Freedom House: Best and Worst Human Rights Developments of 2011

Mary McGuire and Sarah Trister of Freedom House released a feature entitled “The Best and Worst Human Rights Developments of 2011″ to commemorate International Human Rights Day. They suggest that “2011 will be remembered as one [year] of immense political and social change around the world, particularly in the Middle East.” Among the “best” developments, the authors include “historic elections in the Arab world … [that] offer the promise of further democratic progress in a region that has long languished under uncompromising autocratic regimes.” Additionally, they cite international cooperation in Libya as a positive development, suggesting that “the power to decide [Libya's future] is in the hands of the Libyan people” thanks to international efforts. McGuire and Trister also mentioned Arab League action against Syria, and they contend that the organization’s effort “bodes well for human rights and democracy across the region.“

Among the negative human rights developments, “the international community’s abandonment of Bahrain” is mentioned. The authors say, “Despite the concerted international action to protect peaceful protesters in other parts of the Arab world, there have been no UN resolutions or sanctions on Bahrain.” Finally, the massacre of Coptic Christians in Egypt is included on the list, which “highlighted the flawed institutions Mubarak left behind, and raised fears that ethnic differences could be exploited to derail democratic progress in Egypt and elsewhere.”