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	Building a world Madiba would be proud of by Kofi Annan The Elders   Jan. 2018   As we face unprecedented global challenges in 2018, Kofi Annan draws lessons from the life of Nelson Mandela, specifically the need for leaders to respect international law, human rights and act with compassion and empathy.   We live in troubled and turbulent times. The last twelve months have seen a series of shocks to the multilateral system that has underpinned geopolitical stability since the end of the Second World War, and the year ahead is likely to bring more disruption and uncertainty.   The nuclear tensions on the Korean Peninsula remain among the most acute and urgent threats to global peace. They can only be resolved in 2018 if leaders in Washington and Pyongyang address the issues in a calm, sober and respectful way, with the support of the United Nations.   A similar approach, which respects multilateral processes, international law and human rights, will be needed to defuse dangerous tensions in Israel and Palestine. As ever, it is ordinary people who suffer when leaders make rash decisions and deploy inflammatory rhetoric for political goals.   As we contemplate the future, it is also important to study the past for valuable lessons and perspectives.   In 1918, one hundred years ago, the First World War was entering its final year, whilst independence movements were stirring in African and Asian countries still ruled and repressed by Western colonial powers.   Resolving violent conflicts, respecting the rights of self-determination for oppressed peoples and protecting universal freedoms are just as important now as then. And there is a thread that ties these values to both points in time: the life of Nelson Mandela.   2018 marks the centenary of his birth, and affords us a chance to reflect on his legacy. Throughout the long years of Mandela's struggle against apartheid, he never abandoned hope and nor did he ever concede his principles or compromise on his commitments.   When Madiba founded The Elders in 2007, he gave us a specific mandate: to support courage where there is fear, foster agreement where there is conflict, and inspire hope where there is despair.   Fear, conflict and despair are all too abundant in today's world. From Syria to South Sudan, Yemen to Myanmar, states and regions are wracked by vicious, pitiless conflicts.   Terrorism spreads a bloody stain across the globe, from the streets of London to the sands of the Sinai, slaying innocents in an obscene offence against our civilised human values.   How we respond to these atrocities is a test of these values. Whatever the outrage, there can be no excuse for torture, extra-judicial killings, collective punishment of whole communities or a clampdown on freedom of speech or human rights.   When Nelson Mandela left prison in 1990 after 27 years of incarceration, he knew that the only way to build a free and just society was to act with what he termed kindness and generous accommodation.   The Elders will shine a light on civil society activists fighting for peace, health, justice and equality, who in their own way inspire hope and continue Madiba's long walk to freedom.   In the year ahead, we must show the same courage as Nelson Mandela, to walk together with compassion and empathy, and help build a world of which he would be proud. Visit the related web page
	The inseparability of peace, security, development and human rights by United Nations Special Rapporteurs   On this day in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Its timing so close after the end of World War II was no coincidence. Rather, it reflected the conviction that human dignity is at the heart of our societies and that respect for human rights is essential to the prevention of conflict and the promotion of human development.   Sadly, the international community has often fallen short of its commitment to human rights. Several crises have shaken humanity in the last 70 years. Conflicts, poverty, corruption, inequality, violence, discrimination, exclusion and climate change continuously wreak havoc on individuals and societies throughout the world. Too often human rights are ignored when addressing these crises and solutions have rarely been sustainable or satisfactory for all concerned.   Too often, governments fail to address the underlying human rights grievances that cause war and impede sustainable development. Too often, governments respond to these crises by restricting fundamental freedoms and the space for civil society - measures that only compound the crisis.   At a time when the world faces old and new challenges with far-reaching consequences, when human rights and the foundations of the human rights protection system are under serious threats, we, the independent Special Rapporteurs and Working Groups that comprise the Special Procedures of the United Nations Human Rights Council take this occasion to emphasize the centrality of respect for social, economic, cultural, civil and political rights of individuals and all peoples in the pursuit of peace, security and sustainable development.   Our starting point is recognition of the three pillars upon which the United Nations is built: peace and security, development, and human rights. There is no hierarchy among them, but often, they have been put in competition. Some regimes have suggested that individual rights must take a back seat to security and development.   Others have argued that prioritising accountability and remedy for human rights violations can be an impediment to peace. Many states have chosen to pursue the false notion that in the fight against terrorism, we must sacrifice rights to achieve security.   For much of its history, the UN has focused its efforts in the realm of peace and security on keeping and enforcing peace in the world's hotspots. These efforts have met with varying degrees of success.   More recently, member States have recognized the wisdom of efforts to prevent conflict, rather than merely to end it; to build the conditions for peace and security, rather than merely to keep and enforce it; and to focus development on sustainability, rather than simply on growth. International financial institutions as well as businesses should also put human rights at the centre of their policies.   We welcome the UN's new and increased focus on conflict prevention and peacebuilding. Likewise, we welcome the focus on sustainability of development, rather than development, per se. We will remain vigilant about how this shift increases respect for human rights in the quest for peace, security and human development.   We salute the role that civil society actors can play in this context and call on all concerned, in particular the UN and States to preserve and enhance the space for engagement and cooperation with civil society actors.   The Universal Declaration of Human Rights began the modern era of international legal protections for the rights of individuals. Today, a growing web of international human rights treaties and mechanisms obligates States to respect, protect and fulfil human rights of all people, without discrimination.   We call upon the international community to continue its exploration of means and methods to prevent human rights violations that so often impede sustainable development and trigger conflict. Whether it is done through the efforts of the UN Secretariat, the Security Council or other mechanisms of the international community, Special Procedures mandate holders stand ready to make their contribution to help forge a common vision that human rights are the fertile ground on which fair, peaceful and democratic societies can be built.   * Special procedures is the general name of the independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms of the United Nations Human Rights Council that address either specific country situations or thematic human rights issues in all parts of the world. Currently, there are 44 thematic mandates and 12 mandates related to countries and territories, with 80 active mandate holders. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights provides these mechanisms with support for the fulfilment of their mandates.   http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/SP/Pages/News.aspx http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Pages/ListOfIssues.aspx Visit the related web page
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