Council holds interactive dialogue with Independent Expert on Minority Issues and General Debate on Human Rights Bodies and Mechanisms

Human Rights Council
AFTERNOON

15 March 2011

Hears Presentations from Advisory Committee, Forum on Minority Issues, Social Forum and Working Group on Draft Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training

The Human Rights Council this afternoon held an interactive dialogue with the Independent Expert on minority issues, listened to presentations from its subsidiary bodies: the Advisory Committee, the Forum on Minority Issues, the Social Forum and the Open-ended Intergovernmental Working Group on the UN draft declaration on human rights education and training, and then held a general debate on human rights bodies and mechanisms.

Presenting her report, Gay McDougall, United Nations Independent Expert of Minority Issues, said there was mounting evidence that some of the earliest indicators of potential violence were the chronic disregard of minority rights. Incorporating minority rights indicators into early warning systems was essential to enabling the early identification of potential conflicts. This evidence indicated that governments, donors and intergovernmental organizations needed to allocate significant attention and resources to minority issues as sources of conflict. Inclusion was essential for societies to flourish. Moreover, creating the conditions for the effective participation of minorities, in all walks of life, should be considered by States as an integral aspect of good governance and a key priority in their efforts to ensure equality, non-discrimination and stability.

Colombia and Viet Nam spoke as concerned countries.

In the interactive dialogue on minorities, speakers said that it was important to highlight the plight suffered by many ethnic minorities around the globe. Minorities should have the right to fully participate in economic life and this should be recognised by all governments. States had an obligation to ensure that international cooperation not only reached minority groups but empowered them to play an active role in development processes. In view of the serious concern caused by the increasing acts of violence against individuals belonging to religious communities around the world, speakers asked the Independent Expert which initiatives might be envisaged within her mandate to better promote and protect the rights of religious minorities. As attention to violations of minority rights at an early stage would make an invaluable contribution to the culture of prevention within the United Nations, speakers said the incorporation of minority rights indicators into early warning systems would enable earlier identification of potential conflicts. The approach of respect for the rights of minorities must be accompanied by putting in place frameworks, techniques, mechanisms and policies that would allow resolution of conflicts based on race, colour, language, religion or national or ethnic origins. However, the integration of minorities should not be seen in isolation but should be part of a broader strategy aimed at eradicating poverty, addressing underdevelopment, marginalization, economic disparities, and social and political exclusion, which were a manifestation and a result of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

Speaking in the interactive dialogue were Russian Federation, Slovenia, Haiti, Australia, European Union, Austria, Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Armenia, Morocco,
South Africa, Norway, Italy, Greece, United Nations Children’s Fund, China, Georgia, Latvia, Brazil,
Bangladesh and Turkey.

The following non-governmental organizations also took the floor: Minority Rights Group International, Pax Romana, Colombian Commission of Jurists, European Bureau for Lesser-Used Languages, World Citizens Association and Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

The Council also heard presentations by Purificacion Quisumbing, Chairperson of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee; Ms. McDougall presenting the report of the third session of the Forum on Minority Issues; Laura Dupuy-Lasserre, Chairperson of the Social Forum, presenting the report of the 2010 Social Forum; and Jurg Lauber, President-Rapporteur of the Open-ended Intergovernmental Working Group on the UN draft declaration on human rights education and training, presenting the report of the Working Group.

Ms. Quisumbing said that during the reporting period the Advisory Committee had advanced its research work within the scope of several mandates formulated by the Council. Two important standard-setting outputs had been accomplished: the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights Education and Training and the Principles and Guidelines for the Elimination of Discrimination against People Affected by Leprosy and their Family Members. During the reporting period, the Advisory Committee had also identified best practices on the matter of missing persons and discrimination in the context of the right to food. The Advisory Committee at this session would present before the Council its preliminary study on ways and means to further advance the rights of people working in rural areas.

Ms. McDougall said the recommendations of the first and second Forum on Minority Issues on the right to quality education and the right to effective political participation had been widely disseminated and well received, while the task of promoting their implementation remained ongoing. The thematic focus of the third session of the Forum on Minority Issues was on minorities and effective participation in economic life. Economic exclusion was a cause, a manifestation and a consequence of discrimination against persons belonging to minorities. The effective participation of minorities in economic life required the creation of an enabling environment in the social, legal and political spheres, and the promotion of respect for and the protection and fulfillment of the rights of minorities.

Ms. Dupuy-Lasserre said the Social Forum had been held in October 2010 to address the impact of climate change on human rights and to examine the international cooperation to achieve human rights objectives with regard to climate change. The Social Forum clearly restated the negative impacts of climate change on the enjoyment of multiple human rights including the right to life, health, food, right to development, and right to healthy environment. It also focused on the social dimension of the debate and placing humans at the heart of that debate. Climate change affected those most vulnerable and that was why there were calls to address various vulnerabilities, be they gender, economic, religious, ethnic, or of any other origin.

Mr. Lauber said the Working Group was established by resolution 13/15 of the Human Rights Council in March 2010 and was given the responsibility to establish and submit to the Council a United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training. With the exception of the opening and closing plenary sessions, the discussions on this issue took the format of informal consultations.
The different stages of progress of the Working Group were described in the corresponding report. The Working Group adopted the draft Declaration on 14 January and the Council was called upon to adopt the draft as an official United Nations Declaration. He hoped that this Declaration would act as the reference to the international community in the domain of human rights education and training.

In the general debate on human rights bodies and mechanisms, speakers said the Special Procedures of the Council played a crucial and indispensible role in the work of the Council as they were the ears and eyes of the most important human rights body of the United Nations. The efficient functioning of Special Procedures largely depended on the level of cooperation by Member States. Speakers strongly condemned any act of intimidation or reprisal against individuals or groups that had cooperated with Special Procedures and urged all States to ensure that such acts were prevented and that these individuals or groups were adequately protected. Impunity in this field must be stopped, and the first step would be documenting of cases. It was also necessary to strengthen the level of protection for those individuals who sought to cooperate with the United Nations in the field of human rights. Concerning disappeared persons, speakers said there was a clear link between the right to truth and the right to information. States had an obligation to investigate what happened in cases of disappearances, and this was separate to the obligation to try those responsible for these crimes.

On the work of the Forum on Minority Issues, speakers said economic exclusion was not only a cause and a manifestation, but also a consequence of discrimination against persons belonging to minorities. Minorities had historically been excluded from full and effective participation in economic life, both in the developed and developing world and this category of people was often discriminated against, even when there was the anti-discriminatory legislation in place. The effective participation of persons belonging to minorities in economic life was a precondition for maintaining and building harmonious and respectful relations within societies. However, this was not only the responsibility of States; civil society and the private sector also had an important role to play.

With regard to the report of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee, speakers welcomed the preliminary study on discrimination in the context of the right to food and looked forward to the conclusion of the work of the Advisory Committee on a number of issues. According to the study on discrimination in the context of the right to food, there was little, if any, improvement in the situation of the poorest regions of the world in terms of poverty and hunger reduction. The Advisory Committee should study the relationship between severe malnutrition and childhood diseases, using children affected by noma as an example, with a view to improving the legal protection of malnourished children. One speaker said the right to food needed to occupy an important place on the human rights agenda, but the Advisory Committee must coordinate its work with the Special Rapporteur on the right to food to ensure there were no duplications. Speakers praised the Advisory Committee’s work on the human rights of the elderly, the right to peace and international solidarity, and the elimination of discrimination against people affected by leprosy. The study on discrimination on the right to food and the preliminary study on ways to promote the rights of farmers were equally relevant.

Concerning the Social Forum, speakers welcomed the focus of the 2010 Forum on the theme of climate change and human rights. They were pleased that the Forum had been able to identify measures and actions needed to address the impact of climate change on the full enjoyment of human rights at the local, national, regional and international levels, including on the most vulnerable groups. The 2010 Social Forum had shown that climate change did have a negative impact on human rights and that this phenomenon required global solutions in line with international obligations and in line with the principle of common but differentiated responsibility. All countries should take this matter seriously and developed countries should continue to provide technical and financial assistance to developing countries so that they were better prepared to deal with impacts of climate change. One speaker asked what were States’ national level human rights obligations in the context of protecting vulnerable populations in the face of climate change, and whether it could be argued that States responsible for global warming had a positive obligation to help protect human rights in vulnerable States by providing adaptation assistance?

With regard to the report of the Open-ended Working Group on the draft United Nations declaration on human rights education and training, speakers hoped that this initiative would ensure that human rights education gave people a sense of responsibility for respecting and defending human rights.
The draft declaration represented a standard in the field of human rights education and training. It represented a major achievement in human rights in general and affirmed the rights of all persons to receive information and education on their fundamental human rights. Human rights education was a cross-cutting issue spanning across all rights. This would be the first instrument entirely drafted by the Human Rights Council since its inception in 2007. The Council was urged to adopt the draft resolution.

Speaking in the general debate on human rights bodies and mechanisms were Hungary on behalf of the European Union, Nigeria on behalf of the African Group, Morocco on behalf of the Platform of Human Rights Education and Training, Ghana, Cuba, Argentina, Brazil, Norway, China, Maldives, Ecuador, Thailand, Austria, Iran, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Kuwait, Philippines, Bolivia, Singapore, Luxembourg, Organisation international de la Francophonie, Australia, Armenia, South Africa, Azerbaijan and the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

The following non-governmental organizations also took the floor: International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, Soka Gakkai International, International Service for Human Rights, Myochikai, Mouvement contre le Racisme et pour l’Amitie entre les Peuples, Permanent Assembly for Human Rights, Japanese Workers’ Committee for Human Rights, Liberation, Centre for Human Rights and Peace Advocacy, Amnesty International, Comite International pour le Respect et l’Application de la Charte Africaine des Droits de l’Homme et des Peuples, Action Internationale pour la Paix et le Developpement dans la region des Grands Lacs, Foodfirst Information and Action Network, France Libertés: Fondation Danielle Mitterand, Servas International, World Association for the School as an Instrument for Peace, Badil Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights, Indian Movement “Tupaj Amaru”, North South XXI, Minority Rights Group International, Syriac Universal Alliance and the Indian Council of South America.

When the Council resumes its work at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 16 March, it will start the consideration and adoption of the outcomes of the 16 States examined during the ninth session of the Universal Periodic Review Working Group.

Documents

The Report of the Independent Expert on minority issues, Gay McDougall, (A/HRC/16/45), provides a summary of activities undertaken by the independent expert on minority issues. Since her previous report, the independent expert has undertaken two official country missions, to Colombia and to Viet Nam, to consult on minority issues. The present report focuses on the role of the protection of minority rights in conflict prevention.

Mission to Colombia (1 to 12 February 2010), (A/HRC/16/45/Add.1), notes that the Constitution and legislation of Colombia prohibit racial discrimination, protect and promote equality as a matter of law and recognize the country’s ethnic diversity. Numerous Government policies aim to address inequalities. Nevertheless, the legacy of slavery is still manifest in the social and economic marginalization of members of the Afro-Colombian, Black, Raizal and Palenquero communities. While the country as a whole may be enjoying a reduction in hostilities and armed conflict, many Afro-Colombian communities and their leaders, particularly along the Pacific coast, still suffer violent attacks. Victims believe that there is impunity for those who commit crimes against them.

Mission to Viet Nam (5 to 15 July 2010), (A/HRC/16/45/Add.2), notes that Viet Nam has been widely praised for its achievements in poverty alleviation. Nevertheless, the Government acknowledges that the poverty rate remains high among ethnic minorities. There is evident political will to address the sizeable socio-economic gaps that exist between disadvantaged ethnic minorities and the majority Kinh population. It is critical that Government plans for economic growth, particularly in areas populated by minority groups, be implemented in full consultation with minorities, without negatively affecting them or deepening their poverty. Minority women isolated in the most remote mountainous areas face particular challenges.

The Report of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee: Final study on discrimination in the context of the right to food, (A/HRC/16/40), is the culmination of a study undertaken by the Advisory Committee on the right to food, causes of discrimination in this context and best practices for combating it.

The Report of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee on its fifth session, (A/HRC/16/60), notes that the report of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee on its fifth session, to be considered by the Human Rights Council at its sixteenth session, is contained in document A/HRC/AC/5/3.

The Report of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee on its sixth session, (A/HRC/16/61), notes that the report of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee on its sixth session, to be considered by the Human Rights Council at its sixteenth session, is contained in document A/HRC/AC/6/3.

The Report of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee: Preliminary study on ways and means to further advance the rights of people working in rural areas, including women, in particular smallholders engaged in the production of food and/or other agricultural products, including from directly working the land, traditional fishing, hunting and herding activities, (A/HRC/16/63), focuses on the rights of the most vulnerable people working in rural areas, in particular on those of smallholder farmers, landless workers, fisher-folk, hunters and gatherers. The report does not focus on the rights of other people working in rural areas, such as those working in the business industry or public administration.

The Report of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee: Final study on the best practices in the matter of missing persons, (A/HRC/16/70), is the culmination of a study undertaken by the Advisory Committee on combating the phenomenon of missing persons in the context of conflict or other political upheaval.

The Report of the Forum on Minority Issues on its third session, (A/HRC/16/46), details the discussions held during the forum’s third session, held from 14 to 15 December, on minorities and effective participation in economic life.

The Report of the 2010 Social Forum, (A/HRC/16/62), contains a summary of discussions and recommendations of the 2010 Social Forum, which was held in Geneva from 4 to 6 October 2010, in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 13/17.

Corrigendum, (A/HRC/16/62/Corr.1), Annex II, States Members of the Human Rights Council
After Brazil insert Chile

Note by the Secretariat: Draft UN Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training, (A/HRC/16/41), notes that in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 13/15, the Open-ended Working Group on the draft United Nations declaration on human rights education and training, meeting in Geneva from 10 to 14 January 2011, negotiated and finalized the draft declaration, which is available in document A/HRC/WG.9/1/2. The report of the Open-ended Working Group is available in document A/HRC/WG.9/1/3.

The Draft United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training as adopted by the Open-Ended Working Group on the draft United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training, (A/HRC/WG.9/1/2), is the draft declaration.

The Report of the Open-Ended Working Group on the draft United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training, (A/HRC/WG.9/1/3), details the Working Group’s meeting in Geneva from 10 to 14 January 2011, in which it finalized, adopted and submitted to the Council a draft declaration (A/HRC/WG.9/1/2).

Statement by Independent Expert on Minority Issues

GAY MCDOUGALL, United Nations Independent Expert on Minority Issues, began by presenting her report on her visit to Colombia in February 2010 and thanked the Government of Colombia for its cooperation. The Constitution and legislation of Colombia prohibited racial discrimination, protected and promoted equality as a matter of law and recognized the country’s ethnic diversity. For example, Law 70 on the “Recognition of the Right of Black Colombians to Collectively Own and Occupy Ancestral Lands” was exemplary in its provisions to protect and promote their rights. Nevertheless, her visit revealed that the legacy of slavery was still manifest in the social and economic marginalization of members of the Afro-Colombian, Black, Raizal and Palenquero communities. Census data clearly illustrated the disproportionate poverty and relatively poor social and economic conditions experienced by many Afro-Colombians. Sadly, violence and intimidation continued to be aimed at dispossessing Black communities of their resource-rich ancestral lands. Narco traffickers wanted the land for illegal coca cultivation and trafficking and commercial interests were also eager to exploit the natural resources on these lands.

Ms. McDougall also conducted a country visit to Viet Nam in July 2010 and presented her report to the Council. It was evident that the Government of Viet Nam recognized the importance of its minority populations as important constituents of the nation and had undertaken policies to address many of the challenges in ensuring the rights of minorities in every sphere of life. Viet Nam had experienced impressive economic growth and prosperity in recent years, from which the majority of the population was benefiting. However, many belonging to minority groups continued to experience serious disadvantages and the poverty rate remained high among ethnic minorities. In order to address the current inequalities, the importance of improving the educational outcomes of minorities could not be overstated. Access to quality and appropriate education was a fundamental gateway to development and poverty eradication for minorities in Viet Nam. In addition, while there had been some positive progress with regard to the rights of religious minorities in Viet Nam, certain problems remained and the Independent Expert urged the Government to enforce due process and the rule of law, applied consistently and in line with international standards.

Moving to her thematic report, Ms. McDougall said that there was mounting evidence that some of the earliest indicators of potential violence were the chronic disregard of minority rights. Incorporating minority rights indicators into early warning systems was essential to enabling the early identification of potential conflicts. This evidence indicated that Governments, donors and intergovernmental organizations needed to allocate significant attention and resources to minority issues as sources of conflict. In conclusion, the Independent Expert added that inclusion was essential for societies to flourish. Moreover, creating the conditions for the effective participation of minorities, in all walks of life, should be considered by States as an integral aspect of good governance and a key priority in their efforts to ensure equality, non-discrimination and stability.

Statements by Concerned Countries

ALICIA VICTORIA ARANGO OLMOS (Colombia), speaking as concerned country, said that they commended the report presented by the Independent Expert on Minority Issues on the occasion of her official visit in Colombia. During her visit, Ms. McDougall had the opportunity to exchange information and opinions with the President of the Republic, with different national authorities, organizations and civil society representatives. Colombia informed the Council about some important developments which took place in Colombia after her visit. In May 2010, document 3660 was adopted by the National Board of the Economic and Social Politics. The document identified the critical pillars which required concrete actions for the promotion and protection of human rights. Likewise, there was continuity provided to the dialogue of the national government with the indigenous peoples and afro-descendents. They had implemented the presidential programme for indigenous peoples and people of African descent. They had designed a statutory bill that would recognize fundamental rights for ethnic groups. The bill encompassed a set of affirmative actions in political participation, the labor market, entrepreneur activities, economic development and access to land. They noted the Agreement of Cooperation for the implementation of the Plan of Action on racial equality, signed between Colombia, the government of the United States and the International Organization for Migration to improve integral care for African descendent communities. Turning to education, the Colombian Institute of Credit and Studies had a special fund which had benefited more than 16,000 citizens of Afro descent between 2004 and 2010. They were aware of the major challenges and the process of transitional justice was fundamental to establishing the facts which would help them to provide reparation.

The vice president of the Republic had promoted a bill for victims of violence and for returning of land to people who had been stripped of it. They were aware that the programme had to be reflected in a tangible way and they made reference to the drastic plan that provided 290,000 hectares of land to African descendent communities and to indigenous people. Their purpose was to reduce extreme poverty in the next 4 years and they wanted to continue a constructive dialogue with the Independent Expert, and Colombian institutions would continue to analyze the recommendations of Ms. McDougall.

VU DUNG (Viet Nam), speaking as a concerned country, said that the visit of the Independent Expert on minority issues to Viet Nam was a very important one, and a good opportunity for both the Independent Expert and the Government to review what had been done and what needed to be done in the future in the interest of ethnic minorities in Viet Nam. The Independent Expert had reflected on both the achievements and challenges in Viet Nam in the field of minority issues. Such a situation was understandable in view of the trials and hardships the country had gone through and the fact that it had just embarked on the road to development. Viet Nam agreed that much more needed to be done to ensure better enjoyment of human rights by ethnic minorities and this was the commitment the Government had made during its Universal Periodic Review process. It was noteworthy that most of the ethnic minorities in Viet Nam lived in mountainous and remote areas which were difficult to access and which were frequently hit by natural disasters. The communities also suffered from shortages of water and arable land. During the last decades, the Government had promoted laws and policies and devised concrete national programmes, particularly those for poverty alleviation, basic health care, education and others.

Cultural diversity, difference in development levels between regions and ethnic communities, lack of resources and many other challenges were still obstacles to the full enjoyment of human rights and freedoms for all, including ethnic minorities. There were fifty-four peoples living in Viet Nam in harmony and peace since the gaining of independence. The policies and laws of the country protected freedom of religion and belief. As an important part of the nation, ethnic minorities deserved more attention and assistance to improve their lives and enjoy all civil, economic, political, social and cultural rights and the Government of Viet Nam would seriously consider all the recommendations provided in the report of the Independent Expert.

Interactive Dialogue with Independent Expert

VICTORIA GUSEVA (Russian Federation), thanked the Independent Expert for her important work on the issue of minority rights. The delegation added that it was important to highlight the plight suffered by many ethnic minorities around the globe. However, the Russian Federation wondered how countries could effectively address the challenges of providing equal access to education. The Independent Expert clearly highlighted that this was an important strategy, but without providing tangible examples of its implementation. One example raised by the Russian Federation was that of Latvia and Estonia, where those who lacked citizenship were systematically discriminated against. The delegation concluded by asking the Independent Expert what could be done to protect minorities who found themselves in countries without citizenship.

URSKA CAS SVETEK (Slovenia), said that in her report the Independent Expert highlighted that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) had established a specific mechanism to address conflicts involving minorities in Member States, the High Commissioner on National Minorities, which acted as an early warning and early action mechanism. They expressed their expectation that all countries, especially Human Rights Council Member States and candidates for Human Rights Council membership, would positively respond to her request for country visits, and in doing so show their willingness to cooperate with Council mechanisms in compliance with point 9 of the United Nations General Assembly resolution 60/251.

FRANTZ DORSAINVILLE (Haiti), said that Haiti welcomed the Independent Expert on minority issues and thanked her for the report. Haiti regretted that minorities in the American hemisphere were often excluded from the decision-making process, could not enforce their rights or have access to justice. Minorities should have the right to fully participate in economic life and this should be recognised by all governments. Haiti congratulated the Independent Expert on the promotion and protection of rights of minorities and expressed support for her mandate.

SARAH NICKSON (Australia), said that Australia was a multicultural country with an estimated population of 22 million people, one quarter of whom were born overseas. Australian societies valued equality of opportunity, mutual respect, tolerance, fairness, and the right to participate in the community free from discrimination or harassment. Australia agreed that States had an obligation to ensure that international cooperation not only reached minority groups but empowered them to play an active role in development processes. On 16 February 2011, the Australian Government released a new national multicultural policy, which harnessed the benefits of cultural, linguistic and religious diversity as integral components for Australia’s social and economic stability. In closing, Australia said that it looked forward to continuing its engagement with the Independent Expert.

DAVIDE ZARU (The European Union), welcomed the report of Ms. McDougall which included a thematic study related to the role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention. They welcomed the high priority that she had given to the promotion of minority issues in the context of the Millennium Development Goals. In view of the serious concern caused by the increasing acts of violence against individuals belonging to religious communities around the world, strongly condemned by the European Union, they asked the Independent Expert which initiatives might be envisaged within her mandate to better promote and protect the rights of religious minorities. The European Union also asked Ms. McDougall which, in her view, were the most prevailing challenges to the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons belonging to National, Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, what were the main obstacles she encountered in fulfilling her mandate and how the Council could contribute to addressing these obstacles.

CHRISTIAN STROHAL (Austria), said Austria welcomed the comprehensive report that had focused on the role of the protection of minority rights in conflict prevention and said this topic was of utmost importance. As attention to violations of minority rights at an early stage would make an invaluable contribution to the culture of prevention within the United Nations, Austria asked the Independent Expert to further elaborate on this statement and explain the role of governments. The incorporation of minority rights indicators into early warning systems would enable earlier identification of potential conflicts. Austria asked if the Independent Expert had identified good practices in this regard. Economic exclusion of minorities was cause, consequence and manifestation of discrimination. What role could private sector and civil society play in achieving the full participation of persons belonging to minorities in economic life?

ASIM VETIKHAR AHMAD (Pakistan), speaking on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, thanked the Independent Expert for her hard work. Over the period of her two terms, the Council had greatly benefited from the Independent Expert’s knowledge, forthright approach and a frank dialogue on the very complex and challenging task of promoting the implementation of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National, Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. In her report, the Independent Expert mentioned that the denigration or suppression of the defining identity of a person or group could be a powerful factor in generating conflict. She rightly said that repressive measures to control or restrict religious or traditional practices or force assimilation could galvanize opposition. In this regard, the Organization of the Islamic Conference had been raising its concerns against the backdrop of increased incidents of targeting Muslim minorities in different parts of the world, in particular in Western countries. Pakistan concluded by asking the Independent Expert to comment on how such trends could be reversed.

VAHEH GEVORGYAN (Armenia), said that they welcomed the Independent Expert’s activities aimed at establishing dialogue between different states, United Nations bodies and civil society on minority issues. They welcomed the focus of the Independent Expert on the role of the protection of minority rights in conflict prevention in her current report. The report established a certain link between minority rights violations and violent conflicts. The efforts of the Independent Expert to seek appropriate preventive expertise in wider United Nations and regional organization systems were noteworthy. They would be grateful to know whether the Independent Expert envisaged a follow-up to this report or the joint study within the wider United Nations system.

MOHAMED ACHGALOU (Morocco), said Morocco welcomed the pertinence of the thematic study chosen, which came at a time when events around the world demonstrated how discrimination against minorities could be a precursor to conflict. The approach of respect for the rights of minorities must be accompanied by putting in place frameworks, techniques, mechanisms and policies that would allow resolution of conflicts based on race, colour, language, religion or national or ethnic origins. Morocco considered that two relevant texts in this regard were the 1992 Declaration on the Rights of Minorities and the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. Morocco asked the Independent Expert her opinion on the implementation of her recommendations to States and how to establish the necessary balance between respect for the rights of minorities and the specific needs of each minority group.

KGOMOTSO DAPHNE RAHLAGA (South Africa), said that in South Africa minority communities occupied a privileged position, including the command of the economy and wealth of the country, this being a consequence of the apartheid policies that relegated the majority population to the periphery of society. The people of South Africa became landless in their own country and suffered from a blatant lack of economic, social and cultural rights, as well as civil and political rights. In this regard, South Africa warned that the integration of minorities should not be seen in isolation but should be part of a broader strategy aimed at eradicating poverty, addressing underdevelopment, marginalization, economic disparities, and social and political exclusion, which were a manifestation and a result of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

MONICA THOWSEN (Norway), thanked the Independent Expert for the two reports from her country visits to Viet Nam and Colombia. Minority groups in Norway were protected by different international legal instruments depending on whether the group was regarded as an indigenous people, a national minority or immigrants. Five groups in Norway were considered as national minorities: Jews, Roma, Romani, Kven, and Forest Finns. The Sami people were recognized as an indigenous people under the International Labour Convention No 169. Norwegian authorities, for historical reasons, did not keep a register based on ethnicity. They recognized however, that this made it more challenging to gather detailed facts on the situation, in order to tailor arrangements in meeting the different needs of different minorities. They asked the Independent Expert to elaborate on examples regarding ways to collect or aggregate data that were not based on ethnicity.

PAOLO CUCULI (Italy), said that recent months had been marked by an alarming increase in acts of violence against members of religious communities worldwide. Italy asked if the Independent Expert on minority issues believed that a more specific focus on protection of religious minorities would be required within the future activities of this Special Procedure. Further, Italy asked which initiatives might be envisaged at the regional level to promote the respect of human rights of religious minorities and their full integration within countries.

EVGENIA BENIATOGLOU (Greece), said that it considered the Forum on Minority Issues one of the most successful mechanisms of the Human Rights Council and had actively participated in all three sessions. The 1923 Treaty of Lausanne established the status of the Muslim minority Thrace. Persons belonging to the minority were Greek citizens of Turkish, Pomak and Roma origin and each of these groups had its own spoken language and cultural traditions and heritage, which were respected by the Greek State. The members of the Muslim minority enjoyed all the rights reserved to Greek citizens and furthermore, measures of positive discrimination had been adopted. Members of the Muslim minority, especially women and children, were beneficiaries of nationwide programmes and projects designed for vulnerable social groups. Finally, Greece said that it attached great importance to the respect of religious freedoms and freedom of belief as the cornerstone of a free, pluralistic and open democratic society.

NICOLETTE MOODIE (United Nations Children’s Fund), said that United Nations Children’s Fund’s (UNICEF) mission statement was grounded in human rights and therefore required the organisation to give special attention to the rights of the most disadvantaged children. UNICEF sought to identify and address the root causes of inequity and those actions were informed by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women. The priority was to support governments and other organisations in eliminating discrimination faced by children and women. UNICEF recognised that the full realisation of the rights of minorities was a collective effort and in this regard expressed its appreciation for the efforts of the Independent Expert in reaching out to all stakeholders to encourage increased efforts and greater engagement in minority programming.

BIAN GE (China), said that the report contained a number of recommendations on how to promote the rights of minorities and they all deserved careful consideration by governments. China had always adhered to the policy of equality between ethnic groups and had established a system of regional autonomy for ethnic groups. China noted significant progress achieved in the enjoyment of rights by ethnic minorities. They also had registered significant economic growth and China was on a good road to building rural and urban security and safety systems. China had ensured that all people could enjoy the fruits of progress and had significantly increased the assistance and support to Tibet and other ethnic minority regions. The government would continue to be committed to the promotion of social justice and harmony and economic development of ethnic minorities.

LLIA IMNADZE (Georgia), said that as an ethnically, culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse country, the government was focused on developing approaches to protect national minority rights. In this respect, the attention of the government had been directed towards elaborating strong legislative safeguards for the multilayer protection and promotion of minority rights. Provisions prohibiting discrimination were aimed at furthering the integration process of minority groups into Georgian society and had been enacted at all levels of national legislation. Another critical area of attention was the education sector. Special programmes and measures at all levels of education had been introduced to enhance minority integration. These measures included multilingual education, tolerance and intercultural dialogue activities, such as university quotas for minority representatives.

JANIS MAZEIKS (Latvia), welcomed the Independent Expert’s continuous collaboration with United Nations agencies, bodies and mechanisms, including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Children’s Fund, as well as her activities to promote minority issues in the context of the Millennium Development Goals. They highly appreciated the thematic work and approach of the Independent Expert and they highly valued her efforts in conflict prevention. They would continue to follow with appreciation the work of the Forum which had the potential of a meaningful tool for the promotion of the rights of persons belonging to minorities. They would stress, however, that the Forum would gain from a clearer focus on issues relating to minorities.

TARA E. FOLEY (United States), said that the thematic focus of the report on the role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention was timely and provided useful recommendations in the area of early warning indicators and new methodologies for collecting and analyzing information from the field on the treatment of minorities. References to the High Commissioner’s work in the area of minority rights and to the list of various training materials produced by United Nations agencies provided a useful inventory of the ongoing work and training that would help to raise awareness and suggest solutions among Member States and United Nations personnel to the problems of discrimination and exclusion that individuals belonging to minority groups continued to face.

CARLOS EDUARDO DA CUNHA OLIVEIRA (Brazil), said that the Independent Expert on minority issues had focused in her report on the role of protection of minority rights in conflict prevention. Brazil welcomed this focus on the provision of equal access to economic and social opportunities to promote the economic, social and cultural rights of minorities. Brazil also supported the call of the Independent Expert for all States to increase attention to minority issues in the context of the Millennium Development Goals. Governments should give high priority to ensuring that minorities had full access to social programmes aimed at poverty reduction and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. It was important that States were equipped with data concerning minorities. Minority rights violations were often among the root causes of conflicts. Creating the conditions for the improvement of the living conditions of minorities and ensuring equality, non-discrimination and development of their communities, was in fact essential to any conflict prevention strategy.

NAHIDA SOBHAN (Bangladesh), thanked Ms. McDougall, the Independent Expert on Minority Issues, for her presentation today. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities had recognized the rights of populations belonging to ethnic, religious or linguistic traditions which were different from those of the rest of the population. In the Declaration adopted during the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in South Africa in 2001, States emphasized the need to establish institutions and develop policies for promoting multiracial and multicultural societies. They appreciated the efforts Ms. McDougall had undertaken to promote the implementation of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National Ethical, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. They remained ready to cooperate with her in her future endeavors and wished her well.

YAPRAK ALP (Turkey), said it believed that minorities constituted an important element in the friendship between two countries, notably Greece and Turkey. Minorities should have the right to express themselves fully, and Greece needed to address issues that remained outstanding for Turkish minorities in Greece and the government of Turkey looked forward to working with the government of Greece to address these issues.

ANN BLOMBERG, of Minority Rights Group International, said that the mandate of the Independent Expert on minority issues was vitally important to some of the most marginalised communities around the world. The Minority Rights Group International urged the Council to renew and strengthen this mandate. The Forum on Minority Issues had made some valuable recommendations and as highlighted by the Independent Expert, economic exclusion was cause, manifestation and consequence of discrimination against minorities, and the right to participate in economic life was protected by international instruments.

LAURENCE KWARK, of Pax Romana, said that there was mounting evidence that one of earliest indicators of violence was a chronic disregard of minority rights, but still States and international organisations remained reluctant to take action even after violence started. This was the case in many countries, such as Libya, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Yemen, Iran and Sri Lanka. Minorities were the most vulnerable and targeted victims. Almost twenty years had been dedicated to the promotion and implementation of the declaration on minorities, yet they still suffered discrimination, threats, injustice, violence, stigmatisation and often structural poverty that made their situation even more vulnerable.

ANA MARIA RODRIGUEZ, of Colombian Commission of Jurists, said that the Human Rights Council had before it the report of the Independent Expert on Minority Issues and the Expert had noted the extreme poverty affecting people of African origin. The areas where these people lived had the highest index of poverty. People of African origin were constantly victims of violations of humanitarian law and of disproportionate violence. They expressed concern for the high level of impunity for these offences and said that the Independent Expert had recommended the establishment of early warning systems to protect Afro-Colombian victims who sought restitution for lost land. They called on the Council to ensure the implementation of institutional programmes to eliminate persistent discrimination against these communities.

ATTILIO BERNASCONI, of European Bureau for Lesser Used Languages, said that the cultures of many communities and indigenous people were constantly threatened and they welcomed the report of the Independent Expert calling for the integration of linguistic minorities and not segregation; protection of languages among all minorities was the only way to prevent conflicts. They called on the Council to take on board the recommendations of the Independent Expert to call on States to ensure that rights were enjoyed without any discrimination on the basis of racial or cultural origins. Programs should be envisaged to ensure culture heterogeneity and identity, which was the heritage of all mankind.

GENEVIEVE JOURDAN, of World Citizens Association, said it called on governments to protect national minorities by promoting their language and culture. In daily life there was a major distinction between citizens and non-citizens because of registration procedures. Some minority families were left fragmented in insecurity and living in extreme poverty. The Association would like to see progress made in the development of housing programmes for minorities, as Slovenia had done, and the elimination of discrimination in housing should apply to all of Europe, including the practice of brutal evictions. Marginalization of ethnic minorities appeared to be spreading across Europe and the Association asked if Europe would have the courage to debate a single identification document for all of Europe.

JING ZHAO, of Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, said it appreciated the efforts of the Independent Expert on minority issues. In China there were 56 ethnic groups and a policy of regional ethnic autonomy was implemented in which citizens of ethnic minorities independently managed their affairs. Publicity and education was constantly strengthened to improve the awareness of ethnic minorities so that they were a part of the development of society as a whole. Ethnic minorities benefited from privileges and a recent trip to Tibet demonstrated that the minorities there were happy with their lives. The Association deeply condemned those who distorted the human rights situation in China and called on all members of the Council to oppose foreign interference in the ethnic rights of individual States.

Concluding Remarks by Independent Expert

GAY MCDOUGALL, United Nations Independent Expert on Minority Issues, in her concluding observations, said that questions asked by the delegations had been very rich and she thanked all speakers for the interest shown for this mandate. The Independent Expert congratulated the government of Colombia on new initiatives undertaken and wished them all the best in their implementation. The Independent Expert said that when she had taken the mandate in 2006, she was very clear that there might be populations that might constitute numerical minorities in a country, but which could have a majority participation, for example in the economy; one example of this being the case of apartheid in South Africa. The Independent Expert also pointed out the lack of focus on the situation of women in the recommendations of the Third Forum on Minorities and the Independent Expert said that the issues that took the most time to discuss and formulate were recommendations which focused specifically on marginalised minority women. On the role of the government in bringing early attention to the status of minorities, the Independent Expert referred to the recommendation in her report which spoke of consolation with minority groups, identifying problems and solutions early, revision of legislation to remove discrimination and promotion of those measures.

Concerning the main obstacles encountered in the work of the Independent Expert over the past six years, they included the tendency of some governments to deny or not recognise the existence of minority populations within their territories and sometimes minorities were seen as a threat to a State and national unity. Rather than being a threat to national identity, the recognition of individual and group differences were the building blocks for national unity and the building blocks for social cohesion. Another difficulty had been the collection of socio-economic data in a way that it could be disaggregated to reveal differences based on ethnicity, religion or language. There was no doubt that there were historical reasons why States had been cautious in data collection, but there were protective devices to assure data protection and anonymity. It was very difficult to understand the level of inequality without the appropriate data to support the claims. The Independent Expert drew the attention of the delegations to her reports of 2007 and 2008 which contained answers to some of the questions asked today. On the role of civil society and the private sector in the full participation of minorities in economic life, the Independent Expert said that businesses must be called upon to comply with national and international labour standards, the obligation that the workforce reflect the composition of the population, trade unions must be supportive of minority workers and civil society must be the engine behind these efforts. In conclusion, the Independent Expert thanked all the speakers again for their questions and the support to her mandate.

Presentation of Reports by Human Rights Bodies and Mechanisms

PURIFICACION QUISUMBING, Chairperson of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee, in presenting the report of the Advisory Committee, said that during the reporting period the Advisory Committee had advanced its research work within the scope of several mandates formulated by the Council. Ms. Quisumbing said that two important standard-setting outputs had been accomplished: the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training and the Principles and Guidelines for the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons Affected by Leprosy and their Family Members. In both regards, the dialogue between the Advisory Committee, Council delegations and relevant sponsors had been regular and open and the deliberations enriched by the expertise sought from a variety of stakeholders. Since its first session in 2008, the Advisory Committee had taken up with determination the mandate on human rights education and training and submitted its finalized draft of the declaration to the Council exactly one year ago. The enthusiastic response received from a large variety of stakeholders to the issue and the preliminary findings by the Committee had demonstrated the there was still a need to emphasize human rights education as an obligation under international human rights law as well as a prerequisite to achieving the realization of human rights. With regards to eliminating discrimination against people with leprosy and their family members, the Committee hoped that more attention would be given in the future to discrimination in the context of all so-called neglected diseases.

During the reporting period the Advisory Committee had also identified best practices in the matter of missing persons and discrimination in the context of the right to food. With regard to the study on missing persons, Committee Members were particularly thankful to the International Committee of the Red Cross for its interest and continuous feedback, as well as to colleagues of the Working Group on Enforced Disappearance. The Committee was also grateful to the many stakeholders who had provided their views on the preliminary study on discrimination in the context of the right to food, issued last year, enabling the Committee to finalize its work on the issue. The Advisory Committee held the view that further considerations should be given to other related topics such as the right to food for the urban poor, of rural women with a special focus on female-headed households and of temporary and seasonable workers. Consideration would also be given to the relationship between malnutrition and childhood diseases and the right to food for people forced to leave their homes and land because of hunger. The Advisory Committee at this session would present before the Council its preliminary study on ways and means to further advance the rights of people working in rural areas. As outlined in its recommendation 6/5, the Committee was keen in obtaining the views and comments from a variety of stakeholders and welcomed the opportunity to organize a consultative seminar on the issue. Progress had also been made in a number of other mandates including the promotion of the right of people to peace, the enhancement of international cooperation in human rights and international solidarity.

A progress report on a draft declaration on the rights of people to peace would be submitted, as requested, to the Council at its 17th session. During the reporting period the work of the Advisory Committee had advanced against the backdrop of the review process. The Advisory Committee looked forward to an enhanced and more regular relationship with the Council both in formal and informal settings. They were confident that a solid foundation had been laid during its first 3 years of activities, and they were confident that the added value and strength of the Committee lay in its collegial composition and its accessibility to a variety of stakeholders.

GAY McDOUGALL, United Nations Independent Expert on Minority Issues, said that the recommendations of the first and second Forum on Minority Issues on the right to quality education and the right to effective political participation had been widely disseminated and well received, while the task of promoting their implementation remained ongoing. The Forum offered an important and unique space for dialogue where the voices of minorities, human rights defenders, communities, victims and the most marginalized could be heard. The Forum sought to develop concrete and tangible outcomes in the form of thematic recommendations of practical value to all stakeholders. The thematic focus of the third session of the Forum on Minority Issues was on minorities and effective participation in economic life. The Forum was chaired by Professor Gita Sen of the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore and Adjunct Professor at the Harvard School of Public Heath and benefited from the participation and expertise of a wide range of stakeholders with over 500 participants and delegates from over 70 Member States from all regions and United Nations specialized agencies and treaty bodies.

Economic exclusion was a cause, a manifestation and a consequence of discrimination against persons belonging to minorities. Minorities were often discriminated against when they sought employment on the basis of their colour, ethnicity, race, religion, language or name, even when there was legislation that banned discrimination in both public and private sectors. The effective participation of minorities in economic life required the creation of an enabling environment in the social, legal and political spheres, the promotion of respect for and the protection and fulfilment of the rights of minorities. Three fundamental principles underpinned the work to address the exclusion of minorities from full and effective participation in economic life. Firstly, the right to non-discrimination to ensure the enjoyment of a range of economic and social rights. A second essential principle was the right to effective participation of minorities in decision-making and in decisions that affected them and the regions in which they lived. Thirdly, was the need for the implementation of special measures or affirmative action to address the effects of long-standing and entrenched discrimination against certain minority groups.

Recommendations from the Forum ranged from improving and strengthening legal frameworks, providing incentives for monitoring at all levels, and establishing institutions such as ombudspersons to raise awareness of the existence of remedies and to ensure they were accessible. The recommendations drew particular attention to the multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination against minorities, including on the basis of sex, age, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity. Intersectional discrimination deepened and complicated the impact of the denial of access to jobs, housing and other economic rights. Minority women in rural or remote areas in some countries had to cope with a profound isolation created by boundaries of the home, lack of education and language barriers. Their workload was made heavier by the lack of basic amenities and entrenched gender roles which left women highly vulnerable, particularly with regard to ownership of land or property, inheritance rights and access to credit, technology or markets. The Independent Expert encouraged all stakeholders to work towards implementing the recommendations so that there would be a real change in the lives of minorities. The Independent Expert had been encouraged by the valuable participation from the United Nations mechanisms and specialized agencies and it was her hope that the Forum would become a vehicle for engaging in regional human rights protection systems, possibly through convening a meeting each year in a region on a rotating basis.

LAURA DUPUY-LASSERRE, Chairperson of the Social Forum, said that the Social Forum had been held in October 2010 to address the impact of climate change on human rights and to examine the international cooperation to achieve human rights objectives with regard to climate change. There were over 250 participants, including States, international organisations and non-governmental organizations. There were presentations on various issues by twenty guest panellists, and all those were contained in the report of the event. The Social Forum clearly restated the negative impacts of climate change on the enjoyment of multiple human rights including the right to life, health, food, the right to development, and the right to a healthy environment. Climate change affected those most vulnerable and that was why there were calls to address various vulnerabilities, be they gender, economic, religious, ethnic, or any other origin. Human rights and obligations must inform international responses to climate change. That was why there was a clear appeal for a human rights approach in tackling the issue in order to avoid discrimination and inequality. Without prejudice to the responsibility of each State in the promotion and protection of human rights, climate change was a global issue with global dimensions and it required global solutions.

The world was already starting to see climate refugees, and this would be of particular importance for small island States. Regarding internally displaced persons and refugees, there were already texts which protected their rights. International cooperation, including technical assistance, capacity building and technology transfer, were examined and some approaches were even criticised. They also examined the best way forward and follow-up and there was a proposal to make this discussion an annual one in the framework of the Human Rights Council. This showed the need to mainstream climate change in all of their work so that this issue would be addressed in the best possible manner. There was also a proposal to establish a Special Procedure dedicated to climate change. As a positive outcome of the Sixteenth Conference of Parties held in Cancun, Mexico in December 2010, there was a shared vision of the common action and the need to fully respect human rights in all actions relative to climate change. In conclusion, Ms. Dupuy-Lasserre thanked all the participants of the Social Forum for their valuable contributions.

JURG LAUBER, President-Rapporteur of the Open-ended Intergovernmental Working Group on a Draft United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training, said that the Working Group was established by resolution 13/15 of the Human Rights Council in March 2010 and was given the responsibility of establishing and submitting to the Council a United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training. With the exception of the opening and closing plenary sessions, the discussions on this issue took the format of informal consultations. In addition to the contributions of the Advisory Committee, the Working Group benefited greatly from the work conducted by the Platform of Human Rights Education and Training, which consisted of Costa Rica, Italy, Morocco, the Philippines, Senegal, Slovenia and Switzerland.

The different stages of progress of the Working Group were described in the corresponding report. The Working Group was attended by more than seventy governmental representatives, three regional organizations and ten non-governmental organizations. All of the stakeholders participated actively in discussions and demonstrated a strong commitment to making progress on the issue of human rights education and training. The Working Group adopted the draft Declaration on 14 January and the Council was called upon to adopt the draft as an official United Nations Declaration. The President-Rapporteur said that he hoped that this Declaration would act as the reference for the international community in the domain of human rights education and training. Mr. Lauber concluded by thanking all of the delegations who were involved in the preparation of this draft Declaration and in particular the excellent spirit of collaboration that was exhibited between and amongst the various stakeholders.

General Debate

ANDRAS DEKANY (Hungary), on behalf of the European Union, said the European Union welcomed this occasion to exchange views on the work of the expert mechanisms of the Human Rights Council. The European Union was of the view that Special Procedures played a crucial and indispensible role in the work of the Council as they were the eyes and ears of the most important human rights body of the United Nations. The efficient functioning of Special Procedures largely depended on the level of cooperation by Member States. In light of this, the European Union was concerned about the fact that according to the official statistics provided by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights States’ response rates to urgent appeals and other communications were far below 50 per cent. This was an alarming figure and the Council should do more to ensure that States replied in a timely manner to communications and requests for visits. The European Union strongly rejected any act of intimidation or reprisal against individuals or groups that had cooperated with Special Procedures and it urged all States to ensure that such acts were prevented and these individuals or groups were adequately protected. The European Union also encouraged all States, especially the Human Rights Council Member States and candidates for membership, to extend a standing invitation to the Special Procedures and expected those States that had extended such an invitation to honour their commitment. The European Union strongly encouraged the Advisory Committee to focus on human rights issues, including how to improve implementation and not seek to infringe upon the mandate and work of other parts of the United Nations. The European Union regretted that in the course of the review of the work and functioning of the Human Rights Council that a more efficient and transparent selection process for the members of the Advisory Committee had not been adopted, such as the one that existed for Special Procedures.

OSITADINMA ANAEDU (Nigeria), on behalf of the African Group, said the African Group commended the work of the Forum on Minority Issues and noted that, given the importance of the nature of economic rights to the full inclusion of minority communities, the Forum dedicated its last session to the effective participation of this group in economic life. Economic exclusion was not only a cause and a manifestation, but also a consequence of discrimination against persons belonging to minorities. Minorities had historically been excluded from full and effective participation in economic life, both in the developed and the developing world, and this category of people was often discriminated against, even when there was anti-discriminatory legislation in place. Data collection should be improved, as should access to social services, social security, credit services, education, vocational training and land tenure rights. The African Group thanked the Advisory Committee for their report and welcomed the preliminary study on discrimination in the context of the right to food and looked forward to the conclusion of the work of the Advisory Committee on a number of issues. The African Group was pleased that the 2010 Social Forum had focused on the theme of climate change and human rights and was delighted to note that the expert presentations were accompanied by an interactive exchange of views. The African Group was pleased that the Forum had been able to identify measures and actions needed to address the impact of climate change on the full enjoyment of human rights at the local, national, regional and international levels, including on the most vulnerable groups. Turning to the report of the Open-ended Working Group on the draft United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training, the African Group said it hoped that this initiative would ensure that human rights education gave people a sense of responsibility for respecting and defending human rights.

OMAR HILALE (Morocco), speaking on behalf of the Platform of Human Rights Education and Training, congratulated the work of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the final draft Declaration that it had produced, which could represent a standard in the field of human rights education and training. Morocco thanked the members of the Working Group and also representatives from non-governmental organizations for their efforts, support and contribution to this important initiative. The draft represented a major achievement in human rights in general and affirmed the rights of all persons to receive information and education on their fundamental human rights. The scope, principles and the extent of human rights education was clearly described in the draft Declaration. Less than four years after Morocco and Switzerland had launched this initiative, the delegation said that this would be the first instrument entirely drafted by the Human Rights Council since its inception in 2007. Morocco concluded by expressing the sincere hope that this resolution would be adopted by consensus.

MERCY YVONNE AMOAH (Ghana), said it remained concerned that, as stated in the study on discrimination in the context of the right to food, there was little, if any, improvement in the situation of the poorest regions of the world in terms of poverty and hunger reduction and that more than half of the population of Sub-Saharan Africa remained below the poverty line. Ghana was further disturbed to note that more than one third of child deaths worldwide were attributed to malnutrition. The report also referenced noma, a disease which devoured the faces of children and some medical studies had shown that malnutrition was one of the main risk factors for the disease, which in its advanced stages could have a death rate of 90 per cent. Ghana endorsed the recommendation that the Advisory Committee undertake comprehensive studies on the identified topics and specifically in respect to noma disease. Ghana would also like the Committee to study the relationship between severe malnutrition and childhood diseases, using children affected by noma as an example, with a view to improving the legal protection of malnourished children.

LUIS AMOROS NUNEZ (Cuba), said that Cuba welcomed the holding of the Social Forum in 2010 dedicated to the negative effects of climate change on human rights. It had been shown that climate change had a negative impact on human rights and that this phenomenon required global solutions in line with international obligations and in line with the principle of common but differentiated responsibility. Cuba asked for support to guarantee the broadest possible participation of civil society organisations from developing countries in the next Social Forum. Cuba expressed satisfaction with the work of the Advisory Committee and said it was worth noting its work on the human rights of the elderly, the right to peace and international solidarity, and the elimination of discrimination against people affected by leprosy. The study of discrimination in the context of the right to food and the preliminary study on ways to promote the rights of farmers were equally relevant. It was important to respond to queries from the Advisory Committee in order to take their analysis even further. Cuba restated its commitment to the work of the Advisory Committee which was an essential part of the United Nations machinery on human rights.

MARIANO GUIDA (Argentina), addressed the issue of disappeared persons and said that it welcomed the report and the recommendations that were made. The report took on significant standards pushed forth by Argentina on the right to truth. There was a clear link between the right to truth and the right to information. Argentina also reiterated that States had an obligation to investigate what happened in cases of disappearances, and this was separate from the obligation to try those responsible for these crimes. Turning to the issue of the right to food, Argentina noted with satisfaction the reference to the effects of agricultural subsidies on the food security of many nations. The long-term objective in this particular field needed to be the establishment of a more balanced and egalitarian international agricultural industry.

CARLOS EDUARDO DA CUNHA OLIVEIRA (Brazil), said it firmly supported the adoption of the draft declaration on human rights education and training. In 2006 Brazil adopted the National Program on Child Education which envisaged the training of school teachers on human rights and the inclusion of the topic in school books. The Third National Human Rights Programme provided guidelines for universities and public institutions, including the police, to create an environment of tolerance for human rights. Brazil attached great importance to human rights training and would continue to work in this area.

HELGA FASTRUP ERVIK (Norway), said that the issue that should be high on the agenda was the ending of reprisals against persons who cooperated with the United Nations and its mechanisms in the field of human rights. Contacts with Special Procedures could entail the risk of reprisals, and they had also been seen as negatively influencing the Universal Periodic Review process. States must take firm and concrete action against threats and attacks against individuals who provided information to United Nations human rights mechanisms. Impunity in this field must be stopped, and the first step would be documenting cases. Secondly, it was necessary to strengthen the level of protection for those individuals who sought to cooperate with the United Nations in the field of human rights. United Nations human rights mechanisms should receive increased training and guidance on how to reduce vulnerability for individuals cooperating with the mechanisms. Norway welcomed the increased attention by the High Commissioner to the issue of reprisals as well as the issue of civil society protection more broadly. Norway looked forward to the next report on this issue being presented to the Council in June 2011 and hoped that it would also include information on the follow-up of previously reported cases.

HU MIAO (China), said that the Advisory Committee was like a think tank for the Human Rights Council and it attached great importance to their work and recommendations. The suggestions made on the subject of the right to food were extremely useful and would hopefully serve to address the current imbalances in the global agricultural sector. On the issue of the effects of climate change on human rights, China reiterated the importance of this issue. Furthermore, China said that it expected all countries to take this matter seriously and hoped that developed countries would continue to provide technical and financial assistance to developing countries so that they could be better prepared to deal with the impacts of climate change.

IRUTHISHAM ADAM (Maldives), said that over the past four years the Maldives had led international efforts to draw attention to and leverage the relationship between human rights and climate change. These efforts had led in 2009 to the adoption of Human Rights Council resolution 10/4, the holding of a panel debate in the Council on human rights and climate change and to the inclusion of human rights language and principles in the Cancun Agreements penned in Mexico. However, the June 2009 panel debate in the Council demonstrated that States remained far apart on a range of other important questions concerning the interface between climate change and human rights law and policy and the Maldives would like to ask the following questions. Would the negative human rights impacts of climate change be considered a human rights violation, and if so, how would one demonstrate accountability? What were a State’s human rights obligations in the context of protecting vulnerable populations in the face of climate change? What were the States’ international or extraterritorial human rights obligations in the context of climate change? Could it be argued that States responsible for global warming had a positive obligation to help protect human rights in vulnerable States by providing adaptation assistance?

ALFONSO MORALES (Ecuador), congratulated the Working Group for their excellent work on the right to food which it said needed to occupy an important place on the human rights agenda. The importance of this work must be highlighted and must be coordinated with the Special Rapporteur on the right to food to ensure there were no duplications. Ecuador believed there was a need to have special international protection for the human rights of rural farmers, particularly for indigenous peoples. Ecuador also took note of the presentation of the Social Forum and its focus on the adverse effects of climate change on human rights. During the review process of the Human Rights Council, Ecuador defended the existence of the Social Forum and believed it had great potential to build bridges in the promotion of human rights. It was a shame that the report had not taken full account of the intervention of Ecuador during the Social Forum, given the importance of the issue discussed.

SEK WANNAMETHEE (Thailand), said that it welcomed and supported the initiative of the Intergovernmental Working Group on Human Rights Education and Training and their efforts to find consensus on the draft Declaration. The fact that Thailand did not recognize human rights education and training as a separate right did not imply that it was in any way diminishing the importance of human rights education. On the contrary, Thailand recognized human rights education as a cross-cutting issue spanning all rights. The Thai government had undertaken various training programmes on international humanitarian law and human rights law for military officials, civil servants and law enforcement officials. Human rights education had also been integrated as part of the curricula in public schools in accordance with the World Programme on Human Rights Education and Training. In conclusion, Thailand confirmed that it supported the adoption of this particular draft resolution and was confident that it would further promote the public awareness of human rights.

JOHANNES STRASSER (Austria) said that the issue of minorities was of great importance to Austria. Like participation in political life, the effective participation of persons belonging to minorities in economic life was a precondition for maintaining and building harmonious and respectful relations within societies. However, this was not only the responsibility of States; civil society and the private sector also had an important role to play. The last Forum was once again an important platform for promoting dialogue and profited from the widespread participation of stakeholders. The year 2012 would mark the 20th anniversary of the Declaration and would give the international community an additional opportunity to further strengthen not only the Forum, but also the impact of its recommendations in their societies.

HAMID AHMADI (Iran), said in recent years natural disasters, as a result of climate change, had created a lot of difficulties. Iran believed climate change was a multidimensional threat with adverse effects on the world and the failure of some developed countries to abide by their international mitigation commitments could be considered as the main reason for the deterioration of climate change effects. The right to life, the main victim of the failure to deal with climate change, needed to be addressed by international mechanisms in a timely manner; accordingly, a human rights-based approach and constructive engagement of developed countries would mitigate adverse effects of climate change on human rights. The international community was able to contain climate change effects through experience sharing, transferring new technologies and increasing energy efficiency.

DICKY KOMAR (Indonesia), welcomed and fully supported the submission of the draft Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training and looked forward to its adoption by the Council. The fundamental right to education was enshrined in Indonesia’s 1945 Constitution. More specifically, human rights education and training had long been a core element of Indonesia’s National Action Plan on Human Rights and continued to be one of Indonesia’s key educational policies. The link between education, knowledge and the improvement of human rights was one which Indonesia recognized and was working hard to develop. Finally, Indonesia also supported the recommendation to address the situation of displaced persons as a result of climate change, as well as the call for national governments in disaster-prone countries to invest in disaster risk reduction planning.

ALLEHONE MULUGETA ABEBE (Ethiopia), said that the government of Ethiopia attached great importance to improving the productivity of agriculture and food security. As a country with a history of complex challenges in ensuring food security, the government gave prime importance and exerted the utmost effect to achieve an environmentally sustainable, people-centered and fair agricultural policy. Owing to this strategy, Ethiopia had achieved a sustained growth in its agricultural sector which had benefited millions of small farmers and their families. Small farmers were the bedrock of the country’s agriculture policy and their direct participation in its implementation was considered vital. The positive result of this policy had been recognized, including in the Millennium Development Goals review held in September 2010. They demanded the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee do much better. As a delegation which wished the institutions of this Council to thrive, they hoped that the Committee would show the utmost professionalism in its work and they were ready to provide the necessary information so that its future reporting on Ethiopia was accurate and balanced.

MALEK AL WAZZAN (Kuwait), said Kuwait appreciated the draft Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training. Kuwait considered human rights as a pillar of national cohesion. Kuwait had strengthened its own culture at the educational level by instituting education on human rights in the secondary university level since 2009. The military, judiciary and others were trained to be aware of human rights. Kuwait had adopted and implemented the Arab Plan for Education and Human Rights which aimed at integrating human rights in all of the schools of the Arab region.

EVAN P. GARCIA (Philippines), said that the Advisory Committee provided an important function as the think tank of the Council and it greatly valued the collegial nature of its work, as its members brought with them a wealth of substantive expertise and diverse perspectives. As such, the Philippines fully supported enhancing the cooperation and consultation between the Council and the Advisory Committee. The delegation also expressed its hope that the Council would adopt the Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training at this session, thereby sending a strong signal to the international community about the fundamental importance of human rights education and training. The Declaration was indeed a valuable product of this Council, contributing to the development of international human rights law and standards and was the result of effective cross-regional and cross-sectoral dialogue and cooperation.

MAYSA URENA MENACHO (Bolivia), said that the Bolivian delegation had actively participated in the Social Forum and despite all the efforts made, this report simply summarized their participation and there were many mistakes in it. It was a shame that they did not have access to the draft of the report before it was published. They believed they could not put a price on Mother Earth and they called for the rejection of the development of new mechanisms that commoditized forests and the international community needed to look at a social contract based on rights. Bolivia had made it clear that they were against the green mechanisms that tried to commoditize forests and natural resources. They would like the Secretariat to review this report.

SYED HASSIM SYED NOUREDDIN (Singapore), said it agreed that the significant growth in the treaty body system required the rethinking of the process for treaty bodies. Singapore stressed that it was inappropriate for Committee Members to raise the bar and change the benchmarks in the assessment or reassessment of treaty obligations. Some Committee members quibbled over minor points and Singapore said that the universality of human rights should not obviate the need for Experts to have an understanding of the specific conditions in each country. It was not helpful to reschedule the date of oral presentations on short notice and there was no recourse for State parties to correct factual errors in their presentations. Even the 24 hour period to submit changes before final publication was clearly insufficient.

JEAN FEYDER (Luxembourg), said that the question of the rights of farmers was of particular importance, in part because of the large number of people who fell into this group, close to 2.6 billion people or 43 percent of the world’s population. Eighty percent of those suffering from malnutrition lived in rural areas and this group represented the majority of the world’s poor. Women farmers, responsible for 60 to 80 per cent of agricultural production, were particularly discriminated against. Moreover, the development of biofuels and the acquisition of land in developing countries often led to the forceful removal of peasants from their land. Luxembourg concluded by saying that it would continue to support developing countries in their efforts to improve the promotion of and respect for human rights in their countries.

RIDHA BOUABID (Organisation international de la Francophonie), focused on the report of the Working Group on finalizing the Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training. They hoped that the Declaration would enjoy cross regional support and consensus in the Human Rights Council and hoped that it would send a strong political signal to make human rights a reality for all. The action of the Francophonie was founded on the Declaration and Programme of Action of Bamako which called all French spirit countries to promote a democratic culture to make government officials and citizens aware of the ethical requirements of democracy and human rights. They had established a series of mechanisms to disseminate human rights culture and there was a special fund for building a culture of democracy as a precondition for democracy and peace.

ALEXANDER SMITH, (Australia), said it considered human rights education to be of central importance in strengthening respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and in contributing to the promotion, protection and effective realization of all human rights. The development of a United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training was particularly timely for Australia. Following Australia’s National Human Rights Consultations in 2009, the government announced Australia’s Human Rights Framework in April 2010. The centrepiece of this Framework was education. The government had invested more than 12 million dollars in a suite of human rights education and training initiatives for schools, communities and the Commonwealth public sector. Australia welcomed the draft United Nations Declaration of the Open-Ended Working Group and remained strongly committed to promoting human rights education and training in Australia and abroad.

VAHEH GEVORGYAN (Armenia), said that it agreed with the overall approach of the study defining missing persons as those who were missing as a result of international and non-international armed conflict. The study articulated well the obligations and responsibilities of all parties to armed conflicts to respect and adhere to international humanitarian law. States and all parties to an armed conflict should cooperate in order to effectively solve cases of missing persons. This cooperation could also serve to help build confidence and promote reconciliation. However, Armenia noted that the report did not identify any normative or implementation gaps in addressing the issue of missing persons and said that the Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances could perhaps provide useful points of reference in this regard.

SEDWYN ANTHONY (South Africa), said that the priority of the South African government in the area of education related to the realization of the objectives set forth by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Declaration on Education For All and the attainment of Millennium Development Goal two, the achievement of universal primary education. These critical outcomes remained largely unfulfilled, thus creating a challenge in the developing world. South Africa would continue to support all initiatives related to progressively achieving the full realization of all economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development, which they believed should be placed on par with civil and political rights.

ISMAYL ASADOV (Azerbaijan), said it was satisfied with the outcome of the work done by the drafting group on the basis of the panel discussion on the question of missing persons that was held in September 2009 during the 9th session of the Human Rights Council. The problem of missing persons continued to remain one of the most sensitive and painful issues for Azerbaijan. Until now, 4,604 citizens of the county were declared missing as a result of international armed conflict and foreign occupation. Azerbaijan was the main sponsor of the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and Human Rights Council on missing persons. Azerbaijan would be interested in forwarding its traditional resolution on the human rights of missing persons which envisaged the establishment of a Special Rapporteur on missing persons with a relevant mandate. Azerbaijan thought a resolution that envisaged the establishment of the aforementioned mandate should enjoy wide ranging support of the United Nations Member States and therefore would not submit this resolution to the current session of the Human Rights Council and would keep holding bilateral consultations with a view to ensuring a consensus based approach to this matter.

AKIYO AFOUDA (Inter-Parliamentary Union), said that the participation of all in the process of political decision-making was an essential condition to the stability of a nation. As was recognized in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, these vulnerable groups needed greater access to political decision-making structures and society at large. This was an important priority for the Inter-Parliamentary Union, which was focused on increasing the involvement of minorities and indigenous groups in the politics and societies of their nations. Additional laws should be implemented at the State level to abolish any discrimination against minority and indigenous groups and it was gratifying to note that certain parliaments, like Canada, had made progress in this regard.

AMINA LEMRINI, of International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, said that their interests lay in the Paris Principles and that was why they worked for the Declaration. They underlined the need to establish effective measures to translate States’ obligations to concrete acts and guarantee their follow-up and monitoring mechanisms. They welcomed the fact that their proposals were broadly supported and expressed their commitment to contributing to the realization of the objectives of the Declaration.

KAZUNARI FUJII, of Soka Gakkai International, in a joint statement with several NGOs1, speaking in a joint statement, said that they supported the draft Declaration of the United Nations on Human Rights Education and Training made available before the Council. Human rights education was a sustainable endeavor for dealing with the root causes of human rights violations and abuses, contributing to the prevention of such violations and abuses. At the international level, the Council’s Special Procedures and the Universal Periodic Review should be recognized as contributory mechanisms for the effective implementation of human rights education.

HEATHER COLLISTE, of International Service for Human Rights, in a joint statement with International Service for Human Rights and CIVICUS – World Alliance for Citizen Participation, said it was deeply concerned about reprisals against those who cooperated with the human rights mechanisms. The time had come for the Council to develop concrete responses to reprisals and as the cases reported here no more than scraped the surface of the problem, more should be done. The Council should investigate each complaint and make sure that States provided the Council with timely information on the cases. The development of a concrete response required input from many groups and International Service for Human Rights would host a side event tomorrow on how to respond to reprisals and it encouraged wide attendance at this event.

LOPEZ BECH LAURA, of Myochikai (Arigatou Foundation, in a joint statement with Plan International and United Network of Young Peacebuilders - UNOY Peacebuilders, said it welcomed the draft United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training. When children knew and understood their rights, they could become aware of the reality in which they lived and would then be in a position to take up their individual and collective responsibilities as rights holders. Myochikai called on States to adopt the Declaration, translate it into legislative measures and concrete policies that built upon the World Programme for Human Rights Education, and in cooperation with non-governmental organizations and children put in place relevant mechanisms for children to voice their needs and participate in the defence and promotion of their rights and the rights of others.

GIANFRANCO FATTORINI, of Movement against Racism and for Friendship among Peoples, said that the right to food was intimately linked to the right to life and suffered severe and systematic violations. Throughout the studies presented today, it was possible to extrapolate the deeply entrenched and institutionalized discrimination, be it national, international or structural in nature. The mere distribution of lands was often the expression of racist policies that favored the descendants of colonialists and discriminated against indigenous groups and communities. Unfortunately, the international community preferred to focus on preserving the existing power and financial structures that were often at the heart of this discrimination and the violations of human rights.

RAVENNA HORACIO, of Permanent Assembly for Human Rights, said that it welcomed the report on best practices relating to the issue of missing persons. The Permanent Assembly for Human Rights particularly appreciated the paragraph which explicitly described the difference between missing persons in situations of international versus non-international conflict. To conclude, the speaker asked whether the Advisory Committee could provide further information on the difference between missing persons and enforced disappearances and, in its future work, whether it could eliminate the notion of amnesty for any perpetrators of missing persons.

AKIRA MAEDA, of The Japanese Workers’ Committee for Human Rights, said that the situation of minorities in Japan had deteriorated over the past ten years. The Japanese Workers Committee informed the Council of new violations of human rights of minorities by the Japanese government, which had continued its discriminatory policies against Korean minorities. They were excluded from the education bill whose purpose was to alleviate the financial burden of high school education on households and Korean minorities were often attacked by Japanese civilians.

SAEED MOKBIL,of Liberation, said that constraints would only be overcome with the improvement of the work of human rights mechanisms. There was the need to move from statements to arguments to develop, improve and implement new effective working methods. In that regard, Liberation proposed that the Human Rights Council consider and adopt a resolution on establishing thematic committees and a resolution on establishing an International Court for Human Rights, which would ensure a real investigation and specific, achievable, realistic and time-bound follow-up.
SAGAR ZENDE, of Centre for Human Rights and Peace Advocacy, said that empirical evidence indicated that children from the Dalit community suffered from exclusion and discrimination in terms of education and access to health services. Children of manual scavengers had to face humiliation in schools as they were made to sit separately and the children from the manual scavenging communities were usually treated with contempt by their teachers and fellow classmates. Denial of dignity generated fear among them, leading to very high drop-out rates. The situation of Dalit girl children was even worse as under the Devadasi system they were forced into prostitution. They further demanded that the government of India invest in qualitative education of international standards for Dalits, especially the children of manual scavengers and Devadasis in order to compete in the globalized market. Government should make budgetary allotments in proportion to the Dalit population, which was the mandate of the scheduled caste sub plan.

PETER SPLINTER, of Amnesty International, said that the realization of human rights education was essential to the full enjoyment of all human rights. In order for rights to be realized, people had to be aware of their rights and the rights of others. They had to know what these rights entailed and the obligations of States to protect, promote, respect and fulfill these rights. They welcomed the useful guidance provided by the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training to States on the steps that they needed to take to implement their obligation to realize the right to human rights education and training, including all levels of education and all sectors, formal, non-formal and informal. Amnesty International asserted that human rights education be based on the principles of non-discrimination, equality, inclusion, participation, empowerment and accountability. They welcomed these provisions in the Declaration as well as those which outlined the obligation of the State to ensure human rights education personnel, and to promote adequate human rights training for teachers, trainers and other educators and private personnel acting on behalf of the State.

DIPMONI GAYAN, International Committee for the Respect and the Application of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, said that the establishment of the Human Rights Council was seen as a positive development by marginalized groups and civil society all over the world. On behalf of the Barua minority community, the speaker thanked the government of Bangladesh for appointing Mr. Dilip Barua, of the Barua minority community, as a voice in the Council of Ministers. His participation was of mutual benefit to both the Barua minority and the majority community. Moreover, this was a positive step in the progress of nation building on the Indian sub-continent.

SWATI KAMBLE, of Action internationale pour la paix et le développement dans la région des Grands Lacs (AIPD), said that Dalit women constituted 8 per cent of the total Indian population and faced humiliation, stigmatization and exclusion in present day urban and rural India. Dalit women were often forced into prostitution and were sexually and economically oppressed through religious and cultural sanctity known as the Devadasi system. The speaker urged the government of India, the Human Rights Council and the related mandate holders to take stronger measures to abolish the Devadasi system, including measures to vigorously enforce prohibitions and penalties under anti-dedication acts.

MUHAMMAD IKHWAN, of Foodfirst Information and Action Network, commended the Advisory Committee for its study on discrimination in the context of the right to food and its preliminary study of the human rights of rural farmers, which represented a major contribution in addressing the global food crisis. About one billion people suffered under-nourishment and 75 per cent of them were smallholder farmers and the landless who depended on agriculture for their livelihoods. As a long term measure to overcome hunger it was necessary to better define the needs for specific entitlements of peasants as one of the most vulnerable groups. The Foodfirst Information and Action Network urged the United Nations Member States to share views and comments with relevant United Nations agencies and programmes so that the Advisory Committee could take them into account in the preparation of the final study to be presented to the Human Rights Council at its 19th session.

ANTILEO HAYIN-RAY, of France Libertés: Fondation Danielle Mitterand, said there was a need to improve the relationship between indigenous peoples and States and to ensure their full integration and proportional representation. State institutions must ensure full participation of minorities in decisions that affected them, such as education, mega-projects and others. Consultation must be legally binding, but today that had not yet happened and States were still not obliged to consult indigenous communities; States used it for formality’s sake only. The process of participation needed proper parliamentary representation which would ensure appropriate supervision and monitoring of the legislative fora of any State.

BUERER REGINA HILDA, of Servas International, said that as an organization whose mission was to be open, to welcome the other, to respect differences and fight ideologies of discrimination, and intolerance asked the United Nations to recommend European Union member countries to support non-governmental organizations and civil society in carrying out human rights education programs in schools at all levels. Similarly, Servas was committed to a philosophy of peace and nonviolent conflict resolution, and it ran human rights education and peace-building courses in various universities. Again, Servas asked the United Nations to recommend all member countries to politically promote and financially support these peace building and human rights courses for adult education.

MONIQUE PRINDEZIS, of World Association for the School as an Instrument for Peace, recognized the right to education and the right to human rights education were vectors, conditions for the access to other rights. The draft Declaration confused the right to human rights education with the right to information. The right to human rights education and training was a fundamental right for human dignity and closely related to the enjoyment of all human rights. The draft was disappointing also when it came to assessing the obligations of States. The draft was also rather timid when it spoke about follow-up measures and they encouraged international mechanisms to take the right into account in the report. It was a paradox that the draft Declaration did not refer to the Universal Periodic Review as a way of evaluating human rights practices.

SAMAR KHAMIS, of Badil Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights, said that it wished to focus its statement on the inequalities in Israel between the Jewish majority and the Palestinian national minority, who comprised 20 per cent of the total population in Israel. Palestinians continued to suffer from political persecution established by the State, as was illustrated by the criminalization of Palestinian human rights and civil society actors such as Mr. Ameer Makhoul, who was a leading Palestinian human rights defender. As for land exploitation, Badil had already urged the Human Rights Council during this session to take urgent steps for halting the repeated forced eviction of Palestinian Bedouins in the Negev desert.

LAZARO PARY, of Indian Movement “Tupac Amaru”, said that its organization had taken an active part in the debates on the rights of indigenous persons. The speaker also highlighted the importance of the right to food and said that before children could read and write or formulate opinions on the world around them, they needed to be fed and have their basic health needs met. States had a responsibility to ensure the dignity of their indigenous communities and respect for their human rights. As described in the Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, indigenous peoples had a collective and individual right to education and these rights needed to be more effectively promoted by States.

GALA MARIC, of North-South XXI, said that the representatives of civil society had forcefully called for the establishment of a Special Procedure on Human Rights and Climate Change at the 2010 Social Forum. North-South XXI hoped that urgent action would be taken on this call. Climate change was likely to be the greatest threat to the human rights of the most vulnerable people in the world in coming years. It was a human rights problem that required not only the efforts of States for their own people, but also cooperation. North-South XXI hoped that the Council would hear the call from civil society in the Social Forum and take urgent action to establish a Special Procedure on Human Rights and Climate Change.

ANN BLOMBERG, of Minority Rights Group International, highlighted the importance of the Minority Forum and said that two days duration meant that the time of interaction was limited and urged the Human Rights Council to increase its duration to three days. The Minority Rights Group International thanked the Independent Expert on minority issues for her report and urged States to implement her recommendations. The Minority Rights Group International also urged States to financially support the Minority Forum and proposed the establishment of a voluntary fund for this purpose.

BASIL OZILAYA, of Syriac Universal Alliance, drew the attention of the Council to the situation of the Aramean people in Turkey and Iraq. The Arameans had suffered hugely as a result of a lack of minority rights recognition in Turkey. Since 2003, the number of Aramean Christians in Iraq had had increased by half down to approximately 400,000 to 600,000. This included those who sometimes called themselves Chaldeans, Syriacs or Nestonian. This decimation of the Aramean population in Iraq had been witnessed across the country and they asked the United Nations to do everything in its power to halt this human rights disaster.

RONALD BARNES, Indian Council of South America, said that the rights of indigenous peoples in the context of the right to food included the right to self-determination and the right to govern their territory including all its resources. The Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food included in his prior report the link in the right to Article I of the Common Human Rights Covenants and the right to not be deprived of subsistence. This right was also linked directly to the right to development and to social and cultural rights, however the report from the Expert Advisory Committee did not give importance to the right to self-determination.

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1Joint statement on behalf of: Soka Gakkai International, Worldwide Organization for Women, Myochikai (Arigatou Foundation), International Organization for the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination (EAFORD), International Organization for the Right to Education and Freedom of Education (OIDEL), International Catholic Child Bureau, Al-Hakim Foundation, Planetary Association for Clean Energy, International Movement against all Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR), International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse, Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem, Association Points-Coeur, Servas International, Human Rights Education Associates, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (Forum-Asia), United Network of Young Peacebuilders (UNOY Peacebuilders), Soroptimist International, International Association for Religious Freedom, and International Association of Peace Messenger Cities.

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For use of the information media; not an official record