|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
Stephen Crabb MP, Chairman of the
Conservative Party Human Rights Commission, has written to Mark
Malloch Brown, Gordon Brown’s new Minister for Africa,
In the letter, Stephen Crabb highlighted
the fact that Lord Malloch Brown has a wide ranging portfolio,
and expressed concern that human rights might not be a priority.
He wrote:
“You have a large number of
responsibilities in your new Ministerial position, including
human rights, global issues, the UN, the Commonwealth, Africa
and
The Conservative Party Human Rights
Commission has recommended that a future Conservative Government
should appoint a Minister of State for International Human
Rights. In its Annual Report, published in December 2006, the
Commission noted that the Minister for human rights currently
has other responsibilities as well, and that this leads to
“potential conflicts of interest” and an inability to “give
undivided attention to human rights issues”.
Mr Crabb also urged the new Minister, who
is a former Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, to
explain what plans he has for improving the UN’s mechanisms to
address human rights:
“Given your responsibility for the UN – and
the wealth of experience you have of that institution – may I
ask what plans you have to promote and defend human rights
within the UN mechanisms, and whether you can offer new
proposals for reforming and strengthening the UN’s ability to
promote and defend human rights?”
Mr Crabb highlighted human rights abuses in
"You take office at a time of great
challenge for our country and the world. We face serious threats
to our security at home, a rise in extremism and terrorism here
and around the world, and significant assaults on the values of
freedom, democracy and human rights in many countries.
The values that unite us on all sides of
the political divide in the |
|
|