Human Rights - Haiti Observer Blog

World Humanitarian Day is one of the 148 international days currently observed by the United Nations. By a coincidence, August 19th is also observed as World Photography Day, because on August 19, 1839, the French Government announced the Invention of Photography as a gift "Free to the World." Since 2009, every year, this day is commemorated on different themes. The theme of 2010 was "We are Humanitarian Workers" which was based on the actual work and achievements of humanitarian workers in the field. Similarly, the 2011 campaign, "People Helping People" was about inspiring the spirit of aid work in everyone. The theme of 2014 was 'The World Needs More' and in 2015, it was about "Inspiring the World's Humanity".

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World Humanitarian Day is a time to recognize those humanitarian personnel who have lost their lives working for humanitarian causes.

The United Nations' (UN) World Humanitarian Day is held on August 19 each year. It is a day dedicated to humanitarians worldwide, as well as to increase public understanding of humanitarian assistance activities. On December 2008, at the 63rd session of the UN General Assembly, it was decided to designate 19 August as World Humanitarian Day and it was first observed on August 2009. Because, 5 years ago, on 19th August, 2003, a brutal terrorist attack on UN headquarters in Baghdad killed 22 people, including UN envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello. Sergio was a Brazilian United Nations diplomat who worked for the UN for more than 34 years. It is a day of global observance and not a public holiday. World Humanitarian Day does not have a logo; neither has it belonged to the UN or any other agency or organization. Notable humanitarians who provide life-saving assistance to millions of people worldwide, often risking their own lives in conflict zones and areas of natural hazards are honored every year on this day for their contribution towards mankind. It is a time when we recognize those heroic aid workers and the millions of people who count on them for their very survival.

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Harsh criticism has come out of Washington D.C., regarding human rights abuses in several Caribbean countries. The U.S. government released its comprehensive report "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2013". Countries receiving the most condemnation for alleged human rights abuses included Haiti, Jamaica, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Bahamas.

All of the Caribbean countries singled out for egregious human rights abuses shared the same characteristics. Some were prison overcrowding; a weak judiciary system; wide-spread corruption in all government sectors; human trafficking; police brutality; and discrimination against women.

In Haiti's case, the alleged human rights abuses included willful and illegimate murders by government functionaries; excessive use of force by police towards suspects and demonstrators; child abuse under a system called restavek, and human trafficking.

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Jean-Claude Duvalier returned to Haiti in 2011 hoping to accomplish re-assimilation into the country that still had yet to recover from his years as president decades ago. From the start of the 70's through to the mid 80's, 'Baby Doc' Duvalier forged his name as one of the worst violators of human rights to come out of the country's history.

While it remains to be seen just what he planned with his return to the country after his long exile, if shirking the consequences of his actions during rule was one item on his list, he can redact it.

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An appellate court in Haiti comprised of three-judge panel said on Thursday, February 20, 2014 that former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier should face trial on human rights abuse. This decision by the appellate court in Haiti eliminated a ruling by an investigative judge in 2012 that threw out the human rights charges against Duvalier on the grounds that the statute of limitations to bring such charges had expired.

It seems more certain than ever before that Jean-Claude Duvalier will be facing in the near future many of the victims of his private militia known as the Tonton Macoutes.

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This is something that you can expect to be big in the next several day.

Lawyer André Michel who filed the corruption complaint against First Lady Sophia Martelly and her son Olivier Martelly was arrested in Martissant

The arrest came after the Human Rights Lawyer André Michel parked his car near a police sub-station in Martissant. He had requested the presence of his attorney. As a large crowd began to protest the arrest, an impressive detachment of CIMO agents barricaded the police station in Martissant not to allow anyone to enter and did not take time to start firing tear gas on the crowd. Subsequently, André Michel was taken away.

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Since his election as the National Network for the Defense of Human Right's head, Pierre Esperance has been active in championing the organization's causes, stepping on a few toes, intentionally, in the process. His subsequent nomination as a International Federation for Human Right's Secretary General put added clout behind him, making the role he plays as the RNDDH's voice even weightier.

For over five years he has been battling the Haitian government and other involved entities on the case of justice for the murdered journalist Jean Dominique. Since Dominique's assassination 13 years ago, no one has been prosecuted and the investigation is rumored to have been only half-hearted.

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Since 1994 there have been 19 recipients of the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders; one for each year since its inception. The winners have ranged from people to organizations, living and working in many different countries across the world. Titled for Amnesty International's past secretary general, the award isn't so much celebratory, as an investment in the safety of the individuals who, through their work in their home countries and their efforts to defend human rights, find themselves in danger.

The award committee achieves this by giving protection through publicity, through shining light on the issues, and by drawing the attention of the media on the individuals who are often risking their lives while fulfilling their undertakings.

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The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the world's oldest organization advocating human rights on an international scale has elected its first Haitian Secretary General. Established in 1922 and comprised of well over a hundred nations, the FIDH, at their recent meeting in Istanbul, Turkey endeavored to select a fresh International Bureau.

From their efforts, Pierre Esperance was inducted onto the new board along with other secretary generals, Paul Nsapu, who represents the Democratic Republic of Congo, Dan Van Raemdonck, who represents Belgium, Moroccon representive, Amina Bouyach and Debbie Stothard, representing Burma. Esperence also acts as the National Network for the Defense of Human Rights' (RNDDH) head in his home country.

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Anticipating World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) on May 3rd, Reporters Without Borders released its 2013 status report on the standings of 179 countries on issues of Freedom of the Press. Haiti landed high up on the rankings list, in 49th place.

In conjunction with the report, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) held a hearing at which Haiti human-rights organizations were scheduled to testify. Agencies for the protection of women and children, and human rights advocates were to have reported on human rights policies' progress and incorporation within social infrastructures. Neither showed up. Tracy Robinson, IACHR Head, permitted government of Haiti (GOH) officials to testify before the Commission.

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