regional system" is also supported by some governments of the Association, such as the Nepalese: where one could start, for example, from a regional commission for the protection of human rights.
SAARC, recalls Jacob, approved the Convention on Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Women and Children, the Convention on the Promotion of Child Welfare in South Asia in 2002, and two Documents in support of democracy, which, according to Jacob, "build a useful platform to implement the system", given that "SAARC is the only regional organization without an adeguate mechanism for the protection of human rights".
SAARC countries include, overall, 1.8 billion people, about 23% of the world population. "The region needs systems to solve the complex problems they have to face. The leadership of SAARC countries should ensure the creation of an effective regional system of human rights protection", notes Jacob.
A system that could accept complaints with the power to issue "binding rulings concerning the protection of human rights". A system, concludes Jacob, " that could help to resolve disputes among the states". (PA) (Agenzia Fides 13/10/2014)


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