Amnesty targets companies

Candles representing individuals helped by Amnesty

Amnesty International has called on multinational companies and global institutions to use their influence to uphold human rights.

Amnesty says governments must still be held accountable

The human rights group said globalisation had brought economic prosperity and the internet to some, but had left too many others mired in debt, poverty and oppression.

It added that governments could not use globalisation to avoid their own central role.

In its 2001 report, Amnesty says that in most countries surveyed there were credible allegations of torture or ill-treatment during 2000.

Amnesty Secretary General Pierre Sane examined the past and charted the future of the organisation.

Forty-year campaign

"The human rights movement has grown in strength and numbers, and consciousness of human rights is undoubtedly greater than ever," he said.

Activists marched on Monday with giant candles bearing prisoners' names

"Yet repression, poverty and war devastate the lives of much of humanity," he added.

Last year, Amnesty lobbied the diamond industry to stop diamonds from rebel areas of Sierra Leone reaching the market.

It has also called on oil companies active in Sudan to raise the human rights issue with the Sudanese authorities.

Amnesty is promoting a set of principles for companies to help protect human rights.

Thousands of cases

Amnesty was formed in 1961 after a British lawyer set up a campaign to help prisoners of conscience after two Portuguese students were jailed for toasting freedom.

Forty years later, Amnesty International has intervened in the cases of more than 45,000 individuals, campaigning for an end to their torture, imprisonment or death sentence.

In recognition of its work, Amnesty was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977.

Supporters

Human rights abuses in 2000

1,457 prisoners were executed in 28 countries

3,058 people were sentenced to death in 65 countries

Extrajudicial executions were carried out in 61 countries

Prisoners of conscience were held in 63 countries

People were detained without trial in 72 countries

People were reportedly tortured in 125 countries

About one million people now subscribe to Amnesty International, offering their time to take part in the various campaigns' key tactic - letter writing.

Letters written by supporters are sent to lobby governments and authorities on behalf of individuals or groups of individuals to get them out of jail or prevent them being tortured.

As well as individual successes, Amnesty International's work has also influenced international events.

These included the arrest and trial of Chilean General Augusto Pinochet, the arrest of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, and the creation of a United Nations Convention against Torture.