Features
Promoting Universal Declaration of Human Responsibilities
By Dr Laksiri Fernando
The purpose of this article is limited to discussing the ‘Universal Declaration of Human Responsibilities’ (a second UDHR) proposed by the InterAction Council (IAC) in 1997. The intention of the IAC was to bring to the attention of the UN and the international community the importance of promoting universal human responsibilities, along with universal human rights.
There was no intention at all to reject, undermine, or counter what the UN or the international community endorsed and promotes as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). While proposing this new Declaration as a ‘common standard for all peoples and nations’ on universal human responsibilities, it further said,
“We, the peoples of the world thus renew and reinforce commitments already proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: namely, the full acceptance of the dignity of all people; their inalienable freedom and equality, and their solidarity with one another.”
Who proposed it?
Helmut Schmidt, former Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, was the Chair of the IAC at that time. The other members included Malcolm Fraser, former Prime Minister of Australia; Jimmy Carter, former President of the United States; Mikhail Gorbachev, former Chairman of the Supreme Soviet and former President of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; Kenneth Kaunda, former President of Zambia; Lee Kuan Yew, former Prime Minister of Singapore; Shimon Peres, former Prime Minister of Israel; Pierre Elliott Trudeau, former Prime Minister of Canada; Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, former President of France; and Lord Callaghan of Cardiff, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. These were the most prominent leaders in the 26-member Council.
The others in the Council included 16 former Presidents or Prime Ministers of countries like the Netherlands, Thailand, Costa Rica, Mexico, Switzerland, Spain, Lebanon, Colombia, Portugal, Brazil, Republic of Korea, Finland, Sweden, Cyprus and Austria.
There were other 27 distinguished supporters. Some of them were former Ministers in different countries or prominent heads of different international organisations. Among them were Henry Kissinger, former U.S. Secretary of State; Robert McNamara, former President, World Bank; and Richard von Weizacker, former President of the Federal Republic of Germany. Being the Director-General of UNESCO, Federico Mayor also gave his support, and Ali Alatas, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, also joined in to support the Declaration.
There were three academic advisors to the project and drafting of the Declaration: Hans Kueng from the Tubingen University; Thomas Axworthy from the CRB Foundation; and Kim, Kyong-dong from the Seoul National University.
In the process of formulation of the declaration there were consultative meetings in Vienna, Austria (March 1996 and April 1997) and in the Netherlands (June 1997). Among those who were invited included prominent academics, religious organisations or leaders, and civil society organisations. Among those organisations were the World Council of Churches, the Stanford Humanities Centre, the World Conference on Religion & Peace, the Asahi Shimbun Institute of Sino-Christian Studies, European Academy of Sciences, and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
One may argue or observe that prominent international human rights organisations, or NGOs, were absent in the process. That is in fact true. They were apparently invited but did not participated. From Sri Lanka, the Sarvodaya Movement was invited, and A. T. Ariyaratne participated.
The Rationale
In promoting the UDHR2, the Council stated “Globalisation of the world economy is matched by global problems, and global problems demand global solutions on the basis of ideas, values and norms respected by all cultures and societies.” The proposition ‘all cultures and societies’ should be underlined in this statement.
The Introductory Comment stated giving a proper rationale for the second UDHR: “Recognition of the equal and inalienable rights of all the people requires a foundation of freedom, justice and peace – but this also demands that rights and responsibilities be given equal importance to establish an ethical base so that all men and women can live peacefully together and fulfil their potential.”
The Declaration also had a prophecy about the environmental catastrophes which have become extremely valid today. It said “If one person or government seeks to maximise freedom but does it at the expense of others, a larger number of people will suffer. If human beings maximise their freedom by plundering the natural resources of the earth, then future generations will suffer.”
The five-paragraphed Preamble also gives a succinct rationale to the Declaration. To summarise, (1) inherent human dignity and inalienable rights implies obligations or responsibilities, (2) the exclusive insistence on rights can result in conflict, division, and endless dispute, (3) global problems demand global solutions, (4) yet, global solutions cannot be achieved by laws, prescriptions, and conventions alone, (5) human aspirations for progress and improvement can only be realised by agreed values and standards applying to all people and institutions at all times.
Main Principles
The Declaration, consisting of 19 simply articulated articles, would be easy to translate into any languages and it is already available in 41 languages. It would be good to see the Declaration in Tamil and Sinhalese. A summary of articles might be as follows:
Article 1
says, every person, regardless any distinction, has a responsibility to treat all people in humane way.
Article 2
says, no person should lend support to any form of inhuman behaviour.
Article 3
goes beyond referring to ordinary persons. It says, no state, no army or police stands above good and evil. All of them are subject to ethical standards. The task is to promote good and avoid evil in all things.
Article 4
articulates the Golden Rule common to all religions: “What you do not wish to be done to yourself, do not do to others.” Therefore, “All people, endowed with reason and conscience, must accept a responsibility to each and all, to families and communities, to races, nations, and religions in a spirit of solidarity.”
Article 5
while retaining the right of justified self-defence, declares ‘no one has the right to injure, to torture or to kill another human person.’ The responsibility to respect life is the cornerstone.
Article 6
declares the ‘disputes between states, groups or individuals should be resolved without violence. The Declaration is about non-violence which is not articulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948). Genocide and terrorism are prohibited for both governments and non-government organisations.
In Article 7,
animal rights and environmental protection are articulated as human responsibilities. It says, “All people have responsibility to protect the air, water and soil of the earth for the sake of present inhabitants and future generations.”
The needs of human cooperation in terms of justice and solidarity are articulated in Articles from 8 to 11. The responsibility to behave with integrity, honesty and fairness are the cornerstones. Ordinary people also have a responsibility to make serious efforts to overcome poverty, malnutrition, ignorance and inequality. All people have a responsibility to develop their talents through diligent endeavour. They should have equal access to education and to meaningful work. ‘Everyone should lend support to the needy, the disadvantaged, the disabled and to the victims of discrimination.’ This is about social work.
Quoting of Article 11 in full might be appropriate. “All property and wealth must be used responsibly in accordance with justice and for the advancement of the human race. Economic and political power must not be handled as an instrument of domination, but in the service of economic justice and of the social order.”
Truthfulness and Tolerance
Articles from 12 to 15 are categorised under ‘Truthfulness and Tolerance.’ A major purpose of the Declaration has been to bring moral and ethical foundation for the present society which has become distorted through material, selfish and immoral pursuits.
‘Every person has a responsibility to speak and act truthfully.’
‘No one, however high or mighty, should speak lies.’
“No politicians, public servants, business leaders, scientists, or other professionals are exempt from general ethical standards.”
“Freedom of the media…must be used with responsibility and discretion.”
“The representatives of religions have a special responsibility to avoid expressions of prejudice and acts of discrimination toward those of different beliefs.”
Mutual Respect and Partnership
There are three articles on the subject of mutual respect and partnership. “All men and all women have a responsibility to show respect to one another and understanding in their partnership.” Sexual exploitation is taboo. ‘Rather, sexual partnership should accept the responsibility of caring for each other’s well-being.’
‘In all cultural and religious varieties, marriage requires love, loyalty and forgiveness and should aim at guaranteeing security and mutual support.’
‘Sensible family planning is the responsibility of every couple. The relationship between parents and children should reflect mutual love, respect, appreciation and concern. No parents or other adults should exploit, abuse or maltreat children.’
There is also a summing up and a sort of conclusion in the Declaration. “Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any state, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the responsibilities, rights and freedom set forth in this Declaration and in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948.”
Proposals
In conclusion of this article, my proposals are as follows.
1. The UN and Human Rights Council should take immediate measures to rediscuss the InterAction Council proposed ‘A Universal Declaration of Human Responsibilities’ and other similar declarations under the present circumstances of the Covid pandemic, environmental disasters and global warming and should take clear decisions to promote human duties and responsibilities along with human rights.
2. The InterAction Council, as the pioneer organisation of this effort, should again take measures to promote the UDHR2 worldwide and communicate with the UN, Human Rights Council, all governments, religious organisations and human rights organisations.
3. It is appealed to all international human rights organisations and Western governments to reconsider their rigid and partial views on human rights and open discussions to iron out any discrepancies between human rights and human responsibilities.
4. It is also appealed to national and international organisations and the media, who believe in ‘human responsibilities along with human rights,’ to take measures to promote the UDHR2 among their constituencies, audiences and countries through education and information campaigns.
5. The UDHR2 is already available in 40 languages, in addition to English. Translating the document into other languages including Tamil and Sinhala is a necessity. More important might be the wide circulation of the document.
6. In human rights and civic education in schools, both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and the Universal Declaration of Human Responsibilities (1997) should take priority. Education might be the most reliable and effective method in promoting human rights and human responsibilities.
https://www.interactioncouncil.org/publications/universal-declaration-human-responsibilities
by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka
When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.
Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.
Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.
Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.
The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.
This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.
Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.
This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.
Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.
by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI
Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.
It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.
Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.
Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.
Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.
Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.
Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.
In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.
Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com
“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech
Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).
It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.
Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.
However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.
1. The revenue loss
During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.
The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”
I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.
As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!
Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”
If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.
Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.
Investment from Singapore
In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.
And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.
I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”
According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!
What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).
However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.
Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.
That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.
The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?
It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.
As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.
(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )
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