Nigeria: Amnesty International welcomes Commonwealth Commitment to Human Rights

The Aso Rock Declaration adopted by the heads of government urges the Commonwealth Ministers and the Secretary-General to work on implementation and requested a progress report to the next CHOGM in Malta in 2005.

'These commitments must now be turned into an Action Plan for specific Commonwealth cooperation between governments, business and civil society,' said delegation head Ced Simpson, Amnesty International New Zealand Director.

'Such an Action Plan should take account of specific recommendations made by civil society organisations at the Commonwealth Peoples Forum which preceded the CHOGM,' Mr Simpson said, 'including the call for all governments to ratify and implement international human rights treaties.'