Comparative Human Rights Diplomacy / Progress in Mathematics (PDF)

"It is a special value of his work that it also pays special attention to the relevant historical, religious, cultural, and political backgrounds which shaped the human rights diplomacy of the given regions. His more than two decades of multilateral human rights diplomacy experience is well seen in the precise analytical approach Ambassador Lakatos follows during the entire book, providing insights for those who are interested in the "secrets" of multilateral diplomacy."

-Gianni Buquicchio, President of the Venice Commission

"Lakatos demonstrates that government claims of "cultural particularities" and "traditional values" in reality most often seek to mask the suppression of rights at home. Ruling elites who abuse rights to maintain their grip on power fear a strong international system which could endanger their position. Lakatos concludes optimistically that the slow but inexorable democratization process worldwide will lead to more states which respect rights at the national level who will in turn strengthen the global enforcement system."

-Reed Brody, Human Rights Lawyer

"This work by Dr Lakatos is an important contribution to the work of diplomatic practitioners, academics, and other policymakers, and invaluable to those keen to get a perspective of how countries behave within the realm of international relations, in balancing the need to address genuine human rights concerns from a global perspective, while at the same time allowing time and space domestically to nurture the presented values."

-Javed Faizal, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Maldives

This book provides a comprehensive picture of the human rights diplomacy of the sub-Saharan African states, Asian states, Muslim states, the European Union, and the Latin American and Caribbean states. The book is based on the assumption that the religious and cultural norms ofall important civilizations/cultures/religions can be reconciled, within certain limits, with the international human rights standards. The book explodes the myth that the UN Human Rights Council has become a platform for a "clash of civilizations".

Dr. István Lakatos is a carrier diplomat since 1993, a former human rights ambassador. He holds an LLM and a PhD in law and an MA in IR. He served in Geneva at the Hungarian UN Mission and at the Council of Europe Mission to the UN. Presently, he is a Senior Adviser to the Ministry of Justice, Human and Minority Rights of Montenegro.