It is commonly accepted that neither development nor human rights can be carried out without lasting peace. Of course, we are not talking about the “peace of cemeteries” … It is a peace based on social justice, respect for all human rights and democratic principles.
Nowadays, we are witnessing the militarization of societies and the rise of reactionary, even fascinating political movements, around the world which undermine the very foundations of democracy and human rights. We also observe that almost half of humanity remains deprived of its essential needs (water, food, housing, health care, etc.); It is, to various degrees depending on the periods and places, discriminated against (access to work, social security, quality education, etc.) and excluded from decision -making.
Militarization only aggravates this situation, given that the resources of countries are attributed as a priority to armaments expenses, under the pretext of security. It also constitutes an obstacle to social organization and disputes, in flagrant violation of many human rights.
The vicious circles of violence. At the origin of armed conflicts are often found questions related to the economic and geostrategic interests of the great imperialist powers and the dominant elites. These conflicts generate massive human rights violations, discrimination of all kinds and non-compliance with democratic principles, which in turn exacerbate social conflicts and launch our societies in these vicious circles of violence. We must not forget of course the denominational or ethnic aspect, in reality marginal, which is instrumentalized by warrior propaganda.
Wars lead to massive human rights violations. Among these violations, that of the right to self -determination is of capital importance. Indeed, the right of peoples to self -determination has a special place in the system of standards in the field of human rights, in the sense that it oversees all these rights: civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. This means that, without the enjoyment of the right to self -determination, the realization of other rights is illusory.
Of course, the creation of a state is not the only option for peoples to enjoy their right to self -determination. However, the State must ensure above all the participation of all its components in decision -making, since the State is both the guarantor and the major player in the implementation of human rights.
-That said, despite the formal independence of certain states, most peoples do not enjoy this right, not to mention those who are still under domination (neo) colonial. Indeed, for a given state to ensure its mission in this area, it must be able to fully enjoy its sovereignty and have the means; that it has participatory democratic structures and respects them in its practice. Nowadays, today, most states do not meet these criteria for several reasons: 1) the lack of political will (the fact that the state apparatus is controlled by a government not respecting the will of its populations or its commitments in terms of human rights, in particular economic, social and cultural rights); 2) the fact that the government in question is under guardianship or under embargo; 3) the intervention of powerful states (on the economic, political and/or military levels) preventing the exercise of the self -determination of peoples and the sovereignty of the State which represents them; 4) Elite corruption; 5) Lack of means.
The promises not held of the international order. Note that the international order created after the Second World War, formally based on peacekeeping and recognition of human rights, has not kept its promises. On the contrary, the latter are emptied of their substance by the imposition of an unjust and unequal economic order which leads to the privatization and commodification of almost all areas of life, including defense which should however remain a sovereign function of States. Indeed, the use of mercenarity companies, called private military and security societies, in armed conflicts has harmful impacts on the enjoyment of human rights, in particular on the law of peoples to self -determination and sovereignty over their natural resources, but also on the exercise of democracy.
In this context, we will never emphasize the responsibility and the role of the dominant powers, but also of international financial and commercial institutions as well as transnational companies, in the violation of the right to the self -determination of peoples. It is illustrated, among other things, by the looting of natural resources of the countries of the South and by the grabbing of land, in flagrant violation of the right to the sovereignty of peoples on their riches and natural resources, an essential component of the right to self -determination.
For Real and lasting security. It should be remembered, today’s human rights violations are the causes of conflict, including armed, of tomorrow. This is why, it is essential to ensure the effective implementation of all human rights (civil, political, economic, social and cultural), without any discrimination. States that invest in armaments on the pretext of “protecting their population” are wrong. Real and sustainable security lies in investment for public services, democracy, human rights and in international solidarity worthy of the name as well as in the prohibition of the propagation of all hatred between peoples and social groups and “any propaganda in favor of war”, as stipulated in article 20 of the international pact relating to civil and political rights.
To do this, it is essential that the States respect and implement international cooperation in good faith and that they engage in solidarity with countries which do not have sufficient resources (natural, financial or technical), in accordance with the UN Charter (art. 55 and 56) and the international pact relating to economic, social and cultures (art. 2.1).
