Amnesty International: focus on human rights

In the first 100 days, Amnesty International is specifically calling on the new administration to:

*announce a plan and date for the closure of the detention center at Guantanamo,
*issue an executive order to ban torture and other ill-treatment, as defined under international law and applicable to all U.S. agents, and
*ensure an independent commission is set up to investigate abuses committed by the United States in its war on terror.

"President-elect Obama must make a clean break from the previous administration's detention policies and practices. Millions of people, politicians and religious leaders in the United States and across the world are demanding these changes. Now is the time to make them happen," said Irene Khan, secretary general of Amnesty International.

"President-elect Obama must reverse the damage done at home and abroad by the U.S. government's unlawful actions in the name of national security," said Larry Cox, executive director at Amnesty International USA. "The U.S. government's policies during the past eight years have violated the basic rights of thousands of individuals, damaged the United States' credibility on human rights issues and strained diplomatic relations. With the entire world watching, and the election of a new president and Congress, it's time to commit the United States to its international obligations and ensure that the rule of law will be the foundation of the country's policies."

Amnesty International is also urging President-elect Obama to push forward policies that will advance internationally recognized human rights. The U.S. government should also provide principled leadership in halting mass atrocities against civilians in places such as Darfur, ending the continued violence against women and girls in the United States and abroad, supporting human rights defenders and the international system of justice with the International Criminal Court at its heart.

"Human rights must be an integral aspect of every policy, action and issue embarked on by President-elect Obama and his administration," said Cox. "Although the current economic circumstances will dominate much of the public debate and international agenda, a strong and vigilant human rights agenda must also be a priority. The importance of reversing the legacy of the United States as a human rights abuser cannot be overstated."