Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter says U.S. President-elect Barack Obama will restore human rights as a central pillar of the country's policies.

Issuing a statement to CNN Tuesday during the annual human rights conference at the Carter Center in Atlanta, the former president praised Obama for pledging to close the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, prison camp and end the torture of terrorism suspects there, saying it would show the world the United States has renewed its commitment to human rights.

"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," Carter said. "Together, these steps would signal a renewed commitment to the cause of universal human rights long championed by the United States."

Carter said the Bush administration's policies of indefinite detention of "illegal combatants" at Guantanamo let dictators who had felt pressure from the United States to improve rights "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," CNN reported.