Quakers join call for “full-throated defence” of UK human rights protections
Almost 300 organisations, including Quakers in Britain, have issued an urgent plea to politicians and the UK government to stop scapegoating the UK's human rights framework.
On the 75th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) the joint declaration, coordinated by human rights group Liberty, warns against the politicisation of human rights in the UK.
The ECHR and Human Rights Act (HRA) are increasingly coming under fire from some leading politicians and media organisations, the statement says.
[QUOTE-START]
Stop using our human rights as a scapegoat
- joint statement
[QUOTE-END]
“This has often been based on myths, over-simplifications, inaccuracies, and scaremongering, particularly around migration," it continues.
“Leaving the ECHR would not solve policy problems like the backlog of asylum cases, or people risking their lives through Channel crossings.
“But [it] would bring about years of legal uncertainty, undermine our international position, and cause harm to the rights of both migrants in the UK and our wider communities."
The ECHR, opened for signature on 4 November 1950 in the aftermath of the Second World War, set out common standards to protect individuals from state abuses.
It has since been signed by all 46 member states of the Council of Europe.
The UK played a central role in drafting the convention, which has influenced the abolition of the death penalty across Europe and contributed to cooperation on crime and human trafficking.
The statement highlights the convention's role in underpinning the Good Friday Agreement, which helped bring peace to Northern Ireland.
Signatories say the UK's human rights framework has improved the lives of “ordinary people up and down the country."
These include victims of sexual violence, LGBTQ+ service personnel, and families affected by scandals such as Hillsborough and Windrush.
The statement urges politicians to “stop using our human rights as a scapegoat" and calls on the government to make the positive case for the ECHR and the HRA.
Paul Parker, recording clerk for Quakers in Britain said: “Our faith leads us to uphold the inherent worth of every person. Protecting human rights is a vital part of that commitment."