Skip to main content

UN human rights experts welcome Greek referendum and call for international solidarity

Two United Nations human rights experts today welcomed the holding of a referendum in Greece to decide by democratic process the path to follow to solve the Greek economic crisis without deterioration in the human rights situation.

The UN Independent Experts on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, Alfred de Zayas, and on human rights and international solidarity, Virginia Dandan, stressed that there is much more at stake than debt repayment obligations, echoing a warning* issued earlier this month by the UN Independent Expert on foreign debt and human rights, Juan Pablo Bohoslavsky.

All human rights institutions and mechanisms should welcome the Greek referendum as an eloquent expression of the self-determination of the Greek people in conformity with article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and in pursuance of article 25 ICCPR on public participation. Indeed, a democratic and equitable international order requires participation by all concerned stakeholders in decision-making and respect for due process, which can best be achieved through international solidarity and a human rights approach to the solution of all problems, including financial crises.

It is disappointing that the IMF and the EU have failed to reach a solution that does not require additional retrogressive austerity measures. Some leaders have expressed dissatisfaction with the idea of holding a referendum in Greece. Why? Referenda are in the best traditions of democratic governance.

No one can expect the Prime Minister of Greece to renounce the commitments he made to the people who elected him with a clear mandate to negotiate a fair solution that does not dismantle Greek democracy and lead to further unemployment and social misery. Capitulating to an ultimatum imposing further austerity measures on the Greek population would be incompatible with the democratic trust placed on the Greek Prime Minister by the electorate. By nature, every State has the responsibility to protect the welfare of all persons living under its jurisdiction. This encompasses fiscal and budgetary sovereignty and regulatory space which cannot be trumped by outside actors, whether States, inter-governmental organizations or creditors.

Article 103 of the UN Charter stipulates that the Charter provisions prevail over all other treaties, therefore no treaty or loan agreement can force a country to violate the civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights of its population, nor can a loan agreement negate the sovereignty of a State. Any agreement that would require such a violation of human rights and customary international law is contra bonos mores and hence null and void pursuant to Art. 53 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.

A democratic and equitable international order requires a commercial and financial regime that facilitates the realization of all human rights. Inter-governmental organizations must foster and under no conditions hinder the achievement of the plenitude of human rights.

Foreign debt is no excuse to derogate from or violate human rights or to cause retrogression in contravention of articles 2 and 5 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

In 2013, the Independent Expert on foreign debt and human rights stated that the policy austerity measures adopted to secure additional financing from the International Monetary Fund, the European Commission and the European Central Bank had pushed the Greek economy into recession and generally undermined the enjoyment of human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights.

This is the moment for the international community to demonstrate solidarity with the people of Greece, to respect their democratic will as expressed in a referendum, to proactively help them out of this financial crisis, which finds a major cause in the financial meltdown of 2007-08, for which Greece bears no responsibility.

Indeed, democracy means self-determination, and self-determination often calls for referenda – also in Greece.”

Source:

Comments

  1. Anonymous2/7/15 12:14

    Ωραία όλα αυτά, αλλά ας σημειωθεί ότι η δημοκρατία ήταν ένα πολίτευμα που οι περισσότεροι Έλληνες στοχαστές αποδοκίμαζαν.
    Και για να το δικαιολογήσουμε εν μέρει αυτό γιατί υπάρχουν κι άλλες αιτίες,αναφέρουμε ότι στην δημοκρατία έχει δικαίωμα να ψηφίζει ή να διεκδικεί θέσεις και ο πιο βλάκας

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Τέλεια. Οπότε ας βάλουμε τους "έξυπνους" τραπεζίτες να ψηφίζουν για τα συμφέροντα του "βλάκα" λαού.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous2/7/15 16:12

      Αγαπητέ φίλε εγώ δεν υπονόησα κάτι ούτε και αποκάλεσα ΄΄βλάκα΄΄ κανέναν. Τα παραπάνω αναγραφόμενα από εμένα δεν είναι κάποιου είδους προπαγάνδα. Είναι μια γνώμη για την δημοκρατία και ούτε καν λόγια δικά μου, είναι λόγια άλλων που δεν μπορούμε να τους ασκήσουμε κριτική γιατί δεν έχουμε το ΄΄μέγεθός΄΄ τους.
      Πάντως θα δούμε την Κυριακή που μας έρχεται αν η λέξη ΄΄βλάκας΄΄ θα μείνει σε εισαγωγικά ή αυτά θα απαλειφθούν.
      Προσωπικά τάσσομαι υπέρ του ΟΧΙ.

      Delete
  2. Αγαπητέ φίλε, δεν αμφιβάλω για τις προθέσεις σου. Απλά χρησιμποποίησα μια υπερβολή για να δείξω ότι κάποιοι είναι έτοιμοι να εκμεταλλευτούν κάποιες απόψεις για να επιβαλουν πράγματα που ούτε καν θα μας περνούσαν από το μυαλό πριν από 2-3 δεκαετίες.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Telegram Founder & CEO Pavel Durov Arrested in France as Online Censorship Escalates

Glenn Greenwald  

Όσοι περνάν των χώρα της απόγνωσης παθαίνουν αμνησία ...

globinfo freexchange Δανειστήκαμε αυτή τη φράση από ένα παλιό κομμάτι της Ελληνικής ροκ μπάντας "Τρύπες", για να περιγράψουμε με λίγα λόγια αυτό που φαίνεται να έχει πάθει η Ελληνική κοινωνία.  Πώς είναι δυνατόν μια ολόκληρη κοινωνία να έχει ξεχάσει ποιοι τη χρεοκόπησαν; Ποιοι έστησαν το άθλιο σύστημα των κρατικοδίαιτων 'ημέτερων' και της οικογενειοκρατίας; Ποιοι έσωσαν τις τράπεζες με πακτωλό δισεκατομμυρίων σε βάρος της μεσαίας τάξης; Ποιοι έκαναν τη μίζα και το ρουσφέτι επάγγελμα; Πώς είναι δυνατόν αυτή η κοινωνία να ετοιμάζεται να ξαναφέρει στην εξουσία ένα κομμάτι αυτού του άθλιου πολιτικού κατεστημένου, με την επιστροφή μάλιστα του αμετανόητα νεοφιλελεύθερου Κυριάκου Μητσοτάκη και της ομάδας του;   Η απόγνωση που έφεραν εννέα χρόνια βάρβαρων νεοφιλελεύθερων πολιτικών και σκληρής λιτότητας και που ανάγκασε τη χώρα να διαβεί τον εφιαλτικό μονόδρομο της μόνιμης χρεοκοπίας, πρέπει να έπαιξε σημαντικό ρόλο.  Διότι ως γνωστόν, η απελπισία...

Netanyahu Threatens Lebanon With Genocidal Mayhem

Owen Jones   Where is the media outrage?  

Jul 2018 picks

Retired US army colonel implies that a war with Iran could start with a Vietnam-type false flag operation Corporate media begin typical operations to make progressives comply with the establishment WikiLeaks paper shows France & UK pioneers behind Libya breakup Twitter under fire on European Commission hypocrisy to 'stand with the Greek people' IMF mafia ready to repeat the big crime in Argentina The financial system of chaos: no one can tell the 'when', 'where' and ‘how’ of the next financial meltdown Standard and Poor's 'coincidentally' upgrades the Greek economy after Greece expels two Russian diplomats Jill Stein, Jeremy Corbyn, Bernie Sanders: a continuously rising political triplet proves that Socialism unites generations The idiotic circus of terror leads us to the final collapse WikiLeaks paper reveals Ecuadorian private business elites declared war on Rafael Correa right after his election and asked for US support Ho...

CNN Host COMPLETELY DESTROYED By RFK For Lying About COVID & Vaxx!

The Jimmy Dore Show   In this video, Jimmy Dore offers a scathing critique of CNN's Dana Bash and her colleagues in the legacy media for their COVID-19 coverage, accusing them of being paid mouthpieces for pharmaceutical companies rather than skeptical journalists. He argues that Anthony Fauci systematically lied about masks, social distancing, natural immunity, and the virus's origin, while CNN and other networks censored dissenting scientists like Dr. Robert Malone and Dr. Peter McCullough. Dore points to documented financial ties between Pfizer and CNN, as well as statements from former medical journal editors confirming widespread industry corruption, to support claims that the pandemic response was manufactured for profit. The segment defends RFK Jr.'s questioning of vaccine science and measles narratives, concluding that mainstream media journalists who ridicule truth-tellers are cowardly accessories to a deadly medical fraud.

Norman Finkelstein & Jeremy Corbyn: THE INTERVIEW ISRAEL WANT TO BAN

Double Down News In a powerful and deeply personal conversation, political scientist Dr. Norman Finkelstein sits down with MP and former UK Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn to analyse the ongoing crisis in Gaza, Western diplomatic inaction, and the media's framing of the conflict. From evaluating ICJ proceedings to dismantling mainstream media "gatekeeper" tactics, Finkelstein and Corbyn provide an unsparing critique of current geopolitical realities and explain why Gaza has become a defining moral touchstone for a new generation. Beyond foreign policy, the pair explore the broader societal shifts shaping world politics today. Drawing on four decades of political activism, they compare today's student movement to historical anti-Apartheid and anti-Vietnam War struggles, while examining the decline of social mobility, the commercialisation of higher education, and the impact of digital media on critical thinking and long-term political engagement.

Προβλέψεις ...

GR elections Update (15/9): Αναθεωρημένες προβλέψεις (μετά το δεύτερο debate): ΣΥΡΙΖΑ 28-30% ΛΑΕ + ΣΧΕΔΙΟ Β' κ.λ.π. 20-23% ΝΔ 11-13% ΧΑ 6-8% ΚΚΕ 5-5,5% ΕΝΩΣΗ ΚΕΝΤΡΩΩΝ 2,5-3% ΠΟΤΑΜΙ 2,5-3,5% ΠΑΣΟΚ + ΔΗΜΑΡ 3-4% ΑΝΕΛ 2,5-3,5% Update (11/9): Αναθεωρημένες προβλέψεις (μετά το πρώτο debate): ΣΥΡΙΖΑ 25-28% ΛΑΕ + ΣΧΕΔΙΟ Β' κ.λ.π. 20-23% ΝΔ 11-13% ΧΑ 6-8% ΚΚΕ 5-5,5% ΕΝΩΣΗ ΚΕΝΤΡΩΩΝ 3,5-4% ΠΟΤΑΜΙ 2,5-3,5% ΠΑΣΟΚ + ΔΗΜΑΡ 3-4% ΑΝΕΛ 2,5-3,5% Update (04/9): Αναθεωρημένες προβλέψεις: ΣΥΡΙΖΑ 23-25% ΛΑΕ + ΣΧΕΔΙΟ Β' κ.λ.π. 20-23% ΝΔ 12-15% ΧΑ 6-8% ΚΚΕ 5-5,5% ΕΝΩΣΗ ΚΕΝΤΡΩΩΝ 3,5-4% ΠΟΤΑΜΙ 2,5-3,5% ΠΑΣΟΚ 3-4% ΑΝΕΛ 2,5-3,5% Update (29/8): Αναθεωρημένες προβλέψεις: ΣΥΡΙΖΑ 23-25% ΛΑΕ + ΣΧΕΔΙΟ Β' κ.λ.π. 20-23% ΝΔ 12-15% ΧΑ 6-8% ΚΚΕ 5-5,5% ΕΝΩΣΗ ΚΕΝΤΡΩΩΝ 4-4,5% ΠΟΤΑΜΙ 4-4,5% ΠΑΣΟΚ 3-4% ΑΝΕΛ 2,5-3,5% Update : Αναθεωρημένες προβλέψεις: ΣΥΡΙΖΑ 26-27% ...

Houthis Have Inflicted "Astronomical" Damage On U.S. & Israel

Katie Halper Katie Halper talks to Ashok Kumar about how the Houthis are making history: "this is the first time in history that you had the maintenance of a blockade from a force with no navy," Trump "doesn't know what to do about it" and they're inflicting "astronomical liabilities" on Israel and the U.S.  Ashok Kumar is a University of London Professor and a Green Party activist in the U.K.

John Mearsheimer & Yanis Varoufakis on Iran War & China

Katie Halper Political scientist John Mearsheimer and economist Yanis Varoufakis argue that Israel’s Iran war may have trapped Trump into a stunning defeat and discuss the rise of China.  In part 2, philosophers John Harfouch & Joseph Levine, who debunk Zionist talking points, discuss the history of Israel, and explore the work of diplomat & scholar Fayez Sayegh, who established the PLO’s Palestine Research Center in Lebanon, which was bombed by Zionists to erase evidence of Palestine’s history and people.

US empire insists on permanent war until regime change in Iran

globinfo freexchange   A report from early July at the Atlantic Council - one of the top US imperialist think tanks - website, confirms the long-term strategy of the US empire concerning Iran. Which in short, is to buy time in order to prepare for permanent war until regime change. Only a few excerpts from the report are more than enough for someone to understand the deeper plan, unfolding in plain sight. Furthermore, it reveals that the brains of Washington's warhawks are set up for permanent war and are completely incapable of thinking different alternatives that would not necessarily include more violence and destruction. As we read:                   More significantly, the regime, following its longstanding approach, has successfully created a “new normal” in which Iranian actions that would have previously been considered casus belli now have been redefined below the threshold of war. Every US president since Jimmy Carter and Rona...