Human Rights Council opens fourteenth regular session

Human Rights Council
MORNING 31 May 2010

High Commissioner for Human Rights Addresses the Meeting

The Human Rights Council this morning opened its fourteenth regular session, hearing a statement from United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, who updated the Council on the work of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Council then held a general debate, in which context speakers raised the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, the struggle against all forms of discrimination, and the achievement of the right to development. Many speakers, including the High Commissioner, condemned the attack by Israeli forces in international waters on a humanitarian convoy heading for the Gaza Strip.

Ms. Pillay said the Millennium Declaration recognized that a denial of rights engendered or perpetuated dire conditions of exclusion and want, including poverty, and, in turn, poverty undermined basic human rights, such as access to food, shelter and education, entrenching discrimination and marginalisation, making it difficult for victims to obtain justice and remedies when their rights were violated. Governments bore the primary responsibility to counter these and other forms of intolerance, marginalisation, disadvantage, poverty, inequality and exclusion. However, the international community could be an important partner in their efforts. The Declaration on the Right to Development reiterated the centrality of attaining equality of opportunity for all - it underscored that States, supported by the international community, through international cooperation, had the responsibility to create the conditions necessary to enable individuals and peoples to realise their aspirations for the basic human dignity that was at the core of human rights.

Ms. Pillay said she was concerned about the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. In the Gaza Strip, the blockade kept undermining human rights on a daily basis. The current situation fell far short of what was necessary for the population to lead normal and dignified lives. She also condemned once again the indiscriminate firing of rockets from Gaza into Israel. Ms. Pillay said she was shocked by reports that humanitarian aid was met with violence early this morning, reportedly causing death and injury as the boat convoy approached the Gaza coast.

Speaking in the general debate under the agenda item on the annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General, speakers raised, among other topics, that slower progress on the realization of the Millennium Development Goals had affected the poorest of the poor the most. The entire international community and civil society organizations should pay greater attention to the inter-dependence of human rights, and to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and the rights enshrined therein. International instruments, wherever adopted, needed to be supported and used to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, in particular number eight, which called for the eradication of poverty and improvement of healthcare for women and children. The reality was that the Millennium Development Goals had not engendered mobilization of the necessary financial and materials support required for their accomplishment, and the international system should provide assistance on the basis of long term development plans of poor countries.

Discrimination not only prevented the full enjoyment of human rights, but also represented a threat to democratic societies and their fundamental values, speakers said. All States should take all necessary measures to address this problem in such areas as equality before the law, legal guarantees, the right to life, liberty, and security, the right to change one’s religion or belief, remedies, registration practices, and the protection of religious places, sites, shrines and symbols. Discrimination against minorities was another issue, and remained a major ground for concern, both for ethnic and religious minorities, as well as sexual minorities. Certain groups had been historically marginalised and were vulnerable and required priority attention, such as persons with disabilities. Indigenous peoples should actively participate in development policies and their elaboration. It was of great importance to ensure that human rights remained on the agenda of countries where considerable challenges still remained and that attention to human rights issues not suffer from the reconfiguration of peace operations. With regard to the attack by Israeli forces on the humanitarian convoy bringing food to the Gaza strip, many speakers said that the appalling attack on the humanitarian convoy demonstrated that Israel could do what it wanted without any regard to the international community and its norms.

Speaking this morning were the representatives of Palestine, Spain on behalf of the European Union, Nigeria for the African Group, Pakistan for the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Chile, Cuba, Qatar, China, Brazil, France, India, Russian Federation, Norway, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Indonesia, Japan, Egypt, Republic of Korea, Nigeria, Italy, Senegal, United Kingdom, South Africa, Slovenia, Bangladesh, Jordan, United States, Algeria, Lithuania and Sri Lanka.

The next meeting of the Council will be at 3 p.m. this afternoon, when it will continue its debate under this agenda item, following which it is scheduled to take up the third item on its agenda, namely the promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development, and hold an interactive dialogue with the Independent Expert on cultural rights, and the Special Rapporteur on the rights of migrants.

Opening Statement by President of the Council

Alex Van Meeuwen, President of the Council, opening the session, said he urged all to ensure that the sessions and meetings of the Council took place in a spirit of mutual respect, dialogue, and the underlying leitmotiv of the work. This would be an intensive session, at the end of which, Mr. Van Meeuwen said he would pass the baton to his successor.

Statement by Palestine

IMAD ZUHAIRI (Palestine) said Palestine strongly condemned the military attacks on the humanitarian convoy to the Occupied Gaza Strip, killing civilians and injuring more. Further action would be considered following a meeting of both the Arab Group and the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

Statement by High Commissioner for Human Rights

NAVI PILLAY, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said she congratulated the 12 newly-elected members of the Human Rights Council. The process of reviewing and strengthening the Council, which was already underway, would require utmost dedication, determination and energy on the part of all past and current Council members, all their peers, as well as the whole range of other stakeholders in the United Nations system and civil society. Ms. Pillay said she recently presented her second report on the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Activities and Results, and wished to reiterate at this juncture that in the past year, it had sought to be ever more vigilant to counter deeply-rooted and chronic human rights violations in many countries. The Millennium Development Goals Summit in September 2010 could have great bearing on the work and vision of the Council in general, and was also eminently pertinent to some of the discussions that would engage this body, both in its ongoing main session and in its planned side panels.

The Millennium Declaration recognized that a denial of rights engendered or perpetuated dire conditions of exclusion and want, including poverty, and, in turn, poverty undermined basic human rights, such as access to food, shelter and education, entrenching discrimination and marginalisation, making it difficult for victims to obtain justice and remedies when their rights were violated. Governments bore the primary responsibility to counter these and other forms of intolerance, marginalisation, disadvantage, poverty, inequality and exclusion. However, the international community could be an important partner in their efforts. Women and girls often experienced multiple forms of discrimination and represented the majority of those living in poverty everywhere, and their situation demanded particular attention.

The dialogue on the right to development had reached a critical stage - the next phase of deliberations should continue to focus on realising the Declaration on the Right to Development's vision for the improvement in human well-being and the empowerment of individuals and communities to fully participate in making the important choices that affected them. The Declaration reiterated the centrality of attaining equality of opportunity for all - it underscored that States, supported by the international community, through international cooperation, had the responsibility to create the conditions necessary to enable individuals and peoples to realise their aspirations for the basic human dignity that was at the core of human rights.

With regard to specific human rights situations in many parts of the world, Ms. Pillay said the past month had marked the first anniversary of the end of the conflict in Sri Lanka, and the Council should reflect on the commitments made by the Government when the Council held its Special Session to address the serious concerns which had arisen in the last stages of the fighting in that country. There should be the establishment of an independent international accountability mechanism that would enjoy public confidence, both in Sri Lanka and elsewhere. With regard to Thailand, the authorities had the responsibility to restore order, but in doing so must abide by international standards concerning the use of force and due process for those detained. The extension of the Constituent Assembly in Nepal by one year should be a period used to finalise a new Constitution with the strongest possible human rights protections. Ms. Pillay also strongly condemned last week's indiscriminate attacks in Pakistan and India in which civilians were targeted and killed.

Turning to Africa, Ms. Pillay said she wished to draw attention to human rights developments in the context of electoral periods. It was of fundamental importance that in the lead up to the ballot and in its aftermath, freedoms of expression, assembly, association and movement and all other human rights were upheld, and Ms. Pillay called upon all countries that had recently held or were preparing elections to take all necessary measures to safeguard human rights. The Government of Nigeria should work closely with local authorities and civil society to take effective measures to prevent the recurrence of violence by addressing its underlying causes, and by punishing abuse. The commitment to justice as a way to achieve durable and sustained peace in Burundi was commendable. While some progress had been made in consolidating peace in both Chad and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, considerable challenges remained, notably from the point of view of the protection of civilians.

Haiti was a country where, prior to and in the aftermath of last January's devastating earthquake, a vast array of human rights concerns converged. As the Secretary-General had noted, Haiti's plight was a reminder of wider responsibilities. Protecting displaced populations, especially women, children, and persons with disabilities, as well as other vulnerable groups, continued to be a matter of priority. As elsewhere, sexual violence remained of great concern in Colombia, and the Government had pledged to apply a zero tolerance policy later this month.

Ms. Pillay was concerned about the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. In the Gaza Strip, the blockade kept undermining human rights on a daily basis. The current situation fell far short of what was necessary for the population to lead normal and dignified lives. She also condemned once again the indiscriminate firing of rockets from Gaza into Israel. Ms. Pillay said she was shocked by reports that humanitarian aid was met with violence early this morning, reportedly causing death and injury as the boat convoy approached the Gaza coast.

Ms. Pillay said she had undertaken field missions in the last few months, including to Italy, where she held open discussions with the Government about the situation of migrants, asylum-seekers and Roma in the country, and had expressed concern about the treatment of Roma and migrants as a security problem rather than focusing on a policy of social integration. In April, she visited the Gulf Cooperation Council States, and was encouraged by human rights developments in a number of areas, including increased compliance with international obligations. Last month, she addressed the Jubilee Biennial Conference International Association of Women Judges in Seoul, and also visited Japan, where she was encouraged by the Prime Minister's commitment to human rights reforms in Japan, and believed this would improve access to remedies for all in Japan, and help to address patterns of discrimination against minorities, migrants, and other disadvantaged groups. Ms. Pillay urged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to resume dialogue on the cases of Japanese nationals who were abducted over past decades and whose fate had not been adequately clarified.

Tomorrow, Ms. Pillay said she would be leaving for Uganda and Kenya, and looked forward to visiting the two countries and assessing how the Office could continue to support these countries in addressing their human rights challenges. Ms. Pillay considered it of paramount importance to get a firsthand view and to receive firsthand accounts of human rights conditions on the ground. These interactions were at times heartbreaking and difficult - they were also invariably refreshing and reinvigorating.

General Debate

JAVIER GARRIGUES (Spain), speaking on behalf of the European Union, said that the struggle against all forms of discrimination had to remain at the forefront of their actions and progress. Discrimination not only prevented the full enjoyment of human rights, but also represented a threat to democratic societies and their fundamental values. It was incompatible with the principles and values on which the European Union was founded and therefore the fight against all forms of discrimination would continue to be part of the European Union’s struggle for human rights. The European Union was deeply sensitive to the protection of indigenous people, people of African descent, and persons belonging to minority and vulnerable groups, who were often forgotten and hidden behind statistics. The European Union was also concerned with the persistent incident of the discrimination against individuals based on religion or belief. The European Union called upon all States to take all necessary measures to address this problem in such areas as equality before the law, legal guarantees, the right to life, liberty, and security, the right to change one’s religion or belief, remedies, registration practices, and the protection of religious places, sites, shrines and symbols. The European Union also considered of great importance the need to ensure that human rights remained on the agenda of countries where considerable challenges still remained and that attention to human rights issues not suffer from the reconfiguration of peace operations.

OSITADINMA ANAEDU (Nigeria), speaking on behalf of the African Group, said the African Group fully supported the advocacy role of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and was of the view that on all matters of policy there was a compelling need to refer to the Human Rights Council. The African Group looked forward to the Millennium Development Goals summit in September 2010 and said that the Millennium Development Goals were a major elaboration of the global framework on the right to development and the basic recognition that a denial of any of those goals and targets entrenched and perpetuated discrimination and marginalization. The reality was that the Millennium Development Goals did not engender mobilization of the necessary financial and materials support required for their accomplishment. The African Group urged the international system to provide assistance on the basis of long-term development plans of poor countries. The African Group welcomed the holding of the panel discussion on maternal mortality and morbidity and looked forward to participating in the discussion which would contribute to professing solutions to decrease the rate of death of women and girls associated with pregnancy and birth. The African Group took note that the High Commissioner drew attention of the Member States of the Council to the draft Strategic Framework for Programme 19. A critical point on the elaboration of the right to development had been reached and the summary proposals from the Chair of the Working Group should become the basis for further negotiations that would enable the achievement of the objective of the Declaration on the right to development and relevant Council decisions.

MARGHOOB SALEEM BUTT (Pakistan), speaking on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, said the High mmissioner's introductory statement provided an update on specific situations and reflected on important issues of human rights concern and advocacy. Slower progress on the realization of the Millennium Development Goals had affected the poorest of the poor the most. The Organization of the Islamic Conference appreciated the support of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to the promotion of the right to development, and echoed the High Commissioner's call to make this right a reality for everyone with a view to freeing the entire human race from the scourge of want. Recent decrees and imposition of discriminatory laws in some countries had revealed deep-rooted religious discrimination and xenophobic attitudes, which were being exploited by far-right politicians to gain political mileage, and it was regrettable that the High Commissioner's statement did not mention this. The upright stance and advocacy efforts by Ms. Pillay on human rights issues were well appreciated, as was her reminder to the international community of the continuing grave human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including recent discriminatory acts. Member States should give due consideration to the facts and urge the Occupying Power to desist from violating the human rights of the Palestinian people. The upcoming review of the Council should lead to its strengthening.

PEDRO OYARCE (Chile) said that Chile wanted to highlight a few general ideas which were reflected in the High Commissioner’s statement with respect to the functions of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to ensure the protection and promotion of human rights. First of all, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights had to support the full validity of all human rights which were universal, indivisible, and interdependent. Chile believed it was necessary to preserve the autonomous space required for the development of this role which was in line with modern multilateralism. Also, the Council’s work must go hand in hand with an absolute commitment to victims, which provided an ethical dimension to the political work. In this area, the contribution of civil society was essential as was the role of human rights defenders and organizations. Chile thanked the High Commissioner for the way in which her Office implemented this human rights-based approach and the streamlining of such methods. Chile agreed with the High Commissioner’s view that it was the primary responsibility of States to combat all forms of exclusion. The right to development had to be effective for everyone as was agreed in Vienna so many years ago.

RODOLFO REYES RODRIGUEZ (Cuba) condemned the criminal attack on the humanitarian convoy to Gaza and thanked the High Commissioner for her statement. Cuba congratulated Ms. Pillay on attaching priority to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Matching how well States fulfilled the Millennium Development Goals was the real indicator of the effectiveness of the international system. Cuba was on the right track to fulfil all Millennium Development Goals, some of them even before the deadline. However, the Millennium Development Goals would not be fulfilled universally because the world had an unequal international order in which there was no solidarity. The rich countries produced economic crises which were paid for by the poor countries. The Millennium Development Goals would not be met because of the selfishness of the countries in the West, because they would not allow the reform of the global financial system, support sustainable development or address climate change. Packages offered to banks by the rich countries in the North went hand in hand with reduction in assistance to poor countries. The main part of the mandate of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights was to denounce and combat this reality and the High Commissioner could count on Cuba’s full support in this quest.

ABDULLA FALAH ABDULLA AL-DOSARI (Qatar) said Qatar strongly condemned the violent aggression in international waters today against the flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, resulting in the loss of life of 16 people, counter to all provisions of international law. The High Commissioner had mentioned the challenges impeding the efforts to implement economic, social and cultural rights and civil and political rights, and Qatar echoed its concern in this regard to their interdependence and efforts to implement the right to development and the rights enshrined in the Millennium Development Goals. The entire international community and civil society organizations should pay greater attention to the inter-dependence of human rights, and to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and the rights enshrined therein. International instruments, wherever adopted, needed to be supported and used to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, in particular number eight, which called for the eradication of poverty and improvement of healthcare for women and children. The right to development was an essential right, clearly linked to other fundamental rights. The situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories ran counter to international law and was a blatant violation of human rights. The blockade had led to the creation of a situation of great need, and the worsening of the humanitarian situation, which Qatar deplored. The High Commissioner should show greater determination in order to bring about an improvement of the human rights situation of the Palestinian people.

QIAN BO (China) noted that on the whole the work of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights was efficient and practical and China welcomed the dialogue with the High Commissioner. At the same time, China hoped the Office of the High Commissioner would improve the level and quality of its services. China believed the right to development was crucial. Only when economic development was achieved would all countries be able to realize fully human rights. The economic crisis had seriously affected the realization of human rights, and China hoped that in this area the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights would play its role in a more active and constructive manner. China hoped developed nations would fulfil their obligations of providing support to developing countries. The Chinese Government would continue to support the active work of the High Commissioner and her Office, and it was willing to promote cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual respect.

ALEXANDRE GUIDO LOPES PAROLA (Brazil) said Brazil thanked the High Commissioner for her update. Brazil reiterated its commitment to the Millennium Development Goals, whose adoption represented a translation of ethical values into an objective framework intimately related to human rights. Brazil expected the Millennium Development Goals Summit in September to give concrete steps towards their implementation. Brazil called upon developed countries to eliminate agricultural subsidies, advance debt relief initiatives, promote technology transfer and refrain from imposing intellectual property rules that impaired the development of technology and access to essential goods. Social policies adopted by Brazil had resulted in the early achievement of several Millennium Development Goals and the Government had decided to establish targets that went beyond the internationally agreed ones. Brazil had already more than halved the number of people who faced hunger and the goal was to eliminate it by 2015. Important challenges remained in sanitation, maternal mortality and gender equality. Brazil was committed to South-South cooperation and had provided humanitarian assistance to more that 35 countries since 2006. It provided a large post-earthquake support to Haiti worth $ 167 million dollars and additional $ 172 millions for the recovery. Brazil acknowledged all initiatives aimed at exploring possible advances related to the review of the Human Rights Council and thanked the President for convening consultation meetings in this regard.

JEAN-BAPTISTE MATTEI (France) said the coming Summit on the Millennium Development Goals would take stock of the achievement of these Goals, which were of paramount importance to all. Three of the eight Millennium Development Goals related directly to women, and the attainment of the goals therefore depended greatly on the attainment of women's rights, which were far too often flouted. Women were subject to various forms of discrimination, as well as exposed to violence, and therefore efforts should be stepped up considerably. Legislation should not be allowed to lower the situation of women, and the Council should combat such laws. Discrimination against minorities was another issue, and remained a major ground for concern, both for ethnic and religious minorities, as well as sexual minorities. There should be universal decriminalisation of homosexuality. Combating impunity was also important, and the Rome Statute should be universally recognized and adhered to. France wished to underline the importance of carrying out independent and credible inquiries in order to bring to justice those responsible for violations of human rights. In conclusion, France congratulated the High Commissioner for Human Rights and her Office for their work to promote and guarantee the respect of human rights around the world, and welcomed the recent signature of an accord between the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and Guinea. France called on Colombia and Nepal to accept the renewal of the mandate of the presence of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on their territories.

GOPINATHAN ACHAMKULANGARE (India) said that with only five years to go to the target date for the Millennium Development Goals, it was critical to undertake a rigorous and forward-looking review of the extent of achievement of these goals by the high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly in September 2010, with a view to strengthening collective efforts and adopting an action plan for the period 2011-2015. The current picture was one of mixed and uneven success that needed additional momentum. Given its size and development trajectory, India was crucial to many of the Millennium Development Goals targets. Indeed, as part of their commitment to these targets, they had woven them into their last two five-year development plans which set even more ambitious development targets than the Millennium Development Goals. Their data from last year indicated encouraging progress toward these targets. There were still many challenges, but India remained committed to accelerating their development efforts. One of the important Millennium Development Goals concerned maternal health and mortality, an issue that would be the focus of a panel discussion during the session, and India would highlight some of their recent gains made in this area during the interactive dialogue. India was pleased to note the High Commissioner’s efforts to galvanize awareness of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Declaration of the Right to Development, which confirmed the right to development as an inalienable human right.

VALERY LOSHCHININ (Russian Federation) thanked Ms. Pillay for her statement and shared the importance she attached to the Millennium Development Goals. Today once again they were seeing increasing inter-linkages between conflict, development and human rights. The Russian Federation welcomed the importance that the High Commissioner attributed to economic, social and cultural rights and the right to development. The impending review of the Human Rights Council should streamline its work and improve its quality. Human dignity was one of the wellsprings of the fundamental freedoms and the Russian Federation was convinced that it required further discussion within the Council. The Russian Federation took positive view of the work of the High Commissioner and her Office and welcomed the forthcoming visit to Russia. The Russian Federation shared the concern of the High Commissioner and many other delegations about the attack by Israeli armed forces on the humanitarian convoy to Gaza and said that this action which led to loss of human lives must be condemned and investigated.

BENTE ANGELL-HANSEN (Norway) said the operational linkages between human rights and the Millennium Development Goals must be strengthened, and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights had a crucial role to play in providing advice and input on how the outcome document should integrate a human rights perspective, ensuring attention to the rights and needs of the poorest and most disadvantaged, and should add important accountability dimensions to the Millennium Development Goal framework. A clear integration of human rights into the Millennium Development Goal framework would strengthen sustainability of results achieved, and would have a lasting impact on the manner in which development cooperation was carried out, leading to improved respect for and awareness of all categories of human rights. Women and girls experienced multiple forms of discrimination and represented the vast majority of those living in poverty, demonstrating the need to focus on Goals Four and Five. Human rights continued to be under strong pressure in all too many countries, and it was imperative for the credibility of the Council to be seized with these issues.

MUNA ABBAS RADHI (Bahrain) said that Bahrain condemned the Israeli attack today on the convoy carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza which led to injuries and the killing of a number of people. Bahrain thanked the High Commissioner for her visit to Bahrain during her time in the Gulf region, a visit that came in response to the invitation of Bahrain. The attention that Bahrain paid to human rights was reflected in the field of reform in a number of areas including economic, social and cultural rights and the empowerment of women as well. Bahrain had taken a number of measures with a view to deter trafficking in persons, including issuing a law against human trafficking and other legislative decisions taken by governmental bodies and in cooperation with the United Nations system. Bahrain said that no one was immune from human trafficking, and they commended the role played by the High Council for Women led by the King’s wife in combating this problem. The Kingdom of Bahrain was very keen to establish a human rights commission in accordance with the Paris Principles and to work with civil society in the promotion and protection of human rights in their territory.

ABDULWAHAB ABDULSALAM ATTAR (Saudi Arabia) thanked the High Commissioner for her statement and her efforts to support human rights around the world. Saudi Arabia congratulated all newly elected members and reiterated its commitment to cooperation in the promotion and protection of human rights. Saudi Arabia condemned the Israeli attack on the humanitarian convoy to Gaza. Saudi Arabia thanked the High Commissioner for her visit, which had been an opportunity to exchange information about the progress made by Saudi Arabia in the field of human rights. Saudi Arabia agreed with what was mentioned in the High Commissioner’s statement about the Palestinian territories and hoped that the grave violations of human rights of the Palestinian population would receive more attention by human rights bodies. On the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development, Saudi Arabia expressed its hope that it would participate in negotiations to establish mechanisms to deal with obstacles to development and hoped that the work and resolutions of this session of the Human Rights Council would help in the improvement of human rights.

ARTURO HERNANDEZ BASAVE (Mexico) said the presentation by the High Commissioner was an important contribution to the discussion, including on the Human Rights Council review process, which had the ultimate goal of the effective protection and promotion of human rights throughout the world. Human rights and gender perspectives should be better incorporated in the plans and programmes for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Peace, security, development and human rights were interdependent and mutually-strengthening. Certain groups had been historically marginalised and were vulnerable, and required priority attention, such as persons with disabilities. Indigenous peoples should actively participate in development policies and their elaboration. Better tolerance throughout society and measures to improve the tolerance of migrants and their families should be implemented in order to do away with discrimination in their regard, as they faced increasingly difficult employment and economic situations, as well as an increase in racist and xenophobic acts. Mexico was firmly committed to the protection of human rights, in full compliance with international humanitarian law, and rejected all acts that acted as a barrier to humanitarian aid, and commended the Office's work in Haiti.

DESRA PERCAYA (Indonesia) noted that the right to development and the fulfilment of the Millennium Development Goals rightly continued to be predominant themes on the human rights agenda. Indonesia had adopted a proactive approach to both these themes and was working to address fundamental issues such as poverty, development, provision of healthcare, and access to education. This was a challenging task and they fully understood the string correlation between development and the promotion and protection of human rights of the Indonesian people. In line with international priorities, and in anticipation of the upcoming interactive dialogue on maternal mortality, Indonesia wished to comment further on the health-related Millennium Development Goals, which remained the most challenging to fulfil. Indonesia had stepped up its efforts in this area, adopting a two-pronged approach. This included striving to improve the quality and accessibility to community healthcare facilities as well as enhancing community participation by introducing free healthcare for the poor. Indonesia expressed its concern regarding the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The blockade of the Gaza Strip was an abhorrent and unacceptable violation of the human rights of the Palestinian people, denying them access to the very basic necessities of life. Indonesia urged all members of the Council to put Palestine at the top of the agenda in this session, as they could no longer turn a blind eye to an incredibly volatile and unjust situation.

KENICHI SUGANUMA (Japan) thanked Ms. Pillay for her update and joined her in welcoming the newly elected members of the Human Rights Council. Japan viewed the Millennium Development Goals as an important set of goals on which the international community as a whole should work together and concert efforts to accelerate progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals, which would contribute to improving the human rights of the most vulnerable around the world. Japan had been promoting the concept of human security in order to deal with various threats that human beings were facing and believed it was of crucial importance to incorporate this concept into the discussion and pursuance of the Millennium Development Goals. Political will and determination by individual countries to improve their human rights situation were also essential and each State had the primary responsibility to promote and protect the human rights of its people. Japan noted that the holding of free, fair and inclusive general elections in Myanmar was essential to its success and to the realization of democratization. Japan thanked the High Commissioner for her visit earlier this month and emphasized the situation of the families of victims of abduction by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Highlighting specific human rights situations was neither a political nor a selective act, but should rather be seen as serving to promote dialogue between countries concerned and the international community.

HISHAM BADR (Egypt) said the killing of civilians by the Israeli authorities this morning was unacceptable, and brought once more to the fore the vital issue of ending the occupation situation and calling a halt to hostilities. The Council and the international community should now deliver a strong response and message on the urgent and immediate ending of the Israeli siege of all Palestinian territories. The attention of the High Commissioner to the alarming situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories was welcome - the blockade kept undermining the human rights of the Palestinians on a daily basis. It was intriguing that the High Commissioner chose to restrict herself to expressing concern about Israeli military orders, and shock at the killing today, while at the same time strongly condemning the firing of rockets into Israel - this reflected a lack of proportionality. Palestinians continued to suffer the effects of past deportations and forced transfers, with thousands living in refugee camps. The international community and the High Commissioner should exert pressure on Israel, encouraging it to respect international humanitarian law. Most developing countries, particularly in Africa, still fell short of realising the Millennium Development Goals, and bore the brunt of recent crises not of their own making. A critical juncture was being reached with regard to the right to development - States had the primary responsibility to create national and international conditions favourable to the realization of this right, and should cooperate with each other to encourage development and eliminate obstacles thereto.

SANG-KI PARK (Republic of Korea) said the Republic of Korea shared the view that the pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals generated fresh momentum for the enhancement of the enjoyment of human rights by a greater number of people around the world. The Millennium Development Goals and human rights were mutually supportive and there was a close link between them. The full realization of the Millennium Development Goals would foster an environment conducive to the attainment of all rights by all people. In so doing, the Council would contribute to greater well being and dignity for humankind through reduced poverty and an enhanced political voice. There was, nonetheless, a need to recognize that the Millennium Development Goals entailed a whole range of cross cutting issues which were technical, economic, and social in nature. The Republic of Korea believed that there was a need to seek a broader, interdisciplinary approach to the issue of the linkage between the Millennium Development Goals and the human rights agenda. The Republic of Korea said that it had rendered consistent support for a practical and constructive approach to the issue of the realization of the right to development. It believed that States had the primary responsibility to guarantee the full enjoyment of all human rights, including the right to development, and that the international community should support them through international cooperation. It was their belief that the right to development should encompass the promotion of good governance, rule of law, and effective anti-corruption measure. The principle of participation based on non-discrimination was also key.

OSITADINMA ANAEDU (Nigeria) said Nigeria wished to comment on the report of the High Commissioner with precise mention of the crisis in Jos, Nigeria and stated that it was aware of the highlighted concerns which had been receiving the attention of the Government. The Jos crisis was not about the violation of human rights by the Government, but was a sectarian problem that had been persistent in that part of a state. Nigeria as a country was not in danger of exploding into violence as had been conveyed by the High Commissioner and it was tantamount to incitement for the High Commissioner to call for maximum vigilance on Nigeria by the Council. The Government and people of Nigeria had shown over the years their firm commitment to the tenets of freedom of conscience, religion, belief and peaceful coexistence. The Government had been even-handed in dealing with all religions and ethnic communities, hence the existence of both Sharia and customary legal systems alongside the common law in all parts of the country. What was evidently missing from the High Commissioner’s statement concerned the initiatives and major actions that had been taken by the Government of Nigeria to address the crisis in Jos. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights had not contributed meaningfully to ascertain the true situation nor provided well informed proposals to support the efforts in Nigeria.

ROBERTO VELLANO (Italy) said the statement that had been presented by the High Commissioner showed how the activities of her Office had grown, and how its presence in the field had expanded. The recent visit of the High Commissioner to Italy had contributed to the existing solid foundation of cooperation, and to the ongoing dialogue on issues of mutual interest and concern in the area of human rights. Italy believed the High Commissioner had gained a comprehensive picture of the situation, of existing challenges as well as of achievements and good practices. Italy, until recent times a country of emigration, had been exposed over the last years to massive inflows of migrants. Their number had increased by almost 250 per cent, and the trend kept growing. Fighting against criminal groups that benefited from human trafficking and exploited foreign workers was an integral part of a comprehensive strategy, focused on assistance and social coexistence, as well as on stronger cooperation within the European Union and with countries of origin and transit of migrants. Also, Italy was committed to improving the living conditions of Roma and Sinti communities, according to international standards and principles, and eradicating discriminatory attitudes.

BABACAR CARLOS MBAYE (Senegal) said that the world in which they lived today was full of threats such as pandemics and climate change which were problems that paid no attention to borders. At the same time there was a clear tendency of resurgence toward intolerance and attacks on the dignity of migrants. Senegal encouraged the High Commissioner to continue her work to promote the adoption of the Convention on the Protection of Migrants and Members of their Families. The interdependence of States and globalization required States to combine their efforts to uphold the values of humanity, cooperation, dialogue and tolerance they all universally shared. Africa had staunchly embarked on a path to good governance and democracy, but despite the greatly improved human rights situation in Africa, many wished that Africans themselves should make their own choices, which was why they intended to step up their efforts. Senegal fully endorsed Pakistan’s condemnation of Israel’s attack on the humanitarian aid convoy.

PHILIP TISSOT (United Kingdom) thanked the High Commissioner for her annual report and welcomed the appointment of an Assistant Secretary-General for her office in New York, which would allow the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to have a more prominent role in New York, with an enhanced contribution to the United Nations’ early warning system. The United Kingdom attached great importance to the assistance her Office provided to many countries though its field presence and called on the Government of Nepal to maintain its constructive engagement with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights through the renewal of a comprehensive mandate. The United Kingdom asked what in the opinion of the High Commissioner could this Council do to better address chronic human rights situations. It welcomed the attention the High Commissioner gave to human rights situations in a number of countries and said it remained gravely concerned about the situation in Sudan and had followed recent events in Thailand with concern. The United Kingdom deeply regretted the violence and loss of life in Bangkok and as a friend of Thailand wished to see all sides engage in an urgent process of national reconciliation to address the underlying social, economic and political causes of the recent violence and continuing instability. The United Kingdom shared the High Commissioner’s concerns about the human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and supported the work done by her Office there.

JERRY MATTHEWS MATJILA (South Africa) said South Africa was concerned about the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, in particular the goal on the eradication of poverty, which was one of the Government's top priorities. Poverty could not be de-linked from economic and social exclusion. Maternal mortality remained a key concern, particularly for developing countries, given their limited amount of resources, and the recent financial and economic crisis exacerbated this situation. The High Commissioner was commended for her recent field visits to both developed and developing countries, which facilitated understanding of the situation, thus in turn facilitating targeted interventions, increasing the capacity of States to address human rights issues. The Council should remain focused on the issues that would lead to an improvement of its effectiveness, without renegotiating the institution-building package. The report that Israeli forces had attacked a flotilla bringing aid to Gaza and that there were deaths resulting therefrom was a matter of great concern, as the convoy was on a peaceful mission, and was not armed. That Israeli forces attacked it was a grave violation of international law.

ANDREJ LOGAR (Slovenia) said Slovenia was firmly convinced that human rights, development and security were interdependent. Unfortunately, in a time of economic and financial crisis, they were witnessing less respect not only for economic, social and cultural rights, but also for political and civil rights. Underdevelopment should not be an excuse for gross violations of human rights. Governments bore the primary responsibility to counter intolerance, marginalization, poverty, inequality and exclusion and the international community could only be an important partner in these efforts. Slovenia fully shared the assessment that women still faced many forms of discrimination. One important step against discrimination was amending national legislation in a way that would promote equality between men and women. Two weeks ago, Slovenia, together with Norway, organized a conference on equality between men and women in national legislation to draw attention to the benefits of reviewing legislation in order to repeal discriminatory provisions.

MUSTAFIZUR RAHMAN (Bangladesh) thanked the High Commissioner for her remarks on the upcoming Millennium Development Goals Summit and said its outcomes would have implications on the work of this Council. Although the Millennium Development Goals were achievable targets, they unfortunately would not be met. The official development assistance necessary for their achievement was not forthcoming. More generosity on the part of global donors was needed as well as higher consideration for the right of everyone to life in dignity. The global food, economic and financial crises and natural calamities as offshoots of climate change impacted the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and in this context international solidarity was ever more important. The realization of the right to development was necessary for achievement of social, economic and cultural human rights for all. It was unfortunate that after 25 years there was still no common understanding of the concept of the right to development. The right to development was not only the offering of official development assistance, it was about offering equitable multinational trade, transfer of technology, intellectual property regime, democratization of financial institutions, or managed migration flows. Bangladesh thanked the High Commissioner for reminding the Council about the continuing violation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The appalling attack on the humanitarian convoy demonstrated that Israel could do what it wanted without any regard to the international community and its norms.

SHEHAB A. MADI (Jordan) said Jordan welcomed and appreciated the sincere efforts of the High Commissioner to promote the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms worldwide, and was particularly encouraged by the remarks of the High Commissioner with respect to the Millennium Development Goals Summit, which would review the progress made in their achievement. Jordan hoped the Summit would underline the significance of international cooperation in assisting the States in their efforts to advance the realization of all the Millennium Development Goals in a timely manner. The human rights and humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem, remained gravely alarming. Just today, another flagrant violation had been witnessed, with despicable disregard not only for international humanitarian and human rights law, but also for the principles of humanity. This attack against peace and humanitarian activists undermined the efforts of the international community to defend humanitarian principles, as well as to protect humanitarian personnel and human rights defenders. Today's infamous attack was yet another reminder of the imperative for the international community and United Nations bodies to ensure implementation of their resolutions, such as that on the protection of human rights defenders. The General Assembly and the Council should address this issue within the review process.

EILEEN CHAMBERLAIN DONAHOE (United States) said the United States was committed to seeking ways to improve the mechanisms that meaningfully and practically contributed to the economic, social and cultural circumstances of people around the world and to combat discriminatory practices that limited access to opportunity. The United States was firmly committed to creating a more peaceful and democratic world and strongly felt that one of the necessary guarantees of preserving peace worldwide was the full enjoyment of human rights by all people. It encouraged the Human Rights Council and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to work toward prevention of mass atrocities and to encourage the development of an early warning system to alert Member States to impending mass atrocities or situations which could lead to mass atrocities. The United States was dedicated to working with the members of the Human Rights Council and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to promote the realization of and respect for the full range of human rights and to promote peaceful co-existence. However, the United States noted that the “right to peace” was not a human right and was not recognized as such in any human rights instrument. The United States welcomed the focus during this session on gender issues and looked forward to participating fully in the panel discussion on the human rights of women.

IDRISS JAZAIRY (Algeria) said that the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories continued to violate the rights of Palestinian people with total impunity. The Council must condemn the attack against the peace flotilla bringing the humanitarian aid to Gaza. It must take up with priority agenda Item 7 or find another manner to recognize the urgency to address this matter. Algeria thanked the High Commissioner for presenting her activity report and thanked her for the opportunity to give their comments on the Strategic Framework 2011-2012. Algeria shared the views of the High Commissioner on the right to development. National reconciliation processes needed time for those efforts to bear fruit and imposing preconceived plans should not happen. Peace missions must ensure that they systematically contained human rights components. Algeria believed that in-depth consultations about the opening of country offices must go beyond simple notification.

JONAS RUDALEVICIUS (Lithuania) said among the issues raised by the High Commissioner were comments on women's rights and gender discrimination. Lithuania welcomed attention to this problem at the present session of the Council, and hoped that the two panel discussions would provide good opportunities to tackle the very concrete components of women's rights. Empowerment of women was the way which could lead to reducing exclusion, disadvantage, and the poverty of women. Through the creation of additional possibilities for women, progress could be achieved in all concrete areas of women's rights. The visits of the High Commissioner to countries increased the visibility of human rights in general, as well as helped to address pertinent concrete issues. Lithuania stressed the interdependence between peace, development, human rights and democracy, and was convinced that the activities of the Community of Democracies, over which it was currently presiding, could constructively complement the actions of the Council.

MOHAN PEIRIS (Sri Lanka) said that with the end of the terrorist conflict in Sri Lanka, the Government had now started to scale down emergency legislative provisions. As a first step in this direction, the Government had decided to withdraw a substantial segment of the Emergency Regulations, and had modified several others. Among those repealed were the emergency provisions which had a direct bearing on the freedom of expression, which had resulted in further strengthening the protective measures in the area of freedom of opinion and expression. The rollback of the Emergency Regulations was only the beginning of a process which would continue when the ground conditions became conducive to their further relaxation. The establishment of a transitional justice mechanism was one of the foremost priorities of the Government and it was establishing a “Commission on the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation”, with an emphasis on restorative justice. The Government had also achieved the completion of the rehabilitation and release of all child soldiers.

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