Background
The Brazilian Committee on Human Rights and Foreign Policy was created as civil society organizations and state institutions felt a shared need to stimulate citizen participation and strengthen democratic control of Brazilian foreign policy as it relates to human rights.
The idea for the creation of a permanent group to monitor Brazilian foreign policy arose from a public hearing entitled "Foreign Policy and Human Rights," held on September 28, 2005, at the House of Representatives, sponsored by the Commission on Human Rights and Minorities.
The hearing brought together representatives of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, members of the academic community and civil society organizations for the purpose of debating Brazil's performance in the now-defunct United Nations Commission on Human Rights. Conectas Human Rights presented research they had conducted showing that the formulation and execution of Brazilian foreign policy as it relates to human rights lacks transparency and participation from outside groups. It was further noted that there is a disconnect between the supremacy of human rights norms mandated by Article 4, paragraph II, of the Brazilian Constitution, and what happens in practice.
After the hearing, three meetings were held to define the nature, principles and objectives of the permanent group in charge of monitoring the impact of Brazilian foreign policy on human rights issues. Those present also researched similar initiatives in other countries. From these meetings arose the Brazilian Committee on Human Rights and Foreign Policy.
On May 31, 2006, there was an event in the Brazilian House of Representatives in Brasília to mark the launching of the Committee.
Principles
The Committee is founded on three principles:
- In a Republic, all the branches of power should be transparent and subject to oversight by civil society.
- In a Democracy, all branches of power should be subject to participation by civil society.
- Under the Rule of Law, there is no manifestation of power that is not legally regulated, even though by constitutional or international principles.
These principles are even more pressing when it comes to foreign policy and its impact on human rights. As was reaffirmed by the international community with the creation of the United Nations (UN) after World War II, human rights must not be subject to instrumental rationality, as a negotiating chip in international relations.
Mission and Objectives
The goal of the Brazilian Committee on Human Rights and Foreign Policy is to strengthen civil participation and democratic control of the Brazilian government’s foreign policy, with a view to the prevalence of human rights, in accordance with article 4, item II, of the Federal Constitution.
The Committee seeks to influence and monitor the decision-making processes in Brazilian foreign policy that impact the protection and promotion of human rights on a national level. Accordingly, the Committee is committed, among other things, to tracking the negotiations, ratification and implementation of regional and international agreements.
Its role also involves monitoring and influencing the Brazilian government’s position in multilateral bodies, as well as in bilateral relations, that could affect human rights in other countries.
Through these means, the Committee intends to promote the constitutional principle of the prevalence of human rights in Brazilian foreign policy.
Members
The Committee is comprised of non-governmental organizations and State agencies. Membership is institutional, not individual. Its members must work with human rights and/or international policy – in the case of NGOs, this must be expressly stated in their by-laws or evidenced by the work they do. Only the plenary assembly can properly vote for the inclusion, exclusion or suspension of a Committee member.
Current organization members of the Committee:
Management
The Executive Secretariat of the Committee is elected annually by its members.
In 2009, Fernanda Lapa of the Instituto de Desenvolvimento e Direitos Humanos will assume the role of Executive Secretary of the Committee. Conectas Direitos Humanos and Comunidade Baha´i do Brasil will jointly serve as the Committee's managers.
Support
Since its creation, the Committee has enjoyed the support of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation – FES ( www.fes.org.br)
