ADDRESS BY UNOG DIRECTOR GENERAL AT COMMEMORATION OF INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY

10 December 2002

The following address was given at 10:30 a.m. at the commemoration of International Human Rights Day, 10 December, at the Palais Wilson, by Sergei Ordzhonikidze, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva:

"It is an honour and a pleasure to be with you here today at Palais Wilson to commemorate International Human Rights Day. The protection and promotion of fundamental human rights is the very core of the work of the United Nations. As the Secretary-General constantly stresses, 'The United Nations must place people at the centre of everything it does in order to enable them to meet their needs and realize their full potential.' The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which we celebrate today together with other Human Rights instruments, gives legal expression to this aspiration and provides a framework for addressing the wide range of human rights violations.
"This has been a challenging year for human rights. The turn of the Millennium should signal a new era of respect for fundamental freedoms. Unfortunately armed conflicts continue to rage around the world. They bring suffering to people, thus denying their basic rights. The scourge of terrorism reminds us of the tragedy and scope of such acts in every corner of the globe. There is no other way to qualify terrorist acts than as a flagrant violations of basic human rights. Religious intolerance and racial discrimination still persist in many regions of the world.
Too many of our United Nations colleagues have given their lives defending UN ideals, including human rights. On this day we remember them and honour them for their brave efforts in pursuit of the goals of the United Nations.
"This year has also brought the entry into force of the Rome statute of the International Criminal Court. The 1st of July 2002 marked the birth of a body that hopefully will bring to an end the curses of our times, namely genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
"To turn our hope into reality, we must ensure that all countries are fully committed to the norms and principles of universal human rights and implement their obligations for guaranteeing an effective realization of human rights. As underlined earlier by the High Commissioner in his message on Human Rights Day, 'We must break the cycle of violence and let those responsible answer under the rule of law.'
"Today, as we celebrate International Human rights Day, we must unite to act decisively. We pledge ourselves to continue to fight against intolerance and injustice, and we call on all countries and citizens to join us in that fight. Only in partnership can we hope to bridge the gap between the articulation of human rights norms and their implementation, and only with full respect for human rights can dignity and dialogue prevail over discrimination and violence."



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