3 Defense of human rights at the collective and individual levels in the civil, political, economic, social and cultural fields

Final Resolution for Workshop 3
Approved by the Plenary of the ILPS First International Assembly
25-27 May 2001
Zutphen, The Netherlands

Defense of human rights at the collective and individual levels in the civil, political, economic, social and cultural fields

Human rights must be recognized, respected, upheld and defended in all its dimensions civil and political, economic, social, and cultural. Every human being has the right to life and his/her dignity should be respected. These principles, inspired by the ideals of liberty, equality and freedom, are enscribed in different international instrumentalities like the UN 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights which purportedly provided an international standard for the respect and promotion of human rights and placed the responsibility on signatory states to guarantee and accord these rights to its citizens. But, its 50th anniversary in 1998 has come and gone but the world remains very far from achieving human rights for majority of the people of the world.

Social realities point to the fact that the enforcement of various instrumentalities on human rights is characterized by violations more than respect. Contracting states circumvent and violate their provisions by putting forward notions of national security, state of emergency and/or economic development. The human rights situation all over the world becomes more miserable.

In most countries, basic human rights are not fully enjoyed nor protected. The vast majority of the world’s humanity are denied of their basic economic, social and cultural rights, and are effectively marginalized from civil and political processes established for and dominated by the interests of imperialism and its landlord-big business cohorts. Gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law are committed as part of the onslaught of imperialist “globalization.”

Imperialist “globalization” is the economic order imposed in the world by monopoly capitalist countries such as the United States, European Union and Japan. It is initiated and led by US imperialism and is mainly directed towards the economic subjugation of the world by foreign capitalist powers.

As proven by the lingering crisis not only in Asia but also in all the countries of the world, imperialist “globalization” and its concomitant policies of deregulation, liberalization and denationalization resulted in increasing social inequities and intensifying impoverishment of the tillers of the soil and all the working people of the world. And rather than solve these problems, imperialist “globalization” only worsens the situation as it constantly seeks to protect and promote the capital and superprofits of the monopoly capitalists and the wealth and privilege of the richest 20% of the world population.

Workers are fast loosing their jobs, experiencing a rapid decline in income, and their rights are being taken away. On the other hand, monopoly capitalists are being provided with tax incentives, tariff reduction, unimpeded movement of capital, freedom to repatriate their profits, a strike-free environment, and freedom to retrench workers and streamline their operations.

Peasants and agricultural workers including national minorities are being exploited and deprived of their rights and displaced from the land they till. Even farmers in developed countries are exploited and oppressed since they are increasingly obliged to compete with big agrocorporations. On the other hand, monopoly capitalists are given access to land and natural resources and guarantees against expropriation of investments and assets while blatantly destroying the environment.

The patriarchal system abetted by imperialism push women and children further into the throes of degradation. Women and children who find work toil under the most inhumane conditions receiving a pittance for wages. Majority is displaced from their land and houses and forced to roam the streets often falling prey to the violence of prostitution.

The monopoly capitalists, imperialist states and their local reactionary partners will not hesitate to use force, violence and the coercive apparatuses of the state to curtail civil liberties and pursue the policies, programs, and projects of imperialist “globalization.”

The inhumane existence being borne by the majority of the people is a paradox to the universal declaration made four decades ago regarding the right of each and every individual to a life of dignity, prosperity, and happiness. Imperialist “globalization” knows neither right nor freedom except the rights and freedom of capital.

The already gargantuan number of victims of various forms of violations of human rights and international humanitarian law continues to increase:

• Warrantless arrests
• llegal detention and criminalization of political offense
• Torture
• Forced disappearances
• Summary executions (extrajudicial killings)
• Massacre
• Forced recruitment of civilians to paramilitary units
• Forced participation of civilians in military operations
• Forced evacuation
• Hamletting
• Indiscriminate firing in civilian communities
• Forced repatriation of refugees
• Denial of medical services to hor d combat
• Desecration of the dead

In view of the ever worsening crisis in various parts of the worlds, imperialist countries especially the US and its puppets regimes have proven to be the worst, most blatant, and systematic violators of human rights. These regimes are bound to intensifying their militarist responses to the popular demand for justice and change by imposing economic embargo on the entire people of such countries as Cuba and Iraq.

Hiding under the rhetoric of human rights and peace, US imperialism and its puppet regimes are intensifying their militarist responses to the popular demand for justice and change by imposing economic embargo on the entire people of such countries as Cuba and Iraq.

The mounting resistance of the people all over the world is met with brutal attacks and suppression of civil and political rights. The neocolonial client-states use all the machineries at their disposal the laws, courts, jails, military, para-military and police force to stem the tide of the peopel’s struggle for national freedom and genuine democracy.

In the final analysis, imperialism is the root cause for gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.

It has been proven, time and again, that civil liberties and political rights cannot flourish without the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights. For as long as the vast majority of societies all over the world are dependent on and dominated by monopoly capitalists, the people will continue to live under the worst conditions of crisis, poverty and repression. These social realities breed the worst forms of violations of civil and political rights.

The realization and enjoyment by the majority of the world’s humanity of their rights in all dimensions “civil and political, economic, social and cultural” can only start to blossom under conditions where the people are liberated from imperialist domination and the basic masses are free from exploitation and oppression.

Only when the people are liberated from the tentacles of imperialist “globalization” can they realize their rights as individuals and as democratic classes. Human rights in all its dimensions can only be enjoyed by the majority upon the victory of the people’s struggle for national liberation and social emancipation.

The oppressed people and classes are ready, more than ever, to persevere in their struggle against imperialism. They are very much aware and convinced that the only option left is for them to unite and fight for their human rights with all the necessary forms of struggle available to them.

NOW, THEREFORE, we, the members of the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS), hereby RESOLVE, as its is hereby RESOLVED to:-

1. Condemn the campaigns of aggression of monopoly capitalist and puppet regimes that suppress the rights and dignity of the majority of the people. Oppose anti-people policies and programs of imperialist “globalization”.

2. Develop and strengthen international coordination and exchange of information on human rights situation, and establish an international watchdog for people’s rights to promote human rights education and assertion.

3. Support the people’s struggle against fascism and militarization, and to defend and uphold human rights and international humanitarian law.

4. Extend political and moral support to the people’s movements calling for justice for the victims of human rights violations, the prosecution and punishment of the perpetrators of the human rights violations and indemnification of the victims.

5. Mobilize the people to form national and international people’s human rights organizations.

6. Call for the formation of people’s tribunal to investigate, try and condemn violators of human rights and international humanitarian law at the national and international law.

7. Fight for national and social liberation to end imperialism and all reactions and all reactions which are the root cause of the gross violations of the rights of the peoples of the world.