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The human-rights situation in Benin is considered to be generally above average for sub-Saharan Africa. A 2012 U.S. report commended Benin “for continuing the transition to democracy” and applauded “the legislative work of recent years to pass and enforce laws regarding domestic violence against women, official corruption, torture, and other crimes,” as well as “the establishment of human rights institutions including the human rights Ombudsman and the National Council for the Promotion of Gender Equity and Equality.” The report expressed continued concern, however, “about continuing reports of high levels of violence and abuse by security services, including the police, as well as harsh prison conditions and long pre-trial detention periods,” as well as “by reports of serious restrictions on the right to strike in the public sector and authorities’ frequent anti-union statements, fueling social tensions and protest actions.” In addition, the report noted “the government’s slow progress in addressing the worst forms of child labor.”〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.humanrights.gov/2012/10/25/upr-14th-session-intervention-for-benin/ )〕 ==Historical background== Benin was formerly a French colony known as Dahomey, which won its independence in 1960. From 1972 to 1990 it was a Marxist–Leninist state that was ruled by dictator Mathieu Kérékou, who took power in a coup. Under Kérékou, the country had no freedom of speech or of the press and a very poor human-rights record. It changed its name to the People's Republic of Benin in 1975. In 1990 the word “People's” was removed from the country's official name,〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/africa/benin.htm )〕 and in December 1991 a new constitution was ratified with the goal of establishing a nation in which “the rule of law, fundamental rights, public liberties, human dignity and justice are guaranteed, protected and promoted as the prerequisite for the harmonious development of each Benin citizen.”〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/country,,OMCT,,BEN,,46c190c80,0.html )〕 Under the new constitution, democracy was restored in Benin in 1991. In the elections held that year, Kérékou lost to Nicéphore Soglo and accepted the results of the vote. He was returned to power in the 1996 elections and re-elected in 2001; the 2006 elections, in which Kérékou did not run, was considered free and fair.〔 Increasingly since 1991, Benin has been generally regarded as having considerably higher human-rights standards than most other African countries. It has been written that Benin “appears to be one of the leading democracies in Africa,” but that the many human rights NGOs in the country, which date back to the transitional period, “do not network among themselves,” so that “it is normal for organizations working in the same area to not know each other,” resulting in a “duplication of efforts.”〔 At the 47th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in 2010, the Attorney General of Benin, Victor Topanou declared that “today there is evident political will to ensure the success of the culture of human rights,” citing recent efforts to alleviate poverty through micro-credit policies, to improve access to justice by constructing of new law courts and prisons, and to increase food rations and health care in prisons.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.achpr.org/sessions/47th/speeches/victor-topanou/ )〕 Benin is a signatory of the following international agreements: African (Banjul) Charter on Human and People's Rights; Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhumane, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women; Convention on the Rights of the Child; International Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination; International Covenant Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.policyproject.com/matrix/matrix2.cfm?country=Benin )〕 The following is a chart of Benin's ratings since 1972 in the Freedom in the World reports, published annually by Freedom House. A rating of 1 is "free"; 7, "not free." 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Human rights in Benin」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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