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Introduction





Asia

Europe and Central Asia

Middle East and North Africa

Special Issues and Campaigns

United States

Arms

Children’s Rights

Women’s Human Rights

Appendix




Defending Human Rights

South Africa's vigorous human rights community continued to monitor adherence to national and international standards. Occasional government hostility to NGO criticism was counteracted by strong collaboration in government-NGO partnerships elsewhere. The constitutionally guaranteed South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) criticized the government in its annual report for often ignoring its recommendations. The Commission on Gender Equality faced substantial internal difficulties during the year, and several key staff resigned. The government reduced the size of the much-criticized Youth Commission in June.

In November 1999, the SAHRC released an interim report on racism in the media, based on two methodologically controversial research papers, and requested responses from the industry. When little response was forthcoming, the commission decided to subpoena editors and others to appear before it, provoking an outcry that this threatened freedom of expression. A compromise was agreed by which the subpoenas were withdrawn and editors voluntarily attended hearings on media racism in March and April 2000. The commission published a final report in August that was less critically received, and made recommendations to reduce racism in the media. In September, the commission hosted a high-profile conference on racism in preparation for the U.N. World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Forms of Intolerance, to be held in South Africa in 2001.

Human Rights Watch World Report 2000

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