High Commissioner for Human Rights concludes visit to Brazil

Rio de Janeiro, 5 December 2007 - The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, concluded today a three-day visit to Brazil, following an invitation by the Government. This first visit to the country took her to Brasilia, Sao Paolo and Rio de Janeiro. The HC met with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, other Federal Government officials and the Federal Supreme Court, as well as State authorities in São Paolo and Rio de Janeiro to discuss Brazil’s progress and challenges with regards to human rights. Civil society organizations in Brasilia and Sao Paolo also had the opportunity to discuss with the High Commissioner their human rights concerns.

The High Commissioner encouraged the Brazilian Government and authorities to continue their efforts to improve the administration of justice with special attention in the widespread use of pre-trial detention, suggesting innovative measures to alleviate prison overcrowding, to foster accountability among law enforcement officials and to prevent abuses against detainees.

“Brazil has demonstrated leadership at the international level in the area of human rights,” Ms. Arbour said. “The country realized significant achievements in the fight against poverty and HIV/ AIDS although challenges remain, particularly in the administration of justice and the enforcement of other rights enshrined in the 1988 Constitution and especially with regards to indigenous rights.”

On her last day in Brazil, the High Commissioner delivered a lecture on poverty as a cause and consequence of human rights violations, in the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and visited the community of Vigario Geral, where she learned about innovative projects to foster a culture of peace through arts and cultural expression among youth from less privileged communities.

On the eve of the launching of the campaign to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the High Commissioner stressed that human rights are universal, and that civil and political rights are indivisible from economic, social and cultural rights.