Much progress – even if it sometimes seems like a drop in the ocean. Think of the abolition of slavery, the enfranchisement of women, the countries that abolished the death penalty, the release of prisoners of conscience as a result of international pressure, the collapse of apartheid in South Africa, the cases brought before the European Court and the laws changed as a result. Think about the fact that the gradual development of a culture of international communication means that even the most authoritarian regimes today have to reckon with human rights if they want to be accepted on the international stage. Many positive results have been achieved, especially in the last 50 years, but much more remains to be done.
Have we made progress in combating human rights violations?
