"Given the United Nations' recent observations of human rights violations in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, we are pleased that the Obama administration has chosen New Orleans as the first stop in its multi-city human rights consultation," said Nathalie Walker, co-director and attorney at Advocates for Environmental Human Rights, which is a co-coordinator of the Gulf States Human Rights Working Group.  "We are encouraging people throughout the Gulf region to participate in the New Orleans session," she said.

As co-sponsors of this historic convening, the Gulf States Human Rights Working Group, the Equity and Inclusion Campaign, the Greater New Orleans Organizers' Roundtable, and the U.S. Human Rights Network's UPR Project have worked with the Obama administration to plan the consultation and conducted outreach to Gulf Region communities.

"The UPR process offers an important opportunity to address how the United States is meeting its human rights obligations under the U.N. Charter and the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, to pressure the government to live up to its obligations, and to provide concrete and constructive recommendations about steps the U.S. can take to ensure the protection and promotion of rights and dignity for all," says Kali Akuno, Director of Education, Training, & Field Operations, U.S. Human Rights Network's UPR Project.

"Like any other member state in the United Nations, the United States must be committed to full transparency; the UPR process provides the space for civil society to formally engage with the government around human rights challenges," said Adren Wilson, National Director of the Equity and Inclusion Campaign. "We welcome the Obama administration to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast with a spirit of cooperation, transparency and accountability," he said.

About 200 people attended last week's New Orleans consultation, which focused on the fulfillment of human rights protections that address racial discrimination; criminal justice; economic justice and equity, including housing rights and forced evictions; health and healthcare; and environmental justice and sustainability.

Monique Harden, co-director and attorney for Advocates for Environmental Human Rights, told The Louisiana Weekly that while last week's gathering was a positive and encouraging first step in addressing human rights abuses along the Gulf Coast, it remains to be seen how the Obama administration will respond to evidence that human rights abuses are widespread along the Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

"While this was a positive step in the right direction, it's important to remember that this is just one step in the process," she told The Louisiana Weekly.

Harden said that her organization and the others involved in Wednesday's consultation at Xavier University are seeking the ensure that residents along the Gulf Coast enjoy the same human rights protections that the United Nations works to extend to people in countries across the globe.

She pointed out that two previous United Nations reports concluded that human rights abuses related to housing, racial discrimination, class discrimination, criminal justice and a host of other issues were taking place in the Gulf Coast region but thus far the federal government has not moved to remedy the problem.

Harden said that those who were unable to voice their concerns and grievances at last week's human rights consultation should contact Advocates for Environment Human Rights by calling (504) 799-3060 or visiting the organization's website at www.ehum­anrights.org.

This article was originally published in the February 1, 2010 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper