Annotation:
Released on December 9, 1999, this 517 page report surveys the development of human rights law across the globe. The report notes that sovereignty claims loomed less large in government bids to reject international analysis and scrutiny of human rights violations committed in areas of within their jurisdiction or control. "Sovereign governments retain primary responsibility for preserving order, establishing the rule of law, and protecting human rights. This duty is important not only in its own right but also to prevent less severe human rights violations from erupting into atrocities-the least costly and most humane strategy. If governments fall short of these responsibilities, the human rights movement can resort to its usual techniques: exposure, denunciation, ostracism, and calls for sanctions. Yet, the past year suggests that, in the most extreme cases, new tools might be available as well. This introduction to Human Rights Watch's tenth World Report discusses these substantial changes in the global system for the defense of human right- both the promise they hold and the risks they carry." The report has a section that focuses on the rights of women across the globe.