Countries That Care the Most About Human Rights - Sweden

              The third and last text about the countries that recognized the importance of human rights is a tribute to Sweden. This post is a summary of two articles. The first was published at    https://sweden.se/society/sweden-and-human-rights/. The second was published at   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Sweden

              Sweden and human rights have a long history. In 1766, Sweden became the first country to introduce freedom of the press. Today, human rights are central to Swedish foreign policy. Sweden aspires to be a clear voice for human rights around the world, not just in words but also in actions. To the Sweden government, the respect of human rights is not just a foreign policy goal in itself, but also a means for global development and security. Human Rights largely begin at home. As Sweden strives to walk its talk, it is important to ensure that the values promoted abroad are upheld at home. Therefore, Sweden's promotional work on human rights centres mainly on areas where Sweden is at the forefront. For the period of 2017-2018, Sweden was a member of the U.N. Security Council, promoting international peace and security as well as the Swedish view on democracy, human rights, gender equality and development. In 2008, the Swedish government chose eight prioritised areas in its foreign policy work for human rights: 1) Build democracy - With millions of people still living in dictatorships, Sweden wants to strengthen public opinion in favour of democracy, support the work of NGOs and establish better ties with democratic states. 2) Strengthen freedom of expression - Sweden believes freedom of expression is a moral necessity and a practical tool in the fight for human rights. 3) Abolish the death penalty. 4) Combat torture. 5) Combat summary executions and arbitrary detention. 6) Protect the rule of law. 7) Protect human rights and international humanitarian law ) Sweden works actively with the goal that all states, large and small, should respect international law. 8) Fight discrimination - In many countries, large groups of people receive far from equal treatment. The Swedish government wants to direct special attention to the rights of women, children and people with disabilities.   Human rights must be embraced at grass-roots level. In Sweden, plenty of NGOs as well as individual activists are involved in the advancement of human rights. Among the Swedish organisations active both at home and abroad is Civil Rights Defenders. Which works to empower human rights activists at risk. Sweden works actively to reduce the digital gap in the world, to make sure that more people have internet access.. Sweden's stance is that access to the internet makes it possible for people to fully exercise their rights to freedom o expression and opinion. States have a responsibility to ensure that internet access is broadly available, and should not unreasonably restrict an individual's internet access. 

            Human rights in Sweden are largely protected in their constitution and ratified international law. Sweden regards itself as a global leader in protecting and advocating human rights. According to the Ministry of foreign affairs, their position on human rights is strongly linked to democracy and the rule of law. Sweden's protection of asylum seekers and refugees has historically been viewed as progressive and ambitious. They received the largest number of refugees and asylum seekers per capita among the countries in the OECD.

Countries That Care the Most About Human Rights - Canada

             It is important to know about the countries that are considered the most respectful about human rights. Brazil and many other countries can learn with them and put some of their policies in practice, but first of all, it must recognizes the importance of human rights to democracy, justice and citizenship. This post is a summary of two articles. The first was published at   https://international.gc.ca/world-monde/issues_development-enjeux_developpement/human_rights-droits_homme/rights_defenders-defenseurs_droits.aspx?lang=eng. The second was published at   https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/human-rights

            Canadians expect their government to help build respect for human rights at home and around the world. These guidelines are a how-to-guide for supporting human rights defenders, as well as a clear statement of Canada's commitment to promoting all human rights. The government of Canada recognizes the key role played by human rights defenders in protecting and promoting human rights and strengthening the rule of law. A human rights defender is someone who, individually or with others, acts to promote or protect human rights. Human rights defenders help to bring attention to and raise awareness of individuals' human rights. Human rights defenders document and call attention to violations and abuses by any actor. They also highlight the obligations of others to respect and protect those rights within society, from the local level to the international level. However, because of their work to promote human rights, the daily lives of human rights defenders are often affected by threats, intimidation, arrests, detention and harassment. Canada is committed to supporting the work of human rights defenders to advance human rights internationally. Canada is concerned that governments and other actors are stifling civil society through: 1) limiting the full enjoyment of fundamental freedoms, both online and offline.  2) discriminating openly against individuals from marginalized and vulnerable groups.  3) increasingly harsh tactics of intimidation, unlawful and arbitrary surveillance, threats and reprisals.  The impact of such violations and abuses on the individuals themselves, on their families and communities, and on respect for human rights overall, is profound. Canadian support for human rights defenders takes many forms and responds to changing needs: advocasting for open civic space and human rights; working in multilateral forums to strengthen international rules; leveraging partnerships with other countries, civil society and the private sector, including Canadian business interests abroad; funding civil society organizations and grant agencies; and giving public recognition to human rights defenders for their achievements.  Through its engagement in multilateral forums Canada firmly advocates for the protection of human rights defenders and the effective participation of civil society. Through the Universal Period Review (UPR) Canada makes constructive recommendations to states to: 1) improve human rights promotion and protection.  2) seek areas for collaboration, including with human rights defenders.  3) fulfill the commitments made previously through the UPR. Through its network of mission abroad, Canada engages with local authorities to underscore the obligation of states to protect all individuals in their territory and subject to their jurisdiction, including human rights defenders. Our mission abroad liaise with human rights defenders and international and local human rights organizations. This helps us to better understand the situation of human rights defenders in countries around the world. Canada seeks out opportunities to build the capacity of civil society organizations, through expertise and experience sharing as well as technical assistance. Since 2011, the Minister of Foreign Affairs has presented an award on behalf of the government of Canada. The human rights award recognizes individuals or groups outside of Canada that show exceptional courage and leadership in defending human rights and freedom.

              Human rights are rights that we all have by virtue of our shared humanity. Depending on the nature of the right, both individuals and groups can assert human rights. The realization of human rights is a constant struggle on the part of people who suffer injustices and who seek redress. Human rights that we all have by virtue of our shared humanity. HUman rights are an important part of the social fabric of Canadian society. Canadians have played a special role in the evolution of human rights on the international stage. Human rights are so fundamental that they receive a degree of special protection at three levels: in international law, in national constitutions and in human rights laws. At the international level, the touchstone is the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Canada has signed the UDHR and has ratified several international human rights treaties. By 2014, Canada had ratified seven out of ten. At the constitutional level, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is now part of the Constitutional Act, 1982. Before 1982, there was little constitutional protection against government interference with human rights. Today, the charter guarantees fundamental freedoms, democratic freedoms (such as participation in elections), legal rights, equality rights, and the right to enforce these rights. Civil rights are associated with fundamental freedoms and privacy rights. They are usually invoked to oppose state intrusions into those rights. Civil liberties can be claimed before the courts on an immediate basis, for example by demanding an immediate end to cruel and unusual treatment. This group of rights is often referred to as "first generation" rights. Economic, social and cultural rights are also fundamental components of human rights. they are sometimes referred to as "second generation " rights. They include education, health, housing and employment. Canada usually implements these rights through government policies and programs. They require progressive or gradual realization. All human rights are indivisible, interrelated and interdependent. The development of international human rights law generated pressure to strengthen our human rights laws in Canada. The scope and meaning of human rights are always evolving. Canadian courts have said that the constitution is a "living tree," meaning that it can grow and evolve with time. There are several important examples of this ongoing evolution. In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, there has been a growing tension between human rights and national security, reigniting debates about torture, religious freedom, immigration and national surveillance. The renaissance of public political protest and the growing number of restrictions on civil society organizations around the world, have reignited questions about reasonable limits on freedom of association and peaceful assembly in canada and around the world. The fight for human rights and the nature of Canada's role in the development of human rights is an important part of our national heritage and our ongoing and shared national task of respecting, protecting and fulfilling human rights. As part of this journey, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, which opened in 2014 in Winnipeg, is the first museum in the world solely dedicated to the narrative of Canada's human rights journey, its evolution, celebration and future.

Countries That Care the Most About Human Rights - Norway

           According to a survey, Sweden, Canada and Norway are the three countries that care the most about human rights, so this post is a tribute to Norway. All countries should try to respect human rights the same way these countries respect. Because this is the best every government should do to help democracy, justice and citizenship.  This post is a summary of three posts. The first was published https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2017-09-18/the-10-countries-that-care-the-most-about-human-rights-accordingperception. The second was published  at  https://nhrf.no/assets/documents/AnnualReport2017_web.pdf. The third was published at  www.regjeringen.no/contentassets/b7384abb48db487885e216bf53d30a3c/veiledningmrforkjengelskf

           In Venezuela, President Maduro holds more than 600 detainees as political prisoners. And in the Middle East, about 6.3 million people are internally displaced from Syria. In the midst of these events, other countries have shown how much they value the rights and freedoms of their citizens and others. Sweden cares the most about human rights, according to the 2017 Best Countries rankings, in which more than 21,000 global citizens evaluated 80 countries across a number of characteristics. In the survey, respondents answered how closely they related each of the countries to the phrase "cares about human rights." Respondents were provided no further detail about the phrase, so it was left to their interpretation. Joining Sweden at the top of the ranking are Canada and Norway.

            30 years ago the Norwegian Human Rights Fund (NHRF) was established as a tool to give flexible, non-bureaucratic and bold support to frontline human rights defenders and their work vulnerable groups. In 2017, the NHRF supported local human rights organisations in 16 countries. Many of the human rights defenders that NHRF supports are subject to high levels of risk and work under extremely challenging circumstances. We are alarmed by the situation in many countries where we give support. In many countries human rights defenders are facing bureaucratic hurdles, threats, surveillance, stigmatisation, reprisals, and smear campaigns. Exists a negative narrative against human rights defenders in many countries. Governments are questioning their legitimacy. To counter this trend, the NHRF has embarked on an ambitious and innovative project with Memria.org to record voices of human rights defenders worldwide and provide a platform where they can share their stories. We are inspired to see the persistent, hard work of local human rights defenders that stand firm to protect the rights. This year we will praise them! We will pay tribute to the human rights defenders and the passion, the strength and the civic conscience that we observe in our grantees in the frontline of the human rights movement! We will use the NHRF's 30th anniversary to highlight the positive impact human rights defenders have on their societies. Ensuring access to justice involves facing intricate  challenges arising regardless of national and international laws formally guaranteeing the protection of human rights. Many of the diverse organisations supported by the NHRF have contributed remarkable efforts to reclaim their rights to full and equal access to justice. Some of these efforts include documenting human rights violations, promoting the visibility and empowerment of discriminated defenders, preserving memories, so future generations will not forget and repeat the violation, and providing free legal assistance to ensure equal access to justice. As justice is key to combat impunity and find redress for past violations, the NHRF supported several projects providing legal support to victims for human rights abuse. In August 2017, the NHRF launched its brand new website featuring updated videos, photos, and stories from the field. The new website was made possible through an extra grant from Amnesty International Norway. The NHRF also launched its own blog, "Voices from the Ground"Highlighting Important Issues Related to NHRF's Work and human rights protection in general. The NHRF invites different actors to contribute to the blog, and therefore the posts are often written by stakeholders and human rights defenders, providing unique insight into practical experiences from human rights field.

             The protection of human rights is one of the main pillars of Norweigian foreign polcy, and providing support for human rights defenders is a central part of these efforts. The objective is that efforts to promote and defend human rights in all parts of the world can be carried out without restrictions or threats to human rights defenders or their families. Human rights defenders are people who stand up for people's rights. By documenting and calling attention to violations and to promote and respect human rights, they help to enhance the protection of human rights at the local level. Support for human rights defenders is an investment in the rule of law and democracy. Defending human rights can be difficult and even dangerous, especially for those who are raising human rights issues in their own country.  Many receive threats to themselves and their families. Many are involved, in different ways, in our efforts to support human rights defenders, and are doing important work at both country and multilateral level. We know that the attention and support of the international community not only encourages human rights defenders to keep up their efforts, but can also provide effective protection.