HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ADDRESSES COMMITTEE ON ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

AFTERNOON

HR/CERD/99/49
12 August 1999




Announces South African Offer to Host 2001 World Conference against Racism;
Committee Takes Up Report of Uruguay


Bigotry, hatred and prejudice were the ugly symptoms of a sickness which continued to inflict humanity despite the great progress that had been achieved in the adoption of national legislation and international legal instruments to combat racial discrimination, High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson told the Committee on the Elimination on Racial Discrimination this afternoon.

Mrs. Robinson announced that the Government of South Africa had offered to host the upcoming World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance, provided sufficient assistance could be made available. She said the offer was an extremely positive development and that it would be highly symbolic if the World Conference were held in the country where the United Nations had played such a prominent role in dismantling apartheid.

Following her address, Mrs. Robinson exchanged views with Committee Experts on various issues pertaining to the work of the Committee. A number of Experts said worldwide publicity related to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination would help reduce intolerance and racism.

Also this afternoon, the Committee began consideration of a report of Uruguay on national efforts to implement the Convention.

A Government delegation headed by Miguel Angel Semino, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Uruguay to the United Nations Office at Geneva, was on hand to present the report and answer the questions of Committee Experts.

Deci Zou, the Committee Expert who served as country rapporteur for the report of Uruguay, said considerable progress had already been achieved by the country. Nevertheless, some people in Uruguay, in particular some Black people, still lived below the poverty line, she said.

The following Committee Experts also spoke over the course of the afternoon meeting: Mahmoud Aboul-Nasr, Ivan Garvalov, Regis de Gouttes, Rodiger Wolfum, Agha Shahi, Michael E. Sherifis, Eduardo Ferrero Costa, Gay McDougall and Carlos Lechuga Hevia.

In addition to Dr. Semino, the delegation of Uruguay included Carlos Perez del Castillo, Deputy Head of delegation; Daniel Sucazes, Deputy Director of the National Institute of Statistics; Carlos Sgarbi, Minister-Counsellor; Pamela Vivas, Counsellor; and Laura Dupuy, Second Secretary of the Permanent Mission of Uruguay to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

As one of 155 States parties to the Convention, Uruguay must submit periodic reports to the Committee on efforts to implement the treaty.

When the Committee reconvenes at 10 a.m. Friday, 13 August, it will continue its consideration of the report of Uruguay.

Statement by High Commissioner for Human Rights

MARY ROBINSON, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that bigotry, hatred and prejudice were the ugly symptoms of a sickness which continued to inflict humanity despite the great progress that had been achieved in the adoption of national legislation and international legal instruments to combat racial discrimination.

New and contemporary forms of racial discrimination had also developed and the world was now experiencing racial hatred and seeing doctrines of racial superiority spread over the Internet, Mrs. Robinson said. The world also was witnessing restrictive policies on migrant workers, refugees and displaced persons which often had a racial basis. Moreover, indigenous peoples and minorities continued to be frustrated in their efforts to achieve truly equal status, and lastly and perhaps most tragically, serious ethnic conflicts which had resulted in ethnic cleansing and genocide continued to occur, she said.

Turning to the upcoming World Conference against Racism and Racial Discrimination, Mrs. Robinson recalled that when the General Assembly decided to convene the Conference, by the year 2001, it said the Conference should review progress made in the fight against racism; should consider ways and means to better ensure the application of existing standards; should increase awareness of the scourge of racism; and should consider action-oriented national, regional and international measures to combat racism, among other things.

Mrs. Robinson said her Office stood ready to assist in facilitating the holding of regional preparatory meetings for the Conference. The Office also intended to promote a practical, action-oriented focus for preparations for the World Conference by organizing a series of international expert seminars as well as consultations at the regional level on what could be done to bring about universal ratification of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

If the World Conference was to make a difference, it should not only raise awareness about both old and new forms of racism, but should lead to tangible relief for those who suffered from racism and intolerance on a daily basis, Ms. Robinson said. Positive action at the local, national, regional and international levels focused on bringing relief to those who directly suffered from racial discrimination would be an essential ingredient for making the World Conference a success, she said.



Mrs. Robinson said she was pleased to inform the members of the Committee that the Government of South Africa had offered to host the World Conference, provided sufficient assistance could be made available. She regarded that as not only an extremely positive development, but also as a highly symbolic one: that the World Conference -- in all probability -- would be held in a country where the United Nations had played such a prominent role in dismantling apartheid. The offer of the Government of South Africa would no doubt help make the World Conference against Racism and Racial Discrimination a very special event indeed, she said.

Report of Uruguay

The fifteenth periodic report of Uruguay (document CERD/C/338/Add.7) notes that the protection of human rights in Uruguay enjoys constitutional status. The Constitution provides that treaties subscribed to by the State through the Government must be submitted to Parliament for approval. Treaties concerning human rights hold higher rank than ordinary laws. International provisions duly ratified by the legislature and promulgated by the executive can be invoked by all interested parties in the judicial and administrative spheres.

The report enumerates administrative and legislative measures taken by the Government to comply with the terms of the Convention. With regard to education, the report says there are no problems with realization of the right to education in the country. However, a much higher percentage of Black persons than members of the population as a whole had declared that they had only completed the lower levels of education. The majority of black pupils only finish primary school, and of those who go on to secondary school, a substantial proportion pursue technical studies. In addition, they spend fewer years studying on average, says the report.

Introduction of Report

MIGUEL ANGEL SEMINO, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Uruguay to the United Nations Office at Geneva, stressed that his country believed that it was not humane to divide people according to their colour or on ethnic grounds.

However, the report had presented statistics which reflected the demographic composition of the population which included Whites, Blacks, Asian and indigenous groups, among others. Uruguay’s culture reflected its mixture of different peoples who had come to the country over many years, Mr. Semino said.

Uruguay was built on a sense of equality with no barriers separating the social components of the country, Mr. Semino said. Blacks and persons of mixed heritage, for example, enjoyed the same rights as their White compatriots. In addition, the concept of minorities was not easy to define in the Uruguayan context. Different migrant groups --from Switzerland, Italy, Spain and other European countries -- were part of the population without distinctions.

Mr. Semino said differences in the situations of Blacks and Whites in Uruguay were economic in nature and not the result of a discriminatory policy of the Government.

Discussion

DECI ZOU, the Committee Expert who served as country rapporteur for the report of Uruguay, said the report gave a very clear picture that among the population in Uruguay, there were 93.2 per cent White people; 5.9 per cent Black; 0.4 per cent indigenous and another 0.4 per cent oriental. She recalled that according to the report of Uruguay to the Committee in 1971, the Jewish and Arab populations accounted for 4 per cent of the total. She wondered which groups these minorities belonged to in the current statistics. Were Arabs included in the oriental group? Were Jews included in the White or oriental groups?

Ms. Zou said the report mentioned Jewish inhabitants as having representatives in the country's Parliament and Government, yet the representation of other minority groups, such as Blacks and indigenous peoples, in Parliament and Government had not been mentioned. According to the Black organization Mundo Afro, of the 129 members of Parliament, none was Black. There were no Black officials in Government departments either, according to this organization. Black people might be spotted at Government offices but they were either concierges or cleaners or employed in that kind of work. There were quite a lot of Blacks in the Uruguayan military but none of the senior officers was Black, she said. It seemed that in political and academic organizations as well as in Governmental institutions, one could hardly see the presence of Black people.

Ms. Zou asked about ownership of land by indigenous peoples. According to the core document provided by the Government, she said, there were no indigenous peoples in Uruguay. But the statistics of the report showed that indigenous inhabitants made up 0.4 per cent of the population. She asked if they had representation in Parliament and Government; where they lived; what their means of livelihood were; and if they owned any land.

In conclusion, Ms. Zou said the Uruguayan Government had made great efforts in recent years to raise living standards and build a society based on the rule of law. Considerable progress had already been achieved. Nevertheless, some people in the country, in particular some Black people, still lived below the poverty line. Though the Government provided equal opportunities in terms of access to education, de facto inequality still existed due to differences in economic means among Uruguayans. Phenomena of racial discrimination still existed in society. She said she believed, however, that the situation would gradually change for the better.

Other Committee Experts also put questions to the Uruguayan delegation on such issues as rates of illiteracy among disadvantaged groups; child mortality; punishment for acts of racial incitement; prohibition of illegal organizations with racist ideas; and living conditions of Black women.