Human Rights and the Commander
Abstract
The Armed Forces must respect human rights, not only on legal and ethical grounds, but also for practical reasons. Consequently, U.S. Southern Command seeks to imbue an awareness of the paramount importance of respecting and protecting human rights among U.S. military units and service members deploying to Central and South America under its aegis. Those rights which every soldier, sailor, marine, and airman must respect are affirmed in common law, the declaration of the U.N. General Assembly of 1948, and the Charter of the Organization of American States. Indeed, the governments of all states in the Americas--north, central, and south--have proclaimed their support of the following principles: 1) Each individual has fundamental rights without distinction as to race, nationality, creed, or sex. 2) The state shall respect the rights of the individual and the principles of universal morality. 3) Social justice and social security are the bases for lasting peace. Indeed, there is general agreement that our peoples have fundamental rights--rights that do not accrue from political or other forms of power but that spring from the nature of man.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1995
- Accession Number
- ADA525626
Entities
People
- Barry R. Mccaffrey
Organizations
- National Defense University