Human Rights and Democracy - Official Documents

Foreword by Foreign Secretary William Hague
I am delighted to introduce the 2010 Human Rights Command Paper. Our coalition
government is determined to strengthen the human rights work of the Foreign and
Commonwealth Office, as part of our commitment to a foreign policy that has the
practical promotion of human rights as part of its irreducible core. This new report is
one example of this intent.
The report covers the period from January to December 2010, though some key
events in early 2011 have also been included. It highlights the important progress
being made, serious concerns that we have, and what we are doing to promote our
values around the world. It will rightly be studied closely by Parliament, NGOs and
the wider public.
Promoting human rights is indivisible from our foreign policy objectives. Ministers
and officials always consider human rights in all of our bilateral and multilateral
dealings and raise our concerns about human rights wherever and whenever they
arise. In my first 10 months as Foreign Secretary I have travelled to many countries
including Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen and Tunisia, where I have raised human rights
issues. Each member of my ministerial team shares my commitment on this point.
Recent events in North Africa and the Middle East demonstrate the appeal of
political freedoms, regardless of nationality or background. As this report highlights,
2010 saw demonstrations in support of greater freedoms for individuals and the
press, free and fair elections, and justice and accountability. Protests took place in
countries as diverse as Belarus, Yemen and Iran, disproving the myth that these
values are “Western” ideals.
I have also established a new human rights advisory group made up of a broad
range of experts, with a variety of perspectives on different human rights issues,
from NGOs, academia and international institutions. This group met for the first time
in December 2010 for a very useful and frank discussion of the important and
complex issues facing human rights in the coming years. Our meetings in 2011 will
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