Default title

Geneva, 20 September 2002



STATEMENT BY

THE HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

SERGIO VIEIRA DE MELLO



The task before me is enormous. I am very conscious of that and I am also aware that I am taking over the post of High Commissioner at a very delicate time for human rights. My job will require speaking out to turn the world’s attention to abuses. But it also requires tact and political acumen, as well as the ability to roll up one’s sleeves and get down to work to protect human rights away from the spotlights and the microphones. The end goal must always be kept in sight: the promotion and protection of human rights for all. I am here to serve those individuals and communities denied such protection above all others.

My task has been made immeasurably easier by the work of my two predecessors. They faced the onerous twin tasks of both establishing what is still a young office and, also, helping in putting on the map the importance of human rights in every facet of our life. Human rights are now fully at the centre of inter-governmental debate: that hurdle has been overcome. This advantage I have inherited, together with a strong foundation and team at my office with which to work.

I have been in the job exactly one week, so I am still getting my bearings. But these first hectic days have strengthened my conviction that my action as High Commissioner should be guided by the bedrock principles of the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the other human rights instruments adopted in the last half century: and the rule of law this is one of my fundamental messages, the rule of law is the lynchpin of human rights protection. It is not just about morals it is not just about politics, of course it is both, it is about law it has a legal basis a legal foundation

I told you last week that I would be paying particular attention to a number of broad themes: among them the protection of civilian populations in conflict; combating racism and discrimination; and the rights of women and more and more . These issues are at the core of our collective sense of humanity.

Armed conflict is one of the greatest scourges of human rights violations today and one that as you can imagine from my own personal history one that I am particularly keen to address as I attempted to do also in one of my previous positions in New York as Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs . I have seen for myself throughout my work with the UN the ravages of war and violence including in my last assignments to Kosovo and then East Timor. Helping countries to recover from the legacy of armed conflict, and contributing to the prevention and resolution of such confrontations through the observance of human rights will be one of my priorities.

My overarching theme, as I referred to a moment ago, will be fostering the rule of law, without which it is not possible to have respect for human rights, democracy and good governance.

Let me be clear: my office cannot on its own ensure respect for human rights. We can educate, we can assist, we can exhort, and – if needs be – we can seek to shame. But ultimately we alone cannot impel. It is States, States, that have the primary responsibility towards the well-being of their citizens and hence the main responsibility for the protection and promotion of human rights. This responsibility applies both to those states which perpetrate abuses and also, as importantly, to those many states which have forged our international legal framework. Every day on this job I will address violations of these rights, whether they are consciously perpetrated or the result of ignorance, system deficiencies or inadequacies of capacity.

But I shall not just work with Governments. The Office of the High Commissioner also needs to work with the human rights family and expand it. We will work with a broad range of partners at the international, regional and national levels; with NGOs; human rights defenders; the humanitarian community; the development community; the UN as a whole; with regional organizations; and with you – the media – to strengthen and develop our human rights work.

In one sense, human rights are not about dreamy-eyed idealism. It is about the law and commitments and obligations. It is about will, policies, education, training, money, resources. The extensive body of international human rights law that we have available is the closest thing we have to a universal code of conduct. All the more so since these commitments have been accepted voluntarily by most States. The violation of these commitments should always be seen as an affront to all and must not be tolerated.

In conclusion, let me get back to where I began. This job is about people – it is about human beings. It is about victims of conflict; about the hungry; the poor; those who live under oppressive regimes; the tortured; and the silenced. And in that sense it is about idealism: we must not hide behind excuses that rights for all are too difficult to define or too difficult to attain. We must not compromise on our end goal.

Human rights are about dignity: the dignity of those denied their rights as well as our own dignity. What do the victims think of us what do they expect from us and how do we see ourselves? These are not theoretical questions there are very real issues and many of us have gone through those experiences in our lives.

I look forward to the four difficult but I know rewarding years ahead.


Thank you.



* *** *