Human Rights Developments

Defending Human Rights

The Role of the International Community

In June, the E.U. established new guidelines for import tariffs for products from Asia and Latin America intended to create financial incentives for developing nations to fully respect labor rights and to curb child labor. Through the measures, which would authorize reductions from 15 percent to 35 percent for products from countries that comply fully with International Labour Organisation (ILO) norms relating to the rights of unions, collective bargaining and minimum work age, the E.U. hoped to press Brazilian, and other, authorities to take concrete measures in these areas. The Brazilian government objected to the application of the new measures.

In September, the Brazilian government announced the creation of a program to train police officers run by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) with support from the Dutch and Swedish governments. The ICRC program builds on a pilot program implemented in 1997 and seeks to train officers in professional policing techniques that include safeguards for suspects’ fundamental rights.

United States
In 1998, the U.S. gave relatively little direct assistance to Brazil, but took some measures to promote human rights training and education. For fiscal year 1999, the Clinton administration requested U.S.$1.2 million in counternarcotics assistance. For fiscal year 1998, Congress approved U.S.$1.4 million in counternarcotics assistance, including U.S.$850,000 for Drug Enforcement Agency operations and an additional U.S.$207,000 in direct programming and spending. An additional U.S.$2 million to equip anti-drug police operations was expected to be disbursed as part of fiscal year 1998 expenditures. For fiscal year 1999, the administration requested U.S.$225,000 for Brazil through the International Military Education and Training program.

During the year, the U.S. government sponsored numerous visits for human rights activists, attorneys, and community organizers to the United States through the administration of justice and United States Information Services programs, as well as visits to Brazil by experts on human and civil rights, particularly in the area of diversity. The State Department’s chapter on Brazil in its Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1997 accurately portrayed the human rights situation in Brazil, highlighting police violence, torture, and the abuses suffered by women, minorities, and prisoners.