Running head: THE HUMAN FACE

The Human Face Folola Finau Salt Lake Community College

THE HUMAN FACE The Human Face Human rights are the inalienable rights every human being inherently has regardless of race, sex, religion, origin, or status. The United Nations is Universal Declaration of Human Rights states in detail these rights. There have been countless violations of these rights throughout history and even now in the present day. Investigations conducted by the UN is Human Rights Council seeks to determine if violations have taken place and to gather evidence if that is the case. The intent of the UN to police and stop and prevent further human rights violations is admirable but is it truly effective? A case can be made that no, in spite of laws, regulations and investigations violators do not face justice and exploitation of human rights go

on unchallenged. That is not to say no good has come from UN efforts. Investigations conducted by the UN Human Rights Council have rendered results that has shed light on past events and stopped and therefore prevented further violations of Human Rights.
This latter statement is contrary to the earlier statement so to clarify UN efforts to stop and prevent Human Rights violations though successful in some cases this is not always possible as some cases go uninvestigated or if investigated due to insufficient evidence or lack of witnesses nothing can be done. In a lecture about the methodology of human rights investigations UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Ms. Navanethem Pillay stated the common elements that underlie all human rights investigations.all of them rely on the ability to independently, objectively and impartially collect relevant information, confirm its veracity, and analyze this information to produce credible evidence about violations, their causes and effects, as well as identify their perpetrators. The importance of evidence and verification in investigations of human rights violations is important but sometimes due to this justice fall short. In the same lecture Ms. Pillay went on to further point out two problematic aspects in human rights investigations. The first she stated was the protection of witnesses which fell under the responsibility of the states. This proves to be a little more than problematic if a state is accused of human rights violations and then is responsible to protect those

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witnesses to its crimes. The second problematic issue was in the case of sexual violence. Ms. Pillay stated that witnesses could prove reluctant and because of the sensitivity of the crime more care was required in the investigative approach according to their principal of do no harm. Other ways to gain information about these types of crimes must then be pursued; talking to parents or family members, and physicians is then another way to gain the information needed. But after all these efforts if sufficient information and evidence is not found then recommendations cannot be made to bring forth the

responsible parties to account for their crimes. The inherent faults within the process of investigation

does allow for error. But the lack of evidence does not disprove that a crime was committed. A violation of human rights may have occurred but at the time of the investigation sufficient proof was not available. This is not to say that in the future with time the evidence can be found. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is preamble states disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind..the highest aspiration of the common people [human rights].should be protected by the rule of law The responsibility and intent of the UN Human Rights Council is to strengthen, promote, and protect human rights worldwide. Investigations into the violations of these rights requires dedication and though they may at times not render the expected results they do seek to find the truth. Genocide is one of the many things the investigations of the Human Rights Council seeks to stop. Without the efforts made to look into these matters and to determine the appropriate course of action to be taken these crimes against humanity will continue on their course. Edmund Burke said All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing. If no action is taken because its believed that it will do no good then indeed no good will happen. The responsibility for human rights belongs to all humans and investigations into the violations of these rights is one of the first steps to stopping them.

THE HUMAN FACE We are mistaken if we believe that these crimes are the thing of the past and no long happen in our world today. The atrocities that have taken place in the past may be too late to prevent but when they come to light and justice can be taken in behalf of those that have been silenced then we have a responsibility to pursue it and speak out. We make an even greater mistake if we believe that this something that only happens somewhere else and doesnt affect me so why should I care. These Human Rights violations are sadly not a thing of the past and so vigilance is still needed and we cannot become complacent or ignore it in hopes it will just go away. There is no greater accomplice to human rights violations than willfully blind ignorance.

THE HUMAN FACE References Pillay, Navanethem (2010). Human Rights Investigations and their Methodology. http://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/0/C9222F058467E6F6852576D500574710 United Nations (1948) Universal Declaration of Human Rights. http://www.ohchr.org/EN/UDHR/Pages/Introduction.aspx United Nations (2006). United Nations Human Rights Council. Background information on the Humans Right Council. http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/Pages/AboutCouncil.aspx

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