Leading rights activists ask Obama & Romney for global humanitarian policy

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Corruption, land conflict and forest destruction is deeply affecting families in Sumatra, Indonesia where human rights and protections are not in place. This grandmother is concerned about her family which has become displaced as their home has been lost due to corporate land grabs in the region. “Governments have an obligation to protect human rights, including holding companies accountable for violations of human rights through their operations and supply chains,” says the signed policy paper issued by 22 human rights organizations to President Barack Obama and his Republican election rival Mitt Romney. Image: David Gilbert/Rain Forest Action Network

(WNN/VOA) Washington, District of Colombia, UNITED STATES: Human rights groups say the next U.S. president faces several critical challenges in advancing human rights.

Those challenges include preventing genocide and atrocities, protecting human rights at home and abroad, fair treatment of immigrants and refugees, and ending gender-based violence.

The Freedom House, the Connect US Fund, Human Rights Watch and the Human Rights Working Group sent a policy paper listing the challenges to the election campaign staffs of President Barack Obama and his Republican rival, Mitt Romney. A total of 22 human-rights organizations and leading rights activists signed the policy paper.

The groups said Wednesday U.S. leadership is critical if the world is to make progress on these challenges. They said that human rights must have a prominent role in U.S. foreign policy.

They said that no matter who wins the U.S. presidential election in November, the next administration should set out clear priorities and policies on human rights.

The paper says that, “Human rights affect almost every aspect of U.S. engagement abroad. Governments that abuse human rights make unstable and unreliable partners across the range of U.S. interests, from business to arms control to counter-terrorism.”

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Link HERE to see the full text of the policy paper signed and sent to President Obama and election rival Mitt Romney by 22 human rights organizations.

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Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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