Briefing note, 16 June 1998

Geneva, 16 June 1998


John Mills, the media officer for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said Mrs. Mary Robinson was in Rome yesterday and had spoken the need for an International Criminal Court. Journalists might have seen the High Commissioner's op ed article in the International Herald Tribune yesterday on the same subject.

This morning, the High Commissioner was pleased to hear of the release of political prisoners in Nigeria, including the former head of state Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo. She hoped that the new Government in Nigeria would soon see its way clear to release Mr. MASHOOD ABIOLA. Mr. Mills said he had not been able to contact the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Nigeria, Mr. SOLI SORABJI, but in the last few weeks, the Special Rapporteur had been renewing his efforts to be invited to visit Nigeria. The previous Government had not responded to his requests for an invitation.

Asked if the High Commissioner had concerns about how the media reported human rights issues, Mr. Mills said there were not concerns as such however Mrs. Robinson had mentioned the media when she briefed permanent missions last week, talking about the various partners the Office wanted to have. She recognized that the media, because of its independence which she treasured and valued, might not want to see itself as a partner in the work of the Office on human rights. Mr. Mills said he believed that the press had a role to play and, generally speaking, the Office believed the media was supportive of the United Nations various efforts in promoting the full range of human rights. He said he had not heard the High Commissioner speak about any concerns of the type indicated by the correspondent. Mrs Robinson had in recent weeks spoken at CNN in Atlanta to correspondents of CNN World Report and in Moscow at the International Press Institute=s annual gathering.

The correspondent said Mrs. Robinson apparently spoke of the media having its own agenda and asked what that meant. Mr. Mills said he had heard the High Commissioner say the media had an independent agenda to report as it saw fit but that these comments had, in his view, not been even vaguely critical. It was simply recognizing that the media had its own drummer and marched to its own tune. There was no attempt by the Office to seek a close partnership or inter-relationship with the media as with other actors because that would be inappropriate.

The correspondent said it was odd that Mrs. Robinson was going to diplomats, who represented Governments who were by definition responsible for human rights violations, to complain about the media when many colleagues were risking their lives in the field to expose human rights violations that these people might be responsible for. Mr. Mills said if the High Commissioner was doing so, he would indeed think it was odd. However, she was not "going to" diplomats at all. She was simply, as part of a general discussion about partnerships the Office was seeking to establish, making a reference to the media as a "quasi partner" which was supportive of the efforts of the Office but for reasons of protecting and treasuring its own independence, would not want to be seen as a partner. The Office should not seek to see the media as a full partner. Mr Mills drew an analogy with some states which were close to the NATO alliance but without being full members. He said there was no suggestion of a concern or a complaint at all. He added that the High Commissioner and many in the Office would see some journalists in a number of countries as human rights defenders and deserving of the protection of the recently-adopted declaration.

The Director of the UN Information Service, Ms. Gastaut, reminded the correspondent that Mrs. Robinson took the floor at the invitation of the Department of Public Information at the United Nations on World Press Freedom Day on 4 May and spoke very forcefully in favour of freedom of the press.

Asked if he could confirm an upcoming meeting between Mrs. Robinson and the Ambassador of Mexico, Mr. Mills said he knew the Mexican Ambassador had wanted to speak to the High Commissioner following her statement on Chiapas last Friday. He would check to see whether an appointment had been confirmed.

A correspondent asked if it was true that Mrs. Robinson at the meeting with the ambassadors had advised them to talk less to the media. Mr. Mills said that was not the case.