Rio+20: Human Rights Watch call for global deal to include dignity and respect for minorities

By Daniel Schweimler
RTCC in Rio

Too much attention is being placed on developing countries ‘macro’ figures such as GDP and not enough on their respect for human dignity, according to Jan Egeland from Human Rights Watch.

Speaking to RTCC, Egeland says while the progress over the last 20 years should be celebrated – in terms of poverty elimination, education, hunger and life expectation – donor states must be more critical of the countries that show no respect for human rights and minorities.

With worsening climate change, he says states need to protect vulnerable indigenous communities and ensure global changes do not destroy their way of life.

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