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FOREIGN POLICY
TOPIC
PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
“Human dignity shall be inviolable. To re-
the protection and improvement of human
spect and protect it shall be the duty of all
rights standards.
state authority.” This is the clear mandate
in Article 1 of the German Basic Law, in
Commitment to international
which Germany acknowledges “inviolable
human rights institutions
and inalienable human rights” as “the basis
of every community, of peace and of justice
Germany is a contracting partner to the
in the world”. Germany also takes this obli-
UN’s important human rights treaties and
gation seriously in its relations with foreign
their Additional Protocols (Civil Pact, Social
countries. The protection and strengthen-
Pact, Anti-Racism Convention, Women’s
ing of human rights play a special role in
Rights Convention, Convention against Tor-
the foreign-policy and international con-
ture, Children’s Rights Convention, Conven-
text, as systematic human rights violations
tion on the Rights of Persons with Disabil-
are frequently the first step towards con-
ities, Convention for the Protection of All
flicts and crises. Together with its partners
Persons from Enforced Disappearance).
in the EU and in collaboration with the
Most recently Germany signed the Add-
United Nations (UN), Germany advocates
itional Protocol to the Convention against
Torture, and the Convention on the Rights
of Persons with Disabilities, both of which
INFO
have been in force since 2009. Germany was
the first European nation to ratify the Add-
Civil Society The many non-government organisations in Germany also
champion the global enforcement of
human rights, progress in development
policy, and humanitarian assistance.
They encourage the politicians responsible to take action and raise awareness
for such activities among the population. But they also take active steps
themselves, collect donations and coordinate projects of their own. Around
120 organisations make up VENRO, the
umbrella organisation of non-governmental development organisations.
→ venro.org
itional Protocol to the Children’s Rights
Convention, which makes an individual
complaints procedure possible.
The Federal Government supports protection from discrimination and racism, takes
an active stand worldwide against the death
penalty and for political participation and
legal protection, defends the freedom of religion and belief, fights human trafficking,
and pushes for enforcement of the right to
housing and the right to clean water and
sanitation. Almost 900 million people