By Alex Neve, Ottawa Citizen December 27, 2011

Protesters shout anti-military council slogans at Tahrir Square in Cairo last week.

Photograph by: Mohamed Abd El-Ghany, Reuters, Ottawa Citizen

What a year on the global human rights scene; particularly the wave of change that swept across North Africa and the Middle East. And rather a stumbling year of Canada finding its place in that rapidly changing landscape. One year ago, while there were mounting protests in Tunisia and signs of discontent in Egypt, the iron-fisted rule of strongmen across a region long denied basic freedoms seemed entirely unperturbed.

But like dominoes cruel leaders soon fell: Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali chased into exile from Tunisia, Hosni Mubarak on trial in Egypt, and Moammar Gadhafi killed in Libya. Others, in Syria, Yemen, Bahrain and elsewhere are embattled and have struck back with a vengeance; particularly in Syria, where the death toll nears 5,000.

Now the world grapples with what will replace decades of tyranny. Islamist parties have come to the fore, after being harshly repressed for years. That brings questions about whether the equality rights of women, religious minorities, and gays and lesbians will be fully protected. Real progress across the full range of human rights is still far from assured.

There are stark lessons for other governments, including Canada. It was wrong-headed to have tolerated and even benefited from the abysmal human rights records of this motley crew of dictators for so long. So often human rights come second to other imperatives, be it political alliances, security considerations or trade deals. That must end. Nothing can excuse making bedfellows of governments that show such utter disregard for the rights of their citizens.

Canada started the year slow in reacting to history in the making. We were one of the last governments to stand fully behind Egyptian protesters. We were nearly silent in the early days of the crackdown in Syria; though are vocal now. We were much more engaged on Libya. We are finding our voice with respect to human rights across the region, but not without exception.

We have a one-sided approach with Israel, refusing to criticize the Israeli government for its many human rights failings. We are virtually silent about Saudi Arabia, like most nations who dare not criticize the oil kingdom’s notorious human rights record. Even in tiny Bahrain, where a Canadian citizen faces a five-year prison term for joining peaceful protests, we hear little from the Canadian government, perhaps reflective of growing oil and gas connections between the two countries. There can be no more double standards.

2012 must become a year of consistent focus on human rights in Canadian foreign policy. Canada stands firm when it comes to Iran and Burma. Previous ambivalence has given way to a more forceful position on Sri Lanka. But we need to see more concern about Colombia, renewed attention to Africa’s many hot spots, and a principled stand on human rights violations in China.

We need measures to ensure that Canadian oil, gas and mining companies strengthen, not weaken, human rights protection when they drill, dig and explore abroad. Lukewarm stances about such crucial global issues as the rights of indigenous peoples, the sexual and reproductive rights of women, the right to water and the death penalty must come to an end.

There must also be a concerted effort to address human rights concerns at home. We end the year with Attawapiskat’s crisis having captured the hearts of Canadians. That tragedy is only one of myriad examples of serious violations of the rights of indigenous peoples in Canada, which simply need political will to resolve.

The government should abandon arguments that it is not required to provide similar levels of funding for First Nations child protection agencies as the provinces provide to other child protection agencies. Federal officials should finally agree to just recognition of the land rights of Alberta’s Lubicon Cree. And they should start working on a national action plan to address the shocking levels of violence against Indigenous women in this country.

Action is also needed on other fronts. Proposed human smuggling legislation that will lead to mandatory minimum one-year detention for numerous refugee claimants, without access to detention reviews, needs to be withdrawn. And there must be remedies for the many individuals whose rights have been violated in a counter-terrorism context – from immigration security certificates, to Canadian citizens who have been tortured in other countries with Canadian complicity.

2011 has been a remarkable year for human rights. It has unleashed great potential. In 2012 the world must demonstrate to the brave millions who stood up for human rights that things will now be different. Canada must lead that campaign, not sit on the sidelines.

Alex Neve is the Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada.

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