Editor 's Note : Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter is founder of The Carter Center , a not-for-profit organization that seeks to `` prevent and resolve conflicts , enhance freedom and democracy , and improve health . '' Read more on human rights defenders : http : //www.cartercenter.org/homepage.html . Jimmy Carter says closing Guantanamo Bay and ending torture would send a strong message . ATLANTA , Georgia ( CNN ) -- It has been heartening to witness the outpouring of worldwide enthusiasm over the election of Barack Obama as the next president of the United States , a transformational moment for our country . Our incoming president has huge challenges ahead of him , and he will undoubtedly reach out to other world leaders to help address the most difficult problems . A high priority will be the restoration of human rights , which have been badly eroded in recent years . President-elect Obama has reiterated his decision to close Guantánamo Bay detention center and end U.S.-sponsored torture . Also under discussion is the establishment by the U.S. government of an independent commission to examine the actions that led to these shameful policies and practices . Together , these steps would signal a renewed commitment to the cause of universal human rights long championed by the United States . As this year marks the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights , the reassertion of these fundamental rights is necessary . While the U.S. government has much work to do in this regard , there will have to be a concerted international effort to achieve meaningful protection of human rights , even as the issue of security continues to demand our attention . The American people and our courts have rejected the proposition that some people 's rights can be suspended arbitrarily ; to do so violates the very core of our democracy . Hopefully , those working to establish democratic practices and institutions worldwide will seize upon this development and convince their own fellow citizens that democracy and human rights are worth the struggle . The international community , including a newly energized United States , should move swiftly and decisively to support the local heroes who risk much to advance this cause . Human rights defenders from throughout the world are participating in our annual conference at The Carter Center this week to share the challenges they face , and to decide how the international community can best support their efforts . For years , these activists have told us that when the United States engaged in torture and indefinite detention , their decades of struggle for rights began to erode . Dictators who had felt pressure from the United States to improve rights were suddenly off the hook . With new leadership in Washington , a clear and principled message on the centrality of human rights can help set a new tone . Too often , the international community has failed to respond to emerging crises , partly because voices of the oppressed are missing in policy discussions . Had the international community heeded the warning of human rights defenders in the former Yugoslavia , Rwanda , Darfur , and the Democratic Republic of Congo , more robust and coordinated diplomacy and even limited intervention may have averted these crises . Catastrophic conditions exist in Congo , Zimbabwe , Sudan , Myanmar , Afghanistan and elsewhere and will require unprecedented cooperation to resolve . It is time to embrace the idea that when human beings are systematically abused , international peace and security are inherently threatened . In such situations , the global community should spare no effort to help societies in distress . Crises like these can be assuaged before they escalate if there is determined global leadership and cooperation . Human rights defenders are on the frontlines of this battle , and we must protect them when they face danger because of their work . We must do a better job of listening to their diagnoses of issues and be receptive to their proposed solutions . And we must strengthen their voices and help to protect them in a collective , undeniable commitment to create the world of peace and freedom that many of us enjoy and we all desire . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jimmy Carter .
Jimmy Carter : It 's heartening to see world reaction over Obama 's election . New president has promised to close Guantánamo and end torture , he says . Carter : These actions would signal renewed U.S. support for human rights . He says U.S. is vital in sending messages to dictators about human rights .