Human Rights Council concludes interactive dialogue on internally displaced persons, and on human rights and extreme poverty

MIDDAY

GENEVA (8 June 2017) - The Human Rights Council in its midday meeting concluded its clustered interactive dialogue with Cecilia Jimenez-Damary, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons, and with Philip Alston, the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights.

In the discussion about the human rights of internally displaced persons, speakers stressed the fact that the search for durable solutions must be the backbone of the solutions to displacement, and a priority. It was necessary to adopt a comprehensive refugee response framework since the situation of internally displaced persons depended on the global improvement of refugee response. There was also an urgent need to address the root causes behind displacement, such as armed conflicts, lack of security, poverty and economic uncertainties.

Concerning extreme poverty, delegations noted that the challenge of eradicating poverty could only be addressed effectively in a holistic and comprehensive manner, taking into account all the factors at the origin of poverty. More than 700 million people were still living in extreme poverty, which should motivate urgent efforts to eradicate this condition at all levels. There was a need for a global partnership to empower and promote the social inclusion of all. Several delegations presenting the results of their policies to reduce poverty and extreme poverty.

The Special Rapporteurs presented their reports on Wednesday, 7 June and a summary can be read here.

Afghanistan, Georgia, Nigeria, China, Mauritania and Saudi Arabia spoke as concerned countries. Commission Nationale des droits de l’homme de Mauritanie also took the floor.

In concluding remarks, Ms. Jimenez-Damary said that it was crucial to identify the root causes of displacement of internally displaced persons in order to establish long lasting solutions. Among those root causes were poverty, natural disasters and armed conflicts. Ms. Jimenez-Damary stressed that States held primary responsibility in protecting the human rights of internally displaced persons. It was urgent that States implemented effective national laws and policies to ensure the protection of internally displaced persons.

Mr. Alston, in concluding remarks, noted the reluctance of some to engage on the mandate, but expressed gratitude to the non-governmental community for following up on the topics he had raised. A number of speakers had asked what could be done in the future to make sure that problems did not jeopardize country visits, and the only answer to that was vigilance. The international community should not hesitate to go public and persuade the Government concerned to adopt a more open approach.

Speaking in the interactive dialogue were El Salvador on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, Tunisia on behalf of the African Group, European Union, Georgia on behalf of the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development, France on behalf of a group of countries, Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Holy See, Sierra Leone, Malaysia, Estonia, Russian Federation, Austria, Libya, United Nations Children’s Fund, Senegal, Cuba, United States, Togo, Norway, Switzerland, Poland, El Salvador, Sudan, Ethiopia, Pakistan, France, Venezuela, Brazil, Croatia, Egypt, Algeria, Colombia, Namibia, Honduras, Djibouti, Serbia, South Africa, Iran, Hungary, Morocco, Angola, Benin, Tunisia, Kenya, Ecuador, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Iraq, India, Indonesia, Ukraine, State of Palestine, Botswana, Azerbaijan, Ghana, Paraguay, Albania, Armenia, Somalia, Peru and Fiji.

The International Committee of the Red Cross also took the floor.

Also taking the floor was the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions and the following non-governmental organizations: Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights , International Service for Human Rights, Anti-Slavery International, Alsalam Foundation, International Lesbian and Gay Association, Association des étudiants tamouls de France, Colombian Commission of Jurists, International Federation for Human Rights, Minority Rights Group, Comisión Mexicana de Defensa y Promoción de los Derechos Humanos, Human Rights Watch, Association “Paix” pour la lute contre la Contrainte et l’injustice, United Nations Watch, Conseil international pour le soutien à des procès equitables et aux Droits de l’Homme, and Association mauritanienne pour la promotion des droits de l’homme.

The Council will next hold a clustered interactive dialogue with the Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises and the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants.

Clustered Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons and the Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights

Statements by Concerned Countries

Afghanistan, speaking as a concerned country, said that it had seen unprecedented displacement in recent months, driven by conflict and insecurity, as well as natural disasters. As recommended by the Special Rapporteur, Afghanistan had created a committee to act as an inter-ministerial coordination body and it was in charge of internal displacement policy. Afghanistan had made two recommendations to the Council and the Special Rapporteur, namely on the need for humanitarian and development sectors to invest simultaneously rather than sequentially, in order to decrease existing vulnerabilities and to mitigate impacts of long-term displacement. It was key to address the root causes of displacement, or in other words, the root causes of conflicts. The drivers of State fragility - conflict, poverty and environmental change - should be addressed and more regional and global commitments and financial resources must be invested in conflict prevention and peace building.

Georgia, speaking as a concerned country, said that with no human rights monitoring mechanisms inside the occupied territories of Georgia, it was even more deplorable that the Special Rapporteur had been prevented from entering the regions by the occupying regime. All possible measures had to be taken to ensure sustained, effective, free and unhindered access for international actors in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions. Georgian internally displaced persons, forcibly expelled from their homes, were deprived of their fundamental right to safe, dignified and voluntary return to their places of origin by the occupying power and its regime on the ground. There was no sign of tangible progress in the Geneva International Discussions, where the occupying power continued to disregard the applicability of international recognized principles. Georgia had adopted the Livelihood Action Plan 2016-17 to ensure that internally displaced persons gained financial independence from the State.

Nigeria, speaking as a concerned country, said that the report of the Special Rapporteur captured the improvements that were made to some internally displaced persons camps following the visit, including the establishment of field-based humanitarian hubs in recovered areas in Borno State. Nigeria was committed to strengthening the implementation of its legal and institutional frameworks to alleviate the suffering of the most vulnerable groups, including women, girls and children, especially in areas affected by Boko Haram terrorism. As part of its intervention, the Government of Nigeria had adopted a Rape Prevention Education Programme to sensitize communities and internally displaced persons camps on sexual violence. In the field of education, the country had commenced the operation of drop-in centres for the re-enrolment of children who dropped out of schools as a result of Boko Haram activities. The initiatives were geared towards meeting the most critical needs of internally displaced persons, particularly their basic healthcare, shelter, food, education and livelihood.

China, speaking as a concerned country, recalled that the visit of the Special Rapporteur last year had been warmly accepted by the Chinese Government, which had adopted a cooperative attitude. The Special Rapporteur had been given access to high-level representatives of the State, including national agencies and ministers. The Special Rapporteur had spoken positively of China’s efforts to fight against poverty and his recommendations were highly valuable. However, some views and figures did not reflect the reality. The Chinese Government had asked for several amendments to the report. That request had not been taken into account. In his conclusions, the Special Rapporteur had criticized several detention cases of criminals which amounted to overcoming its mandate and breaking the principle of sovereignty. China would not tolerate that the human rights banner could be used to cover activities that would go against public order. Turning to the issue of poverty, China stated that the poverty rate had been diminished in the last 10 years, allowing every Chines citizen to enjoy the benefits of growth. By 2020, poverty should be reduced in rural areas in order to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda.

Mauritania, speaking as a concerned country, rejected the allegations contained in the report concerning the exclusion of Harratins and Afro-Mauritanians, and discrimination in access to civic registry and in land ownership. Those allegations had been made by organizations hostile to Mauritania. The Special Rapporteur had visited only a few regions and thus could not have a comprehensive view of the situation in the country. Thanks to the policies undertaken by the Government, the poverty rate had been reduced from 42 per cent in 2008 to 31 per cent in 2016 and the extreme poverty rate had been reduced from 25.9 per cent in 2008 to 16.6 in 2014. The poverty reduction efforts had been focused on the most deprived areas, in particular rural areas. Mauritania was committed to the eradication of slavery and had implemented several development and job creation programmes for people affected by slavery.

Commission Nationale des droits de l’homme de Mauritanie said it had had a constructive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on poverty and had encouraged the Government to implement his recommendations, which would help to address the key problems of poverty and slavery. There was a need to better include civil society in the economic development of policies and programmes; address the specific needs of vulnerable groups, particularly women and children in rural areas; implement land reform; and involve all sectors of the society in the implementation of the roadmap on combatting slavery and slavery-like practices.

Saudi Arabia, speaking as a concerned country, said that Saudi Arabia placed high emphasis on combatting poverty and providing decent living standards inside and outside of the country, despite the challenges. A public body on statistics conducted periodic surveys of family income and expenditure, which provided an accurate picture of the living standards in the society. The Ministry of Development and Labour represented by the National Social Security Agency provided development aid to families, as well as training, income-generation support and housing. Saudi Arabia was a key development actor and was one of the largest development donors in the world, keen on providing assistance to many countries and promoting international cooperation. The Zakat under the Sharia, as well as social interdependence were means to alleviate poverty and those instruments should be further studied by the Special Rapporteur.

Clustered Interactive Dialogue

El Salvador, speaking on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, said that eradicating poverty and ensuring sustainable development were pre-requisites for full inclusion in the society, and reiterated the commitment to urgently implement the Agenda 2030 and achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Tunisia, speaking on behalf of the African Group, expressed concern that 30 per cent of internally displaced persons, or 38 million people as of 2015, were in Africa. The African Group welcomed the Special Rapporteur’s commitment to work closely with States with the most critical, challenging and persistent internal displacement situation, and to assist them to translate the Guiding Principles on internal displacement into domestic laws and policies. European Union said that the engagement of the international community was insufficient given the record number of people who were internally displaced by conflicts and disasters. What concrete action could be taken to strengthen the United Nations response to internal displacement and what could be the role of the Council in this context? The European Union was the biggest contributor to efforts to combat extreme poverty.

Georgia, speaking on behalf of the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development, drew attention to the ongoing and unresolved problem of protracted internal displacement and welcomed the commitments made to internal displacement in the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants and in the World Humanitarian Summit. France, speaking on behalf of a group of countries, said that women were particularly vulnerable to poverty and therefore the gender-based approach to poverty eradication was crucial. It was important for each State to rely on the Guiding Principles on extreme poverty and human rights and put in place effective policies to combat extreme poverty, which was an obstacle to the effective exercise of all rights. Pakistan reaffirmed the commitment of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Member States to eradicate poverty and said that a more equitable international regime was essential for the collective efforts to eradicate poverty.

Holy See noted that more than 700 million people were still living in extreme poverty, which should motivate urgent efforts to eradicate this condition at all levels. There was a need for a global partnership to empower and promote the social inclusion of all. Sierra Leone said that States held primary responsibility to provide internally displaced persons with their basic needs. On the issue of poverty, Sierra Leone noted that it was not possible to implement a basic income in every State, given the enormous differences in resources. Malaysia recalled that it had reached a target of zero extreme poverty in 2012. Malaysia asked the Special Rapporteur to elaborate on the possibility to implement a basic income while addressing inflationary pressures. Estonia remained concerned about the situation in Georgia’s occupied territories that had created obstacles to the return of internally displaced persons. There was an urgent need to address the overall root causes of displacement worldwide.

Russian Federation said there was a need to search for long-term solutions to the situation of internally displaced persons. Mass movements of populations within States were often caused by irresponsible interference in internal affairs. Austria thanked both Special Rapporteurs for their presentations, and said regarding internally displaced persons that there were twice as many of them as refugees, yet international attention was focused on the former. Libya said Daesh had been eradicated and the city of Sirte had been liberated, and the two tribes in southern Libya had signed an agreement, all developments which had helped displaced persons to return to their homes. United Nations Children’s Fund stressed the detrimental effect of poverty on children’s lives, saying that the impact of multiple deprivation was devastating for children. Measuring child poverty was necessary in order to come up with ways to address the issue. Senegal said while a universal basic income was an intriguing idea, developing countries would face challenges in attempting to implement such a policy. The international community should support efforts made by developing countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Cuba commended the Special Rapporteur for his detailed analysis of a universal basic income, which was a way of tackling the insecurity faced by so many people around the world. Cuba looked forward to the work of the Special Rapporteur on internally displaced persons.

United States continued to stress the importance of addressing the protection and assistance needs of internally displaced persons worldwide and said that assistance from humanitarian and development actors should reinforce, not replace national responses. What immediate steps could States take to promote durable solutions for internally displaced persons? Togo commended the focus of the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty on the importance of social protection through basic income and said that the fight against poverty was the backbone of Togo’s development policies. Togo believed that the participation of internally displaced persons in decision making was the best way to strengthen their dignity and facilitate their socio-economic integration. Norway referred to the comprehensive refugee response framework and asked how the assistance to internally displaced persons could benefit from the global process to improve refugee response. Turning to the issue of extreme poverty, Norway noted that the report addressed some of the greatest challenges of our time which must be addressed in a holistic and comprehensive manner.

Switzerland called upon all States to ensure free movement and unfettered access to all areas during country visits by the Special Rapporteur and asked what the Council could do in this regard. What could be the role of the Council in assisting States to strengthen accountability mechanisms for the allocation of social services? Poland found the idea of the universal basic income inspiring and said that it had realized this idea to a certain extent through its “Family 500+ programme”, which provided cash to the families below a certain income level to help them meet the costs of raising children. The programme provided funds to 3.9 million children in 2.6 million families and had brought significant improvements in the material condition of those families. El Salvador agreed that economic insecurity put at risk the enjoyment of all human rights and said that the proposal of the universal basic income required in-depth study, given the concerns that it might break the links between work and income, and discourage youth from attending university.

Sudan said it was witnessing growing stability because of State policies to address the problems of internally displaced persons. Sudan was combatting poverty through providing basic services in line with a national strategy, and the root causes behind displacement, such as armed conflict, should be addressed. Ethiopia said it had made progress while struggling with natural and man-made crises, noting that there was a strong link between reducing extreme poverty and the promotion of human rights. Pakistan was disappointed at the Special Rapporteur’s assertion that Afghans were being pushed back from Pakistan, when Pakistan had opened its homes and hearts despite global indifference and donor fatigue. Pakistan was evolving a plan for the smooth return of Afghan refugees, and the stay of refugees had in the meantime yet again been extended. France said the idea of universal basic income was advanced by the Special Rapporteur’s examination, adding that the growth in economic inequality was a global structural problem. All States should implement Sustainable Development Goal 1 on poverty reduction, and France, with the Group of Friends on Extreme Poverty, would sponsor the resolution to renew the Special Rapporteur’s mandate.

Venezuela said when it came to basic income, if the international community implemented policies of social investment by setting a minimum salary, poverty could be mitigated and human rights could be promoted. Venezuela reiterated the need to fight poverty and support those who had historically been forgotten. Brazil said the reduction of extreme poverty was a priority of the Brazilian Government and that the Special Rapporteur had correctly observed that Brazil’s Bolsa Familia was one of the largest benefits of its kind in the world. The programme aimed at ending the intergenerational transfer of poverty.

Croatia expressed support for the deepening cooperation between the Special Rapporteur and the national legislators to strengthen national programmes for their protection and the fulfilment of basic needs. Which national programmes provided best practices in the protection of internally displaced children, including in education, health, nutrition and housing? Egypt stressed that States had the chief responsibility for the protection of internally displaced persons and that economic causes behind displacement must be adequately addressed, including by providing States with development assistance. The proposal for the universal basic income as a tool for eradication of poverty must be further studied, particularly its cost and impact. Algeria said that the international community must consolidate its efforts for the protection of economic, social and cultural rights - in the spirit of international cooperation and solidarity - to promote human development and combat poverty around the world, as stated in the 2030 Agenda.

Colombia agreed on the need to keep the attention on the situation of internally displaced persons, which was being overshadowed by the recent large movement of refugees and migrants. Colombia had one of the largest internally displaced populations in the world, which was a consequence of the armed conflict, and it hoped that the recent peace agreement would facilitate their return. Namibia was widely discussing the notion of replacing the social protection system with the universal basic income and was looking forward to hearing the views and experiences of other States. The human rights movement needed to address the fundamental changes that were taking place in economic structures at the global and local levels. Honduras agreed that the search for durable solutions must be the backbone of the solutions to displacement, and a priority. Widespread violence had displaced 175,000 people in Honduras, which had put in place a response plan, which also included durable solutions. Economic insecurity was a fundamental threat to human rights and Honduras agreed that the Council must address the fundamental changes taking place in the global and national economic structures and avoid a silos approach.

Djibouti said the question of extreme poverty should be at the heart of all human rights, as it impinged on the dignity of the individual. The thorniest issue was that of economic viability, and Djibouti supported gradual reform to achieve the objective. Serbia thanked both Special Rapporteurs for their interaction with the Human Rights Council, and said Serbia was a country with a high level of internal displacement. All durable solutions for internally displaced persons should remain open, allowing them to choose between local integration and sustainable return. South Africa said those who were economically insecure were pushed to the margins of society, and asked for the views of the Special Rapporteur on the viability of the universal basic income in developing countries, where actions by transnational corporations and others led to a weaker tax base. Iran said inequality was growing across the globe, with the financial gap constantly widening. Unilateral coercive measures created barriers between States, thus impeding the implementation of human rights. Hungary said international cooperation was of utmost importance, noting that many who had crossed international borders as refugees had initially been internally displaced in their own countries. The Hungarian Government was ready to support the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on internally displaced persons. Morocco said the Special Rapporteur had provided a rich academic work on the universal basic income. A shared international vision of the globalized economy required courageous decisions; the idea of a universal basic income remained a utopia, and there was a need to plan ahead of time for any action on that subject.

Angola called on the international community to step up its efforts to address the problem of internal displacement, and to build synergies with humanitarians. As for extreme poverty, Angola supported initiatives aimed at combatting poverty. Benin reminded that internally displaced persons often fell victims to different forms of violence and lacked basic services. Millions of them globally suffered from severe malnutrition. The Global Compact on displacement was, thus, a key priority. Tunisia welcomed the progress made to set the basic standards on the protection of internally displaced persons. Step up efforts to achieve the aims set out by the World Humanitarian Summit related to the eradication of poverty. Kenya reminded that the proportion of the world’s people with an income of less than one dollar per day and of those who suffered from hunger presented a grim picture. Kenya agreed that economic insecurity represented a threat to human rights. Ecuador noted that fighting poverty was an important part of the realization of human rights. The Government believed in the provision of economic, social and cultural resources without the exhaustion of natural resources. Bolivia expressed concern about the sharp increase of inequality in the world. Extreme poverty afflicted millions, 75 per cent of whom were peasants and other persons working in rural areas.

Burkina Faso said that the need for social protection based on a basic income had been studied, adding that the Burkina Faso Government had made fighting poverty a national priority. The national plan put human rights at the heart of the country’s concerns, which also included the right to work and a decent standard of living. Iraq said the report on internally displaced persons contributed to international efforts to promote the rights of such populations, noting that they were the most vulnerable in the communities where they lived. Iraq had taken numerous steps to alleviate the suffering of internally displaced persons. India said economic insecurity was not merely an economic issue but emerged from a plethora of factors. India remained doubtful if the idea of a universal basic income could be the sole panacea for socio-economic deficiencies, asking the Special Rapporteur how he perceived its viability in developing countries. Indonesia said natural disasters were the primary cause of internally displaced persons in the country, and the Government was committed to providing for their basic rights on the core principles of dignity, fairness and equality. Regarding poverty, Indonesia had numerous measures in place to alleviate poverty. Ukraine said there were immense humanitarian challenges arising from Russia’s aggression, which had triggered massive internal displacement. The Special Rapporteur was asked how she saw her mandate in view of the Secretary-General’s call for renewed efforts to prevent internal displacement and address its root causes. State of Palestine said that since its birth, Israel had engaged in a policy of forcible displacement of Palestinians from their homes and lands, adding that more than 750,000 Palestinians were displaced, some of them internally, during the tragedy in 1948 by which the majority of Palestinians were forcibly uprooted and expelled from their homes.

Botswana welcomed the idea that the basic income would tackle extreme poverty. However, it would not be sufficient on its own. Botswana had thus developed programmes to tackle that problem, focusing on the most vulnerable groups. Azerbaijan reminded that one million Azerbaijanis remained displaced due to the aggression of a neighbouring country. Despite economic hardships, Azerbaijan had provided them with the necessary aid. Ghana said that while economic insecurity represented a fundamental threat to the full enjoyment of human rights, it also believed that it equally threatened national security. International Committee of the Red Cross welcomed the continued promotion of the development and implementation of normative and policy frameworks, both at the national and regional levels, to address internal displacement. Paraguay acknowledged that poverty and economic security were a fundamental threat to all human rights. It reiterated that extreme poverty had to be addressed urgently from a human rights perspective. Albania regretted any politicization of the issue of internal displacement in Kosovo, including in the Council. It also regretted that the Republic of Kosovo could not be present in the Council to present its views on that issue. Armenia underlined the approach that Governments had to find ways to support internally displaced persons. It faced a considerable internal displacement problem, due to the expulsion of Armenians from neighbouring countries at the end of the 1980s and in the beginning of the 1990s.

Somalia said it was witnessing a new era of democracy and stabilization which needed to be supported by the international community. Somalia agreed with the Special Rapporteurs on extreme poverty and on internally displaced persons, respectively, on the importance of sustainable development for all community sectors. Peru said it was one of the countries which had achieved the greatest poverty reduction in South America, adding that that was why Peru supported the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty. A universal basic income was utopic and could not even be implemented in rich countries, as the Special Rapporteur had observed himself. Fiji said climate change also had an impact on displacement, and noted that internally displaced persons were often the least, last, and the lost in terms of international attention. The primary responsibility for protecting persons remained with the respective States, so Fiji was currently working on a relocation framework to enhance the resilience of communities.

Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions said civil society organizations made crucial commitments to societies, and asked the Special Rapporteur on internally displaced persons to identify best practices for national human rights institutions.

Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights commended the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty for his visit to China, noting that in Tibet, the poverty rate was 32.9 per cent in 2015. Tibetans were excluded from participatory planning and all members of the Human Rights Council were urged to support policies ensuring that human rights considerations were part of all policymaking in China. International Service for Human Rights noted that the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty had faced challenges during his visit to China, asking how other Special Procedures could constructively engage with China. It was essential that China cease reprisals.

Anti-Slavery International said poverty was often based on inequitable social systems such as slavery that still existed, notably in Africa. The Haratins people for example were key victims of poverty and remained systematically excluded from political power and main economic sectors. Anti-Slavery International was concerned about the denial of slavery by national authorities. Alsalam Foundation said that women, migrants and shiaa minorities in Saudi Arabia suffered from severe restrictions to their empowerment. It asked the Special Rapporteur to elaborate on the means to establish protection mechanisms that would ensure that these underrepresented populations did not suffer poverty. International Lesbian and Gay Association noted that there was a lack of reference to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons in any official antipoverty policy. These communities faced significant barriers to the full enjoyment of their rights, including in areas highlighted by the report, such as data collection, education, health and employment.

Association des étudiants tamouls de France said that Haratins and black Mauritanian populations were systematically excluded from any position in political power and from many domains of social and economic life in Mauritania. Cronyism in political institutions was the rule in the country and the origin of the current political crisis. Colombian Commission of Jurists stressed the hardship suffered by victims of long displacements due to illegal activities led by paramilitary groups in Colombia. Full implementation of human rights relied on the necessity to dismantle those groups and adopt development projects that would allow minorities such as people of African descent to access basic services. International Federation for Human Rights, referring to the situation in China, noted that while development and human rights were mutually reinforcing, they were not synonymous. One of the greatest challenges was to understand how the leading role of the Communist party could coexist with the recognition of individual rights and the provision of accountability mechanisms.

Minority Rights Group noted that the anti-slavery law in Mauritania was not respected or implemented in practice, providing examples of dozens of cases that had experienced little or no progress in courts. Comisión Mexicana de Defensa y Promoción de los Derechos Humanos agreed that 2018 was an excellent opportunity to raise global awareness about the problem of internal displacement. Generalized violence in Mexico had led to a wave of displacement in the country. Human Rights Watch highlighted China’s restrictions on civil society’s participation in shaping economic policies and poverty alleviation, adding that those most vulnerable groups faced insurmountable barriers in overcoming poverty. Association “Paix” pour la lute contre la Contrainte et l’injustice stressed the progress achieved in Mauritania in fighting poverty and in upholding human rights. Policies were in place to ensure that everyone benefited from economic growth.

United Nations Watch reminded of Saudi Arabia’s gross violations of human rights, particularly in the area of gender equality, with a segregated labour market, lack of female judges and prosecutors, and lack of organizations working on women’s rights. Conseil international pour le soutien à des procès equitables et aux Droits de l’Homme stated that in the Gulf countries, people lived in poverty because resources were pillaged by great powers, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, in conjunction with Saudi Arabia. Association mauritanienne pour la promotion des droits de l’homme said that in Mauritania everyone enjoyed the same constitutional rights when it came to property. There were some gaps, but they were being addressed thanks to the Government’s solidarity agency. The Special Rapporteur’s opinions had been selective.

Concluding Remarks

CECILIA JIMENEZ-DAMARY, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons, said that it was crucial to identify the root causes of displacement of internally displaced persons in order to establish long lasting solutions. Among those root causes were poverty, natural disasters and armed conflicts. Ms. Jimenez-Damary stressed that States held primary responsibility in protecting the human rights of internally displaced persons. The fact that the origin of a displacement was located outside a State should not be an excuse to not ensure that internally displaced persons human rights were fully protected. It was urgent that States implemented effective national laws and policies to ensure the protection of internally displaced persons. National development programmes and humanitarian development nexus also played a key role in tackling the issue of the lack of access to basic services for internally displaced persons that were also at the heart of the discussion on the two Global Compacts. The Special Rapporteur called for the issue of the protection of internally displaced persons to remain on every agenda of United Nations’ bodies tackling human rights issues. Cooperation and collaboration with all bodies of the United Nations needed to be ensured. Finally, the Special Rapporteur said that it was essential that the role of internally displaced persons was emphasized in transitional justice and peace processes. The right to truth and reparation should be at the core of the implementation of transitional justice for internally displaced persons, as stated in the Kampala Convention.

PHILIP ALSTON, Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, noted the reluctance of some to engage on the mandate, but expressed gratitude to the non-governmental community for following up on the topics he had raised. A number of speakers had asked what could be done in the future to make sure that problems did not jeopardize country visits, and the only answer to that was vigilance. The international community should not hesitate to go public and persuade the Government concerned to adopt a more open approach. He expressed appreciation for China’s comment that parts of the report were fair, but rejected the concept of “judicial sovereignty” which would lead a Special Rapporteur not to reflect on human rights violations. He reiterated his concern for the treatment of Jiang Tianyong. Regarding Mauritania, he noted that his visits had covered most of the population of a vast country. The Government had suggested he had not met with a wide range of non-governmental organizations; in fact he had met with over 50 of them. The main challenge in Mauritania was to recognize the distinctions which took place on the basis of ethnicity. The Government would be better served if it disaggregated data based on ethnicity. He called for the Government to release the two “IRA” representatives who were still imprisoned.

Concerning Saudi Arabia, Mr. Alston expressed appreciation for the comment received regarding culture and religion. Issues like the ability of women to drive cars and the guardianship system were not the result of religion, but they were the result of culture. It was extremely important for the Government to take that cultural objection more seriously and to work to reduce it, as culture in that case led to a violation of the rights of women. Governments had an obligation to engage with and change cultural attitudes. There were up to 500 000 “super-vulnerable” domestic servants in the country; he implored the Government of Saudi Arabia to put in place an amnesty for those women. The international community needed to ensure engagement with Saudi Arabia, and the situation would only be improved through engagement and not through attempts to stigmatize. Turning to the thematic report, he expressed astonishment that so many delegations appeared to have actually read it. In response to Peru’s objection that the report was academic, he concurred that it was, yet noted that all countries were actually very significantly affected by the degree of economic insecurity, which was increasing dramatically. Automation would replace jobs and outsourcing was happening in developed countries today. On the social protection floor initiative, he said that every country had to come up with its own tailored version.

____________

For use of the information media; not an official record