William Hague speech at FCO on human rights

William Hague speech at FCO on human rights; William Hague continued SOT Finally in terms of the improvement of our reporting, this Command Paper is more extensive than previous reports – covering 26 countries, more than ever before, as well as new ground such as the interplay between trade and human rights. It is intended not only to shine a light on human rights violations but to inform our work and shape our future policy. This is particular relevant in the Middle East and North Africa today. We believe that human rights are universal and apply to all people, of every religion, ethnicity or culture, in all places and at all times. We do not accept the argument that democracy is not right for all peoples, even though there is more than one model of democracy. The yearning for freedom and for a life free from oppression has the power to move millions to fight back for themselves and for future generations, and is one that we will always support. The torrent of change, hope and optimism flooding large parts of the Middle East today puts paid once and for all to the myth that the Arab world is the one region immune from these aspirations. Their voices must be heard. Our message to all governments of the region is that without change, legitimate grievances and demands for human rights and political freedom will not go away. If change can be achieved peacefully in the Middle East it will be the biggest advance of democratic freedoms since the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe. If it cannot, we are likely to see turmoil and unrest which sets back the cause of democracy and human rights. That is why our response to these events must be bold, ambitious and historic, in its nature and scale. For our part, we will offer assistance to those countries striving to reform, as we have done so already with Tunisia and with Egypt, and we will continue to urge the European Union to use the resources at its disposal to act as a magnet for positive chang...