Democracy News

Mark Palmer and Patrick Glen Argue for Dictatorships as a Violation of International Law
October 7, 2011
By: Mark Hsen | Printer Friendly

In a September 27 Washington Post opinion editorial titled, "An international plan to eradicate dictatorship," CCD Board Member Ambassador Mark Palmer and Patrick Glen argue for a new international convention that would criminalize dictatorships, making it clear that these structures of governance violate existing international law.
 
Current international law does not provide for a comprehensive or effective framework for addressing the abuses that dictators can and do commit.  As stated by Palmer and Glen, "'international law' is a patchwork of conventions that deal with issues raised by dictatorships in a piecemeal, ineffective fashion."  International conventions may identify or define basic human rights, but do not provide adequate mechanisms to address violations.  Due to this current structure, many political crimes may be committed before international institutions can become involved.

Palmer and Glen propose a new convention that would identify dictatorships as an international criminal act, shifting the focus from dictatorships as a subsidiary issue in the prosecution of other crimes.  They argue that this shift would allow the international community to better address oppression and the violation of human rights.  They also encourage adoption by domestic law to provide an additional forum to identify and prosecute violators. 

Palmer and Glen emphasize that this proposal is not "a dramatic or elitist Western intervention in the internal politics of foreign nations," but rather a vindication of basic human rights already guaranteed by prior international law.  Some argue that democracy and human rights are Western concepts without universal application, however this is not the case.  As the recent Arab Spring indicates, people throughout the world desire the same fundamental rights provided by democracy.  While the final form in which democracy manifests may vary by context, the underlying core belief in the protection of universal human rights is a concept that is shared by all people.  Ultimately, Palmer and Glen believe that eradicating dictatorship would be a necessary step in accomplishing that vision.

To read Palmer and Glen's full piece, please see:
Washington Post – An international plan to eradicate dictatorship