uman rights activists continue to face new challenges. The war on Iraq has dominated the international agenda, diverting attention from other vital human rights issues. "Forgotten" conflicts have taken a heavy toll on human rights and human lives – in Côte d'Ivoire, Colombia, Burundi, Chechnya and Nepal.
Our fears were once again confirmed over the past year as the drive for security gained greater momentum around the world. A combination of forces sought to roll back the human rights gains of the past five decades in the name of security and "counter-terrorism".
The Amnesty International Report 2003 documents human rights abuses in 151 countries and territories during 2002. It is a contribution to the work of human rights defenders struggling to achieve a safer world, a world where human rights take priority over political, military or economic interests. Governments have spent billions to strengthen national security and the "war on terror".
Yet for millions of people, the real sources of insecurity are corruption, repression, discrimination, extreme poverty and preventable diseases. “Our fears were once again confirmed over the past year as the drive for security gained greater momentum around the world. A combination of forces sought to roll back the human rights gains of the past five decades in the name of security and "counter-terrorism".
But the restrictions on liberty have not necessarily led to increased dividends on safety. Greater emphasis on security, far from making the world a safer place, has made it more dangerous by curtailing human rights and undermining the rule of international law; by shielding governments from scrutiny; by deepening divisions among people of different faiths and origins; and by diverting attention from festering conflicts and other sources of insecurity”, Irene Khan, Amnesty International's Secretary General.
Amnesty International does not challenge the right of governments to act against criminal and political violence by armed groups and individuals. On the contrary, Amnesty International calls upon governments to protect people in accordance with the law.
“We consistently and strongly condemn attacks against civilians as a grave abuse of their human rights. We remind armed groups and those who support them of their obligations not to target civilians whatever the circumstances. However, human rights abuse by armed groups is not a license for governments to ignore their own obligations”, concluded Irene Khan.