Navi Pillay Quotes

Human rights must be protected by the rule of law, and there can never be occasions where human rights can be neglected or ignored or the rule of law set aside.

It seems clear to me that the Obama Administration has no human rights policy. That is, while in some inchoate sense they would like respect for human rights to grow around the world, as all Americans would, they have no actual policy to achieve that goal - and they subordinate it to all their other policy goals.

Global human rights law prescribes global norms of conduct. It leaves the question of how to enforce these norms to the countries themselves.

... authoritarian states sign on [to human rights treaties] solely for propaganda purposes and then find it fairly easy to flout the rules.

Any Human Rights Council reform that allows countries that sponsor terrorism to remain as members, such as Cuba, is not real reform. And in the past, countries such as Libya, Iran and Syria have participated on this council.

New Zealand's been pretty quiet on human rights issues, which we will be taking rather more interest in, and in international labor issues.

Preventing the arbitrary administration of punishment is a basic ideal of any society that purports to be governed by the rule of law.

As China works towards the rule of law, it is critical that it continues to develop and strengthen its legal system. However, it should be recognized that this system is only as strong as the professionals who work to uphold it.

The lesson of history that all human rights are indivisible and that the failure to adhere to this principle jeopardizes the rights of all.

China has not established the rule of law and thus there is no justice.

Rule of law is the most important element in any civil society. To build a successful country, we need to have rule of law. And rule of law is not just about writing a beautiful constitution or set of laws. It is also about the independence of the judiciary. It’s about institutions. It’s about respect for rights, human rights, social, economic rights, etc.

The CUAG specializes in providing support to Chinese human rights lawyers.

The laws are the sole guardians of right, and when the magistrate dares not act, every person is insecure.

We expect them [Salvadoran officials] to work toward the elimination of human rights.

We cannot speak of human rights in other countries unless we are going to do our utmost to protect the rights of our own people here at home.

There are significant human rights abuses in China. In some areas, the situation is worse today than in the past. In other areas, there have been improvements. We will recognize the latter, and be critical of the former.

Additionally, any Human Rights Council reform that allows countries with despicable human rights records to remain as members, such as China and Saudi Arabia, is not real reform.

The core of human rights work is naming and shaming those who commit abuses, and pressuring governments to put the screws to abusing states. As a result, human rights conventions are unique among international law instruments in depending for their enforcement mostly on the activism of a global civil society movement.

China recognizes and also respects the universality of human rights. We will continue our efforts to promote democracy and the rule of law.

For all the tough talk about China during the presidential debates, Romney and Obama evaded any mention of China's suspect human rights record, corruption, and rule of law. By not tackling these controversial topics, the candidates are protecting a strategic partnership with China at the expense of essential human values and beliefs.

International Law

Are all the laws to go unexecuted and the government itself go to pieces, lest civil liberties be violated?

I well understand that the role of Attorney General is to enforce the law as it is, not as I would have it.

There was not an ambassador in the world who was not my personal human rights representative.

Court rules do not cause crime.