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03 May 2000
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Preparatory Committee for the
World Conference Against Racism,
Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance
Geneva, 3 May 2000
OPENING STATEMENT BY
MARY ROBINSON
HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND
SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM
FOR THE INTRODUCTION
AGENDA ITEM 7
Madame Chairperson,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is my pleasure to introduce agenda 7. As you can see in the annotations to the agenda, document A/CONF.189/PC.1/1/Add.1, the documentation under agenda item 7 is significant and is therefore presented thematically.
Reports of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
First, there are a number of reports by my Office. These include a report (document A/CONF.189/PC.1/3) on review of progress made in the fight against racism and obstacles to further progress in the field and ways to overcome them that was requested by Commission resolution 1999/78. This report presents the interim results of a questionnaire, as well as an analysis by my own Office on this subject. I would like to note that the Office received 28 responses to the questionnaire from States, 4 from specialized agencies and international intergovernmental organizations, 5 from national human rights institutions and 10 from NGO for a total of 47 responses. It is an initial step to have 47 responses, including 28 from States, and these responses constituted the basis for the analysis which is presented in this report. However, I also note that well over 150 States and a number of specialized agencies have not responded and I encourage them to do so in time for the second session of the Preparatory Committee. Similarly, more contributions from NGOs than the 10 received would be welcome. In this spirit, I intend to resend the questionnaire to all States, specialized organizations, inter-governmental organizations, NGOs and national institutions to encourage additional responses to be compiled and analyzed by my Office.
On the subject of improving coordination between the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and specialized agencies and international, regional and subregional organizations, there are two reports before you. One is a note by the secretariat on improving coordination between my Office and specialized agencies and international, regional and subregional organizations (document A/CONF.189/PC.1/4). The other document (A/CONF.189/PC.1/17) contains reviews and recommendations submitted by specialized agencies, other international organizations, concerned United Nations bodies and regional organizations.
I would like to recall that my Office held a very productive roundtable discussion at the working level with representatives of UN bodies and specialized agencies on 25 April 2000. In addition, I personally have raised the issue of contributions and a collective response by the United Nations community of specialized agencies and UN bodies during meetings of the Administrative Coordinating Committee of the United Nations system at both its October 1999 session and again at its April 2000 session. I received an enthusiastic response from the heads of these specialized agencies and UN bodies, and my Office will be working in close collaboration with them in the preparatory process leading up to the World Conference.
My Office has also submitted the preliminary results of its research and consultation on the use of the Internet (document A/CONF.189/PC.1/5). In this regard, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that a larger and more comprehensive report on the use of the Internet will be presented at the second session of the Prep Com next year. This report should take into account the most recent developments concerning the Internet and its responsible use relating to racist activities using this medium of communication. I would also like to draw your attention to the fact that the Internet was also the subject of two papers presented and a number of presentations made during the expert seminar on remedies available to the victims of racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and on good national practices in this field. The report of this seminar - which contained summaries of the papers concerning the Internet and other subjects - was before you during the consideration of agenda item 6, and copies are available at door 40. Complementary information concerning initiatives by the Office are also contained in my report to the Commission on Human Rights (document E/CN.4/2000/15) which has been made available to you.
Report of the Secretary-General
In the second category of documents, there is a substantive report by the Secretary-General on the effects of racial discrimination on children of minorities and migrants in the fields of education, training and employment (document A/CONF.189/PC.1/11). This subject has been of considerable interest to the General Assembly and has figured in the revised programme of action for the Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination.
Reports by Special Rapporteurs
In the third category of documents, there are reports by two Special Rapporteurs of the Commission on Human Rights, including one by the Special Rapporteur on religious intolerance (document A/CONF.189/PC.1/7), and one by the Special Rapporteur on migrants (document A/CONF.189/PC.1/19). The Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism had planned to submit a report on prevention, but was unable to do so. An explanation is provided in document A/CONF.189/PC.1/6. I would nevertheless like to draw your attention to the report my Office submitted to the 56th session of the Commission on Human Rights on the issue of prevention (document E/CN.4/2000/12), many of the points of which are relevant to the prevention of racial discrimination.
The Special Rapporteur on religious intolerance will be presenting personally his document and conclusions to you during the consideration of this agenda item. As regards the report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, the secretariat has been informed that the Special Rapporteur will be unable to present her report personally. She has sent an introductory text which has been reproduced and will be distributed to participants.
Contributions by treaty bodies
In the fourth category of documents, there are reports by three treaty bodies, including the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (A/CONF.189/PC.1/12), the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (A/CONF.189/PC.1/14), and the Committee on the Rights of the Child (A/CONF.189/PC.1/15). In this regard, I would also like to draw your attention to the 8 working papers that have been prepared by individual members of CERD. As you may recall, the majority of these working papers were made available to the sessional open-ended working group to review and formulate proposals for the World Conference which took place during the Commission’s fifty-fifth session. However, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that there are two additional contributions in this collection of working papers: one on the gender dimension of racial discrimination, and one on reservations to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
Representatives from CERD will present the document contributed by their committee. Similarly, representatives of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Committee on the Rights of the Child will present the documents contributed by their respective committees. A representative of the Human Rights Committee will also make an oral contribution based on discussions that committee has had to date on the World Conference .
Contribution by the Sub-Commission
In the fifth category of documents, there are a number of documents before you that have been prepared by the Sub-Commission. These include the basic contribution of the Sub-Commission (document A/CONF.189/PC.1/13), as well as more developed proposals for the work of the World Conference contained in a separate report submitted by Mr. Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, member of the Sub-Commission, who will present these documents.
In addition, the attention of the Preparatory Committee is drawn to three working papers presented by other individual members of the Sub-Commission which are relevant to the preparatory process of the World Conference.
Contribution of NGOs
The sixth and final category of documents concerns NGO documents. Your attention is drawn to the note by the secretariat (document A/CONF.189/PC.1/18) which gives a listing of 11 documents which were submitted equally to the Commission on Human Rights and the Preparatory Committee, and five other NGO written statements which have been submitted only to the Preparatory Committee. These documents constitute an important source of contributions from civil society and grass roots organizations, and I encourage the Preparatory Committee to give careful consideration to these written statements. In conclusion, may I note that this agenda item is certainly rich in documentation and ideas and suggestions for the preparatory process, and I will be following your work closely.
Thank you.
World Conference Against Racism,
Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance
Geneva, 3 May 2000
OPENING STATEMENT BY
MARY ROBINSON
HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND
SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM
FOR THE INTRODUCTION
AGENDA ITEM 7
Madame Chairperson,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is my pleasure to introduce agenda 7. As you can see in the annotations to the agenda, document A/CONF.189/PC.1/1/Add.1, the documentation under agenda item 7 is significant and is therefore presented thematically.
Reports of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
First, there are a number of reports by my Office. These include a report (document A/CONF.189/PC.1/3) on review of progress made in the fight against racism and obstacles to further progress in the field and ways to overcome them that was requested by Commission resolution 1999/78. This report presents the interim results of a questionnaire, as well as an analysis by my own Office on this subject. I would like to note that the Office received 28 responses to the questionnaire from States, 4 from specialized agencies and international intergovernmental organizations, 5 from national human rights institutions and 10 from NGO for a total of 47 responses. It is an initial step to have 47 responses, including 28 from States, and these responses constituted the basis for the analysis which is presented in this report. However, I also note that well over 150 States and a number of specialized agencies have not responded and I encourage them to do so in time for the second session of the Preparatory Committee. Similarly, more contributions from NGOs than the 10 received would be welcome. In this spirit, I intend to resend the questionnaire to all States, specialized organizations, inter-governmental organizations, NGOs and national institutions to encourage additional responses to be compiled and analyzed by my Office.
On the subject of improving coordination between the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and specialized agencies and international, regional and subregional organizations, there are two reports before you. One is a note by the secretariat on improving coordination between my Office and specialized agencies and international, regional and subregional organizations (document A/CONF.189/PC.1/4). The other document (A/CONF.189/PC.1/17) contains reviews and recommendations submitted by specialized agencies, other international organizations, concerned United Nations bodies and regional organizations.
I would like to recall that my Office held a very productive roundtable discussion at the working level with representatives of UN bodies and specialized agencies on 25 April 2000. In addition, I personally have raised the issue of contributions and a collective response by the United Nations community of specialized agencies and UN bodies during meetings of the Administrative Coordinating Committee of the United Nations system at both its October 1999 session and again at its April 2000 session. I received an enthusiastic response from the heads of these specialized agencies and UN bodies, and my Office will be working in close collaboration with them in the preparatory process leading up to the World Conference.
My Office has also submitted the preliminary results of its research and consultation on the use of the Internet (document A/CONF.189/PC.1/5). In this regard, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that a larger and more comprehensive report on the use of the Internet will be presented at the second session of the Prep Com next year. This report should take into account the most recent developments concerning the Internet and its responsible use relating to racist activities using this medium of communication. I would also like to draw your attention to the fact that the Internet was also the subject of two papers presented and a number of presentations made during the expert seminar on remedies available to the victims of racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and on good national practices in this field. The report of this seminar - which contained summaries of the papers concerning the Internet and other subjects - was before you during the consideration of agenda item 6, and copies are available at door 40. Complementary information concerning initiatives by the Office are also contained in my report to the Commission on Human Rights (document E/CN.4/2000/15) which has been made available to you.
Report of the Secretary-General
In the second category of documents, there is a substantive report by the Secretary-General on the effects of racial discrimination on children of minorities and migrants in the fields of education, training and employment (document A/CONF.189/PC.1/11). This subject has been of considerable interest to the General Assembly and has figured in the revised programme of action for the Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination.
Reports by Special Rapporteurs
In the third category of documents, there are reports by two Special Rapporteurs of the Commission on Human Rights, including one by the Special Rapporteur on religious intolerance (document A/CONF.189/PC.1/7), and one by the Special Rapporteur on migrants (document A/CONF.189/PC.1/19). The Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism had planned to submit a report on prevention, but was unable to do so. An explanation is provided in document A/CONF.189/PC.1/6. I would nevertheless like to draw your attention to the report my Office submitted to the 56th session of the Commission on Human Rights on the issue of prevention (document E/CN.4/2000/12), many of the points of which are relevant to the prevention of racial discrimination.
The Special Rapporteur on religious intolerance will be presenting personally his document and conclusions to you during the consideration of this agenda item. As regards the report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, the secretariat has been informed that the Special Rapporteur will be unable to present her report personally. She has sent an introductory text which has been reproduced and will be distributed to participants.
Contributions by treaty bodies
In the fourth category of documents, there are reports by three treaty bodies, including the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (A/CONF.189/PC.1/12), the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (A/CONF.189/PC.1/14), and the Committee on the Rights of the Child (A/CONF.189/PC.1/15). In this regard, I would also like to draw your attention to the 8 working papers that have been prepared by individual members of CERD. As you may recall, the majority of these working papers were made available to the sessional open-ended working group to review and formulate proposals for the World Conference which took place during the Commission’s fifty-fifth session. However, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that there are two additional contributions in this collection of working papers: one on the gender dimension of racial discrimination, and one on reservations to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
Representatives from CERD will present the document contributed by their committee. Similarly, representatives of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Committee on the Rights of the Child will present the documents contributed by their respective committees. A representative of the Human Rights Committee will also make an oral contribution based on discussions that committee has had to date on the World Conference .
Contribution by the Sub-Commission
In the fifth category of documents, there are a number of documents before you that have been prepared by the Sub-Commission. These include the basic contribution of the Sub-Commission (document A/CONF.189/PC.1/13), as well as more developed proposals for the work of the World Conference contained in a separate report submitted by Mr. Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, member of the Sub-Commission, who will present these documents.
In addition, the attention of the Preparatory Committee is drawn to three working papers presented by other individual members of the Sub-Commission which are relevant to the preparatory process of the World Conference.
Contribution of NGOs
The sixth and final category of documents concerns NGO documents. Your attention is drawn to the note by the secretariat (document A/CONF.189/PC.1/18) which gives a listing of 11 documents which were submitted equally to the Commission on Human Rights and the Preparatory Committee, and five other NGO written statements which have been submitted only to the Preparatory Committee. These documents constitute an important source of contributions from civil society and grass roots organizations, and I encourage the Preparatory Committee to give careful consideration to these written statements. In conclusion, may I note that this agenda item is certainly rich in documentation and ideas and suggestions for the preparatory process, and I will be following your work closely.
Thank you.