num_pages: 928
description: While the major global powers wavered in their commitment to human rights, 1996 saw the emergence of new and powerful sources of support for the human rights cause. The clear and immediate need to promote human rights was often deferred in the name of dubious, long-term strategies and a quest for trade and investment opportunities. Yet pressure to counter these disturbing trends built from various quarters. A wide variety of governments worked at the national level to hold abusive officials to account for serious human rights offenses and at the international level to overcome the reluctance of the major powers to establish a permanent International Criminal Court for the worst human rights offenders. The continued expansion of a global economy, by linking consumers and manufacturers across wide distances, spawned a growing interest in labor rights and the human rights practices of multinational corporations. And while a burgeoning human rights movement faced repression in many countries, this was an unfortunate testament to its effectiveness in exerting pressure on governments to respect international human rights standards. This 416-page volume is a review of the human rights practices in seventy-four countries, examining the major events, the degree of freedom with which local and international organizations monitor human rights, and the role in promoting or inhibiting human rights played by the international community, especially the United Nations, the United States, and the European Union. The countries and issues addressed here reflect the main focus of our work in 1996, which in turn was determined by the severity of abuses, our access to information, our ability to influence abusive practices, and our desire to balance our work across various political and regional divides.
language: English
title: Human Rights Watch World Report
titlecomplete: Human Rights Watch World Report
publisher: Human Rights Watch