The question is whether India will uphold its values as a constitutional democracy and take the lead in pressing for critically needed reforms during its one-year chair of the counterterrorism committee, or if it will see its position as an opportunity to press for more draconian international measures.

Thailand should immediately allow the United Nations refugee agency unhindered access to 211 detained ethnic Rohingya asylum seekers to determine whether they qualify for refugee status.

Too many governments are accepting the rationalizations and subterfuges of repressive governments, replacing pressure to respect human rights with softer approaches such as private “dialogue” and “cooperation,” Human Rights Watch said today in releasing its World Report 2011. Instead of standing up firmly against abusive leaders, many governments, including the European Union, adopt policies that do not generate pressure for change.

The events that engulfed El-Ayoun, the capital of Western Sahara, on November 8 should convince French diplomats to change course on a little known issue, but one which embarrasses even the most seasoned of its diplomats. For several years behind the closed doors of the UN Security Council, France has used its veto power to keep the UN away from issues related to human rights in the territory annexed by its Moroccan ally in 1975.

The UN Security Council’s decision on December 16, 2010, to shame publicly the armed groups that target women for sexual abuse is a tremendous step toward ending this horrendous practice.

Members of the United Nations Security Council should use the International Criminal Court prosecutor’s briefing on his Darfur investigation on December 9, 2010, to send a strong message to Sudan to cooperate with the court.

An Israeli military court’s sentence on November 21, 2010, for two soldiers found guilty of using a Palestinian boy as a “human shield” during the 2008-09 offensive in Gaza appears inadequate considering the gravity of the offense, Human Rights Watch said today.

The United States should take concrete steps to address serious failings in its human rights record. Many of the issues were raised by UN member countries on November 5, 2010, during the United States’ first review of its human rights conditions and policies before the Human Rights Council in Geneva.