High-level members of a new UN task force have agreed to come up with a longer-
term action plan to tackle the global food crisis.
The heads of related UN agencies took part in the first meeting of the task
force at the UN headquarters in New York on Monday.
The members agreed to compile the action plan on food aid and measures to boost
farm production, to alleviate the impact of the crisis on the most affected
regions.
The action plan will be finalized before world leaders meet in Rome to discuss
world food security starting on June 3rd.
The task force plans to appeal to countries around the world to refrain from
limiting their food exports so as not to aggravate the current surge in food
prices. The action plan will also incorporate measures to support small-scale
farmers by providing fertilizer.
The United Nations is expected to seek support for the plan at the Rome meeting
and to urge industrialized nations to provide funds at the Group of Eight summit
in Japan in July.(2008/05/13 09:48)
An international conference aimed at creating a treaty to ban cluster bombs opens
in Dublin, Ireland, on Monday.
About 120 countries will discuss ways to make the first international regulation
on this type of weaponry. Cluster bombs scatter hundreds of bomblets over the
target area, causing high civilian casualties.
The matter is being dealt with outside of an existing framework for arms control
because the United States, Russia and other nations with huge stockpiles of
cluster bombs are reluctant to restrict the weapon.
African and Latin American countries support a total ban. But Japan, Britain and
Germany say that a new type of bomb that leaves fewer unexploded bomblets should
be excluded.
Heated discussions are expected at the conference, which runs through May 30.
(2008/05/19 07:58)
Most of the countries participating in an international conference on cluster
bombs have supported a draft treaty banning most types of the bombs.
The draft was presented at the conference of 109 nations in Ireland on Wednesday.
Cluster bombs drop many bomblets, and some remain unexploded, raising the risks
of civilian casualties.
The draft treaty would ban current designs of cluster bombs and require the dest-
ruction of stockpiles.
But it exempts types that contain less than 10 bomblets, all equipped with tech-
nology to precisely hit their targets, and a self-destruct mechanism.
The draft also stipulates that signatories will not be bound by the treaty when
engaging in joint military operations with non-signatories.
This provision was included as a concession to Japan and other countries that
place importance on their alliance with the United States, which is not partici-
pating in the conference.
On Wednesday, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown expressed support for the draft
treaty, a major turnaround from the country's opposition to strict restrictions
on cluster bombs.
Japan has yet to clarify its position. The treaty would ban all cluster bombs the
country possesses.
The treaty is expected to be adopted on the last day of the conference on Friday.
It will be the first international framework to restrict cluster bombs.
(2008/05/29 12:16)
The government's top spokesman says Japan will support an international draft
treaty that would ban most types of cluster bombs.
Chief Cabinet Nobutaka Machimura made the remark on Friday referring to the draft
plan being discussed at a conference on cluster bombs in Ireland.
An agreement on the plan is expected at the talks' final session on Friday.
Machimura said Japan takes seriously the humanitarian concerns raised by cluster
bombs and has actively participated in the talks in hopes of compiling an effec-
tive international agreement.
He denied Japan's decision to support the treaty is an about-face from its previous
policy of seeking a more limited ban. Machimura said Japan has been looking at
how to balance a ban on cluster bombs with security concerns.
He said Japan will now start studying the destruction of its current stockpiles
and ways to replace them with new types of high-precision bombs that are exempt
from the proposed ban.
Cluster bombs release many bomblets over the target area, and the unexploded ones
pose a serious risk to civilians.(2008/05/30 12:30)
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd visited the atomic-bombed city of Hiroshima
on Monday and called on the international community to work together for the
abolition of nuclear weapons.
Rudd arrived in Japan on a 5-day visit on Sunday, his first since assuming office
in December.
On Monday, he visited the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, where he laid a
wreath at the cenotaph for atomic bomb victims. He visited the nearby Peace
Memorial Museum and viewed pictures and objects that are reminders of the
devastation caused by the atomic bombing. Rudd listened as Museum Director
Koichiro Maeda explained some of the exhibits.
Rudd told reporters that his visit to Hiroshima reminded him that the international
community must make all possible efforts to abolish nuclear weapons to turn the
21st century into a century of peace.
Rudd led his Labor Party to a landslide victory in the general election in November
after 11 years of government under John Howard.
As a non-nuclear power, Australia has often worked with Japan in promoting nuclear
non-proliferation. The Rudd government is emphasizing its non-nuclear policy,
and Rudd reportedly expressed a wish to visit Hiroshima.
A US atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6th, 1945, three days before
a second one was used in Nagasaki. Japan's surrender on August 15th ended the
Second World War.
Rudd will visit Kyoto and Nagoya before he meets Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda for
the first time in Tokyo on Thursday.(2008/06/09 15:08)
An international conference on cluster bombs has begun in Geneva under the auspices
of the United Nations.
The conference is separate from the one held in Dublin in May, when 111 countries
agreed on a landmark treaty to ban most cluster bombs. Cluster bombs scatter
hundreds of bomblets that pose a threat to civilians years after conflicts end.
The conference in Geneva opened on Monday and is attended by countries party to
the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. They include the United States
and Russia that stayed away from the Dublin meeting.
Norway, which played a major role in the Dublin talks, is urging the participants
to agree on meaningful steps to regulate the bombs.
But the United States refuses to be bound by any treaty and has signaled that it
will explore restrictions independently. Russia also argues that the way the bombs
are used should be limited, but the weapon itself should not be regulated.
The United States and Russia reportedly possess more than 70 percent of the world's
cluster bombs. The conference in Geneva aims to reach a broad consensus on the issue
by the end of the year.(2008/07/08 04:25)
The Japanese and Vietnamese foreign ministers have agreed that their nations
will cooperate in persuading North Korea to resolve its nuclear issue and its
abductions of foreigners.
Japanese foreign minister Masahiko Koumura went to Vietnam on Friday from Singapore,
where he attended the regional forum of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
In a meeting with Vietnamese foreign minister Pham Gia Khiem, he said Japan wants
to cooperate with Vietnam on the issues of North Korea's nuclear development and
abduction of Japanese and other foreign nationals.
Khiem said Vietnam welcomed the fact that the foreign ministers of the 6 countries
in talks on North Korea's nuclear development had met in Singapore.
He said Vietnam thinks North Korea needs to respond sincerely to the concern of
the international community over its abduction of foreigners.
Khiem said he would tell North Korean foreign minister Pak Ui Chun about Vietnam's
experience of successfully participating in the international community through its
open-door policy and social reforms. The North Korean foreign minister is also
visiting Vietnam.(2008/07/26 02:57)
Young Japanese and Chinese held a symposium to commemorate the 30th anniversary
of the signing of the Japan-China Peace and Friendship Treaty in Tokyo on Monday.
The Foreign Ministry of Japan hosted the symposium as one of the commemorative
activities.
A total of 400 young Japanese and Chinese, including 300 Chinese university
students and young officials invited by the Japanese government, participated in
the symposium.
Makiko Kaneko, a Japanese who was a medical assistant helping survivors of the
Sichuan earthquake in May, spoke about her experience.
She says she feels the Chinese people are beginning to have a better image of
Japanese from her experience. She adds that Japan and China can work to better
their relations if the people of the 2 countries continue to be considerate to
each other.
A Chinese student studying Japanese at Beijing University made a presentation
about the hardworking Japanese people, which she learned about when she stayed
with a Japanese host family.
She says it is essential for young Chinese and Japanese to have more exchanges,
to act in a rational way and to accept each other without distrust or prejudice.
The Chinese group will also visit Japanese companies that have advanced energy
conservation and environmental measures. They return to China on Wednesday.
(2008/07/29 05:07)
New York citizens prayed for peace at a gathering to remember the US atomic
bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War Two.
Around 200 people, including atomic bomb survivors living in the city, attended
the annual memorial at a Buddhist temple in New York on Tuesday.
After hearing messages sent from the mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, they
observed a minute of silence at the exact time the bomb exploded over Hiroshima
63 years ago.
The attendants later walked the streets of Manhattan with candles in their hands.
A New Yorker who took part in the event called the atomic bombings a serious
crime committed by the United States, and said that the gathering would provide
an opportunity for New Yorkers to think about the need to give up the use of
arms.
The New York Buddhist temple honors a bronze statue of Shinran, the founder of
a Buddhist school. The statue survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
(2008/08/06 14:21)
Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura has welcomed the Russian and Georgian
agreement to a peace plan brokered by France, stressing that he hopes the cease-
fire will take place without fail.
Koumura said it is important for the territorial integrity of Georgia to be maintained.
He added that Japan will work with the international community to create an environ-
ment that promotes dialogue between the 2 countries, so that ethnic clashes will
not lead to armed conflict again.(2008/08/14 14:14)
A United Nations conference on disarmament has opened in Saitama, near Tokyo,
to discuss ways to prevent nuclear proliferation and other problems.
The issue of nuclear non-proliferation looms large as the use of nuclear power
expands globally due to soaring fuel costs and global warming.
About 90 people including government officials and experts from 16 nations are
attending the conference, which takes place in Japan every year.
UN representative Hannelore Hoppe said in an opening speech that concern about
nuclear arms proliferation deepens with rising demand for energy.
Hoppe is Officer-in-Charge of the Department for Disarmament Affairs. She said
there is an urgent need for political and economic measures to ensure the peaceful
use of nuclear power.
Japan's Vice Foreign Minister Masahiko Shibayama said North Korea's announcement
that it will suspend work on disabling its nuclear facilities represents a serious
challenge to the international community.
He called on nations at the conference to form a united front to build on the
achievements of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.(2008/08/27 12:40)
A Japanese publisher has been given the 2008 Ramon Magsaysay Award in Manila
for his efforts to address human rights issues.
The award, created in memory of former Filipino President Ramon Magsaysay, seeks
to acknowledge individuals and organizations in Asia contributing to society or
peace.
This year's award recipient in the category of Journalism, Literature and
Creative Communication Arts is 67-year-old Akio Ishii, who founded Akashi
Shoten in1978. Ishii published a number of books on the issues of social
outcasts and discrimination against ethnic minorities.
The organizer of the award praised Ishii for shedding light on difficult issues.
Ishii says for the 30 years since he founded his company, he has consistently
upheld his principle of focusing on human rights issues.
He says he is happy to receive the award, as it shows he has been able to
publish good books in his own way.(2008/09/01 00:15)
US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has issued a statement on
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's resignation, and praised his efforts to strengthen
US-Japan relations.
Obama on Monday expressed his appreciation for the prime minister's leadership
on climate change and the support Japan's Self Defense Forces have offered US
operations in Afghanistan.
He said Japan is the leading US ally in Asia, and that he looks forward to working
with Fukuda's successor to strengthen and deepen bilateral cooperation.
It is rare for a US presidential candidate to issue this sort of statement.
Observers say that Obama may have wanted to use this opportunity to stress the
importance of the tie with Japan.(2008/09/02 10:23)
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has called on UN member nations to deal with
poverty.
The United Nations is preparing to welcome world leaders to its "Millennium
Development Goals" meeting on September 25th.
Those goals include slashing poverty in half, making elementary education
available to all, and increasing aid, to reduce the gap between rich and poor
countries.
This year is the mid-point between the year 2000 summit pledge and the target
2015 to realize the millennium goals.
Ban has promised to make poverty and disparity, major items on the agenda at
the next General Assembly.
Ban says there has been some progress but "the delivery of commitments has been
deficient and has fallen behind schedule."
He urged leaders to bring forward concrete proposals to meet the millennium
targets.
The United Nations says there are over 1 billion people throughout the world,
who live on less than 1 dollar a day, and the gap between rich and poor continues
to widen.(2008/09/05 08:44)
Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura told reporters Japan's position of support for
Iraq remains unchanged even if the Air Self-Defense Forces are ending their mission
there.
He said that as the international community steps up support for Afghanistan, Japan
must at least continue its refueling mission in the Indian Ocean.
Defense Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters the withdrawal from Iraq is a
plus in the sense that the international community will be able to focus on the
war against terrorism in Afghanistan.
He said he would do his best to win public understanding of the significance of
the refueling activity by Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force.(2008/09/11 12:40)
The prime ministers of Japan and Australia have announced plans to launch an
international commission on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament in October.
Japan's Prime Minister Taro Aso and his Australian counterpart Kevin Rudd spoke
to reporters after their meeting in New York on Thursday.
They said the first meeting will be held between October 19th and 21st in Sydney,
co-chaired by former foreign ministers of Australia and Japan, Gareth Evans and
Yoriko Kawaguchi.
Rudd told reporters that the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is facing pressure
due to actions taken by North Korea and Iran.
He said it is important that Australia and Japan initiate the global debate in
order to prevent nuclear proliferation.
Aso said Japan, as the only country in the world hit by an atomic bomb, plans to
initiate practical proposals.
The commission was initially proposed by Rudd on his visit to Japan in June.
The commission aims to formulate proposals before the Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty review in 2010.
Alongside 2 chairpersons from Japan and Australia, the commission will be made
up of Former US Defense Secretary William Perry, and 12 other experts from nations
including China, Russia, India, and Pakistan.(2008/09/26 17:13)
Leaders of Iran and Bolivia have strongly criticized the United States at a UN
general assembly meeting.
The strong words came from Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Bolivian
President Evo Morales. The UN meeting will be the last for US President George
W Bush, who will leave office in January.
During his speech, President Ahmadinejad denounced the United States, saying US
imperialism is close to an end.
Bolivia's President Morales also stressed solidarity with Iran, Cuba and Venezuela,
describing them as an 'axis of humanity', turning around Bush's 'axis of evil'
label.
Venezuela, meanwhile, is stepping up military and energy cooperation with Russia
in an attempt to capitalize on the confrontation between the former Cold War foes
over Georgia.
Observers say the 3 countries are attempting to increase their presence within the
United Nations in a bid to undermine the United States' ability to lead the world
body.(2008/09/29 09:35)
Japan says it is regrettable that the United States removed North Korea from its
list of state sponsors of terrorism, when no visible progress has been made in
the North's denuclearization and abduction issues.
On Friday, Japan's Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone and US Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice agreed on the need to create a framework to verify North Korea's
declaration of its nuclear activities.
A senior Foreign Ministry official told the US side that there are still issues
yet to be confirmed such as uranium enrichment, which is not subject to verifi-
cation.
However, the government says there is no choice but to accept the US decision,
because it was made based on domestic law, after hearing opinions from other
nations.
The government says it hopes the US move will help move forward the stalled 6-party
talks and that North Korea will abandon its nuclear programs.
With regard to the abductions of Japanese nationals, Japan takes an approach of
both dialogue and pressure toward North Korea. The latest US move means the loss
of a major negotiating tool.
Japan now plans to work closer together with the United States to increase pressure
on North Korea.
Japan hopes to press the North to set up a committee tasked with reinvestigating
the fate of abductees as soon as possible.
North Korea agreed on the establishment of the committee in August, but later
postponed its launch.(2008/10/12 05:47)
Japan's death penalty system came under a barrage of criticism at a United Nations
committee monitoring the world's human rights situation.
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights committee in Geneva,
Switzerland, focused on Japanese human rights on Wednesday and Thursday.
The committee issued its recommendation 10 years ago, calling on the Japanese
government to stop its capital punishment system.
Japan's ambassador in charge of human rights, Hideaki Ueda, insisted that the
death penalty is used only for the gravest crimes through strict procedures, and
that the majority of people consider it inevitable in heinous crimes.
However, many of the committee members cast doubt on its effectiveness in reducing
serious crimes.
Many of them also emphasized that it is a problem to justify the death penalty on
the grounds of public opinion, criticizing Japan for speeding up the pace of
executions while more countries are abolishing the system.
The committee is to compile its views by the end of this month.(2008/10/17 06:51)
An aide to Japan's prime minister says Britain and Germany have signaled their
desire to help resolve the kidnappings of Japanese nationals by North Korea.
Kyoko Nakayama, the prime minister's advisor on the abductions issue, met with
British and German foreign affairs officials during a visit to London and Berlin
this week to seek their cooperation.
On Thursday, Nakayama told reporters in Berlin that she felt her visit to the
European countries was worth the effort. She said that every official she met
was aware of the need to resolve the issue and willing to consider ways to help.
North Korea has yet to begin the reinvestigation of Japanese abductees it promised
in bilateral working-level talks with Japan earlier this year.(2008/11/14 09:47)
Intergovernmental talks in Geneva to regulate the use of cluster bombs have failed
to reach agreement.
The meeting, attended by representatives of 108 signatory nations of the Convention
on Certain Conventional Weapons, ended on Friday.
The negotiations were held amid rising appeals that the United States, Russia, and
other countries that possess cluster bombs in large amounts should join the process
of drawing up a treaty.
Cluster bombs scatter hundreds of bomblets that pose a threat to civilians years
after conflicts end.
At the talks, the chairperson proposed to limit the spectrum of regulations and to
place a long moratorium on the weapon ban but was opposed by Norway and Costa Rica,
which seek strict regulations.
The United States said some countries are seeking an unrealistic outcome.
After the
failure, negotiations are likely to be carried over to next year.
In May of this year, countries adopted another treaty that imposes a near-total ban
on the use of cluster bombs in the possession of every country during the Oslo
Process talks. The United States and Russia stayed away.(2008/11/15 10:58)
UN committee calls for moratorium on death penalty
A UN committee has adopted a resolution calling for a global moratorium on the
death penalty.
Members of the General Assembly's human rights committee voted 105 to 48 in favor
of the moratorium on Thursday, with 31 abstentions.
European countries led the push for the resolution, which follows a similar one
adopted last year. Japan, the United States, North Korea and Iran were among the
countries that opposed it.
The resolution says the world is moving toward abolishment of the death penalty,
with many countries now exercising suspensions of executions.
It calls on countries that maintain capital punishment to defer executions, with
a view to eventually banning them all together.
In opposition to the ban, Japan's representative at the committee said applying
the death penalty for heinous crimes is supported by opinion polls in Japan. The
US government said the issue should be decided by each individual country.
The resolution will now be sent to the General Assembly for a final vote, and
is likely to be adopted there.
General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, but they are seen as carrying
moral weight because they reflect the majority view of the international community.
The latest push for abolishing the death penalty is expected to trigger fresh
debates on the issue around the world.(2008/11/21 14:23)
Broadcasters from all over the Asia-Pacific region exchanged views on the media's
role in resolving conflicts and promoting democracy in the region.
The two-day general meeting of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union has been under-
way on the Indonesian island of Bali. The union is made up of over 200 broadcasting
organizations from more than 50 countries in the region. Tuesday was the second day
of the meeting.
Participants exchanged views on what kind of role broadcasters should play in
resolving conflicts and promoting democracy in the Asia-Pacific region, which
has diverse ethnic groups and religions.
A panel discussion was also held on the possible impact of media reports about
terrorist incidents on regional tourism industries. The reason for this topic being
discussed was the series of attacks in Bali, a resort for many foreign visitors,
in recent years. Some participants said thorough journalistic training should be
given to broadcasting personnel so that they can present fair and objective facts
to their audience.
Later, the participants elected vice president of NHK, Yoshinori Imai, the new
president of the ABU before ending the meeting.(2008/11/25 19:45)
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has expressed strong hope that Japan-China youth
exchanges will help improve public sentiment in both countries, as a year-long
program comes to an end.
The 2 countries have invited young people to visit the other for the past year
to mark the 30th anniversary of the conclusion of the Japan-China peace and
friendship treaty.
The closing ceremony for the commemorative event was held in Beijing on Saturday,
attended by this year's final Japanese delegation of 1,000 high school and
university students.
At the ceremony, Wen and former Japanese prime minister Yasuo Fukuda wished for
good friendship by binding around a tree a big red ribbon that calls for heart-
to-heart relationships.
Young people performed songs and dances, as well as a drum show by Japanese high
school students.
Preceding the ceremony, the Chinese premier talked with Fukuda and said that such
an exchange program symbolizes mutual friendship that develops into future
generations.
The Japanese and Chinese governments plan to continue the exchange program for
the next 3 years, during which 4,000 young people are expected to visit the other
country each year.(2008/12/21 11:34)
The North American Aerospace Defense Command has tracked Santa's gift-giving
trip across the globe, locking its satellites on to the bright light of Rudolph's
nose.
NORAD, which monitors air and space threats against the United States and Canada,
is in charge of the annual Christmas mission to keep children informed of Santa's
worldwide journey to their homes.
On its website "NORAD Tracks Santa," the organization posts computer graphics of
Santa and his reindeer taking off from the North Pole and flying all over the
world, including the skies over Mt. Fuji in Japan.
The tradition began in 1955 when a little boy phoned NORAD's predecessor on
Christmas Eve and asked where Santa was.
A colonel who answered the unexpected call didn't want to break the boy's heart
and quickly checked the radars to find Santa's location. NORAD then took over the
tradition of broadcasting Santa's whereabouts, using its high-tech systems.
(2008/12/25 17:01)
In an annual Christmas Day message on Thursday, Pope Benedict the 16th called for
international efforts to bring peace to those suffering from conflicts and violence
in areas such as the Middle East and Africa.
The Pope appeared on the central balcony of St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican and
addressed thousands of people.
The Pope dedicated part of his message to Africa, citing hunger and the political
crisis in Zimbabwe as well as suffering in the Democratic Republic of Congo and
Somalia.
The Pope spoke of violence and tension in the Middle East and lamented that the
future seemed once again bleak for Israelis and Palestinians.
The Pope also cited Lebanon and Iraq and called for an end to international conflicts
which divide ethnic and social groups.
He also addressed the economic crisis affecting many people in the world and called
for solidarity.
After the message, the Pope recited a holiday greeting in 64 languages.
(2008/12/26 06:49)
A report by the United Nations says that about 2 million people each year are
sold in human trafficking, mainly in developing countries.
The UN released the report on human trafficking on Thursday, the 200th birthday
of US president Abraham Lincoln, who is known for his Emancipation Proclamation
freeing the slaves.
The report says 90 percent of the 22,000 victims surveyed across 111 countries
are women and children. Most of them are taken to foreign countries by crime
organizations and forcibly put to work in the sex industry.
The report also says only 60 percent of the world's nations have enacted regulations
against human trafficking.
The report describes the current situation as "modern slavery", calling for more
action to fight the problem.
Chief of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Antonio Maria Costa, says slavery is
still alive in the form of human trafficking.(2009/02/13 14:19)
Atomic bomb survivors have spoken at an international meeting on the devastating
damage caused by the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and called for
the abolition of nuclear weapons.
The International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament was
launched last year at the joint initiative of Japan and Australia. Former foreign
ministers Yoriko Kawaguchi of Japan and Gareth Evans of Australia co-chair the
commission.
In a meeting in Washington on Saturday, 3 A-bomb survivors spoke of the terrible
damage caused by the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and their suffering.
A 77-year-old woman, Setsuko Thurlow, who was exposed to radiation in Hiroshima
at the age of 13, said humans and nuclear weapons never coexist. She called for
the abolition of nuclear weapons as soon as possible and changes to the culture
possessed by violence and war.
An 80-year-old man, Shouo Michigami, who experienced the bombing of Nagasaki at
the age of 16, said appeals from A-bomb survivors are crucial for the abolition of
nuclear weapons. He said he could make his thoughts understood by the participants.
During the meeting on Sunday, participants plan to come up with the outline of a
proposal the commission will submit to the conference to review the Nuclear Non-
Proliferation Treaty next year.(2009/02/15 11:39)
An international panel of legal experts says excessive anti-terrorism efforts
worldwide after the September 11th 2001 attacks have done "immense damage" to
humanitarian and human rights laws, and need to be reviewed.
The International Commission of Jurists made the call in a report on the impact of
counter-terrorism measures on the integrity of the international legal framework.
The report is based on a 3-year investigation that encompassed hearings held in
40 nations, including the United States, Britain and countries in the Middle East.
The report says many countries have introduced counter-terrorism measures similar
to those put into place in the United States since September 11th in 2001.
The US administration under former president George W Bush granted expanded
authorities to the US intelligence community after September 11th.
The report says the measures led to violations of human rights, such as the
prolonged detention and torture of prisoners at the US military prison in
Guantanamo, Cuba, by US authorities.
The commission stresses that prevention of terrorist acts and indictment of
attackers can be handled within the legal systems that were put in place after
World War Two.
It urges governments to review their laws and practices now as the change in US
administration provides a unique opportunity to remedy violations.(2009/02/17 13:31)