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Human Rights Developments Defending Human Rights The Role of the International Community On March 1, the Association Agreement between the E.U. and Tunisia took effect, the first of its kind between Europe and a country in the Middle East or North Africa. The agreement, which provides for lowering tariffs in both directions and some aid to Tunisia, defines human rights in Article 2 as an essential element of the accord. Tunisias human rights record was reportedly raised only in very general terms at the first meeting of the official E.U.-Tunisia Association Council on July 14, although details of the talks were not disclosed. During the first six months of the agreement, the European Council gave no public indication that Tunisias lack of progress toward tolerating dissent and curtailing other human rights abuses might adversely affect relations. Within the European Parliament, human rights in Tunisia lacked the visibility it had in 1997, when several of the chambers political blocs sponsored a forum on the subject. No resolutions were adopted concerning human rights in Tunisia through the end of September. Tunisian authorities replied in writing to a list of human rights cases that had been submitted by a delegation of members of the parliament that visited in October 1997. In September 1998, the European Parliaments Delegation for Maghreb Relations hosted a visit by Tunisian parliamentarians. During their meetings, the European parliamentarians failed to raise with the Tunisian delegation any individual cases or specific human rights abuses. United States
None of the high-level bilateral meetings through October resulted in any public allusion to human rights concerns. Stuart E. Eizenstat, Undersecretary of State for Economic Affairs, met with President Ben Ali on June 16. He proposed a new U.S.-Maghreb Economic Partnership to promote private investment, telling the Tunisian-American Chamber of Commerce that it would contribute to a more secure, more prosperous and democratic future. Assistant Secretary of State for the Near East Martin Indyk held high-level discussions in Tunis in March, as did his deputy Ronald Neumann in September. Tunisian Defense Minister Habib Ben Yahia was received in Washington in June by high-level State Department officials. A political officer at the U.S. embassy in Tunis maintained regular contacts with Tunisian activists and civil society, observed the trial of Khemaïs Ksila, and visited human rights lawyer Radhia Nasraouis office after it had been ransacked. This sort of public engagement rarely occurred at the level of the ambassador. |
Algeria Bahrain Egypt Iran Iraq Israel, The Occupied West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Palestinian Authority Territories Saudi Arabia Syria Tunisia |
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