Rights defender fighting cynicism (Louise Arbour)

Commissioner faces complex, arduous task

Human rights, not long ago, seemed a mission all but accomplished: Although millions of people still suffered abuses, there was almost universal agreement that such things could not be condoned in the civilized world.

But in the traumatized, tough-on-terror 21st century, even rights defenders are asking whether their quest is now a mission impossible. And as Canada's Louise Arbour takes on the role of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights — the überjob of worldwide rights advocacy — she does so at a time of crisis, when cynicism about human rights is widespread and hard-fought principles are under assault.

"What we are facing now is a critical turning point in the evolution of human rights," says Rene Provost, a professor of international law at McGill University. "After World War II and the terrible abuses of Nazi Germany, there was an attempt to construct an impassable barrier around the individual against attacks by the state. Violations by non-state actors like rebels and terrorists didn't fit the equation. Now, the rules we have are no longer appropriate, and it's time to revisit them."

The idea that the advances of the past 50 years of human-rights advocacy could be rolled back, or at least eroded, to make allowances for national security, is gaining currency worldwide. But it is at the heart of a bitter debate that makes some in the human rights community shudder, while others shrug at what they see as the purists' shaky grasp of realpolitik.

Rights defender fighting cynicism....

:kick:

she is strong, committed and has proven her mettle.