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William J. Butler Human Rights Medal
Address by Mary Robinson,
United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights
University of Cincinnati


9 March, 2000


Ladies and gentlemen,

I am proud to be the first recipient of the William J. Butler Human Rights Medal. To receive an award in the name of such a such an outstanding human rights defender as Bill Butler is especially moving. All the more so when the person concerned is a friend of mine and a friend and supporter of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Bill Butler’s commitment to the cause of international human rights is so well known that it does not need to be repeated by me. I would just like to say that whenever I have called on him on behalf of my Office, whether to attend the Ocalan trial or to act as my adviser, he has responded positively, notwithstanding the many demands on his time. He has truly put his human rights beliefs into practice in a very tangible way. So to receive an honour in Bill Butler’s name has a particular resonance for me.

I wish to thank the University of Cincinnati College of Law and the Urban Morgan Institute for Human Rights for honouring me in this way. It is a privilege to be associated with a law school which plays a unique role in the teaching of international human rights law in this country. I am pleased, too, to be taking part in the twentieth anniversary celebrations of the Urban Morgan Institute for Human Rights. The Institute and the College of Law are providing an invaluable service by training and bringing forward the human rights defenders of tomorrow. I congratulate Bert Lockwood and all those involved in these celebrations for the achievements of the past twenty years.

Reference was made in the citation to my own background as a human rights lawyer as well as to my term as President of Ireland and the position I now hold, that of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Most of those present this evening are involved with human rights in one way or another. There are many reasons why people take an interest in human rights but I was struck by a quotation from Bill Butler’s father-in-law, the renowned civil rights lawyer Arthur Garfield Hays, which was included in the Institute’s prospectus. He said “I hate to see people pushed around”. I think that that simple sentiment is one which has motivated a lot of human rights defenders over the years. When you reflect on it, the idea of standing up for those who need help to defend themselves - and it is always the poor and the vulnerable who are on the receiving end - is not a bad way of describing what human rights are all about. Underlying it is the sense that everybody is entitled to his or her dignity and rights - and this, of course, is the central message of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the other great human rights documents. All who work for human rights, especially young people who are preparing to devote their lives to this kind of work, should retain a sense of anger at the spectacle of people being pushed around and a determination to do something practical to change that.

The civil rights movement of the 1960s is a good example of people standing up for their own rights and the rights of others. It is a particular pleasure to receive this award from the Honourable Judge Nathaniel Jones who played an active role in the civil rights movement and in the fight against racism and apartheid.

Racism is, in fact, the issue I would like to focus my remarks on this evening. My mandate as High Commissioner for Human Rights is very broad, covering the whole range of rights, both civil and political on the one hand, an economic, social and cultural on the other. But the topic of racism is high in my thoughts because of my role as Secretary-General of the third United Nations World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance which will be held, fittingly, in South Africa from 31 August to 7 September 2001. Racism is also of overriding importance because there is a growing realisation that racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance are the root causes of most of the conflicts and human rights violations that disfigure our world.

It is interesting to note that there has not been a world conference on the subject of racism for 17 years. In the past, the United Nations convened two world conferences against racism. In 1978, the first World Conference to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination reaffirmed the responsibility of the United Nations to victims of racial discrimination, as well as to those under colonial rule or alien domination. The second World Conference, held in 1983, recognized the importance of national legislation and judicial and administrative action to combat racial discrimination, and underlined the importance of defined recourse procedures for the implementation of anti-discrimination laws. Both conferences had the struggle against blatant forms of discrimination such as apartheid very much in mind.

What we are seeing today, regrettably, is that in spite of the victory over apartheid and the advances made in protecting minority rights, racism is on the increase in many parts of the world. That is what has prompted the holding of this third world conference. As we start a new century, racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance present enormous challenges to the international community. In the past decade alone the world has witnessed the recurrence of brutal conflicts, even genocide. The marvellous invention of a new medium - the Internet - is unfortunately also being used by some to transmit messages of hatred.

No society is free from at least some people who are intolerant of difference, whether racial, ethnic or religious, and whose intolerance finds violent expression.

- In Europe, there are worrying signs of a rise in racism and xenophobia. Far-right groups are active, preaching the rhetoric of hatred and violence against those perceived as foreigners or different. In the Former Yugoslavia thousands lost their lives, hundreds of thousands lost their homes and property and we witnessed the brutal practice known as “ethnic cleansing”.

- In Africa, terrible ethnic conflicts have taken an immense human toll in many countries, destroying lives and communities and arresting the economic and social development that countries in the region need so badly.

- In South America, discrimination against migrants and the many indigenous peoples that populate the continent is a serious problem.

- In the Asian region, there has been a big rise in the incidence of trafficking in women and children and contemporary forms of slavery which often have a racial or ethnic basis to them. As members of this audience are well aware, the United States is far from being free of the scourges of racism and racial discrimination. It is significant that in a recent poll where Americans were asked about the biggest challenge facing the nation in this new century, the highest number of responders said relations between the races.

A particular issue which has drawn critical attention in recent times is the practice of
“racial profiling” in policing where a police officer may suspect a person of criminal behaviour solely on the basis of race. This is a harmful presumption that encourages incorrect stereotypes about people.

The longterm impact of racism has a no less harmful effect. For example, economic indicators reveal how race-based disparities persist, with American Indians, people of Latin origin and African-Americans tending to experience higher rates of poverty when compared to white people in the United States. There are also active forms of discrimination in employment, housing and consumer and credit markets. And religious intolerance is a source of underlying tensions in the United States, just as it is in many parts of the world.

One of the challenges facing next year’s World Conference will be to analyse all of the factors - political, historical, economic, social and cultural - that lead to racism.

What are the root causes of racism and xenophobia? Firstly, there are cultural and social dimensions involved. There is the fear and lack of knowledge or understanding of those who are perceived to be different. This is an area where education and awareness-raising about diversity and the harmful consequences of racism can play a very important role.

Secondly, the legacies of colonialism and slavery have created in many countries conditions and conceptions that foster racism and xenophobia. As a result, many nations struggle with the modern-day impact of historical policies, practices and attitudes based on racial difference.

Thirdly, there is the economic dimension to racism. Economic prosperity induces job seekers to migrate to more prosperous countries or regions in search of a better life . This migration and movement can lead to racial tensions and xenophobia in the receiving country. Similarly, difficult economic times in societies tend to perpetuate racial or ethnic intolerance. There is a strong tendency to blame outsiders for domestic economic problems such as unemployment.

Since its creation, the United Nations has placed a high priority on measures to combat racism and racial discrimination. There is now a comprehensive body of international human rights law and mechanisms in place. The UN Charter calls for “respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion...” - a sentiment echoed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. An important milestone was the adoption in 1965 of the International Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which has since been ratified by one hundred and fifty-five States. The Convention established the Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination which is mandated to monitor and review the legal, judicial, administrative and other steps taken by individual States to fulfil their obligations to combat racial discrimination. The Committee is a key monitoring body which can help us to heed early warning signs and take preventive
action before a problem becomes acute.

Under the auspices of the United Nations, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide have also been adopted.

In summary, there is broad acceptance by governments that all members of the human family have equal and inalienable rights, and commitments have been made to assure and defend these rights under international human rights law. Governments have repeatedly pledged to promote and encourage universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion.

To have built up an impressive body of law against racism is an achievement. What we have to look at now is how the international community can be encouraged to ensure that these mechanisms are used effectively to combat racism. As we prepare for the World Conference, I will be looking to the different regions of the world to focus on themes of particular relevance and to come up with strategies. The United States can and should take a leadership role in this process by focussing attention on the Conference and by stimulating open debate. And it can set an example by embracing its own diversity, by fighting the trend towards a society divided between the haves and the have nots, and by ensuring that the rights and freedoms of all Americans are protected, regardless of race, sex, language or religion.

What do we hope to achieve at next year’s World Conference? The main objectives will be to (i) review progress made against racial discrimination, to reappraise obstacles to further progress and to devise ways to overcome them; (ii) consider ways and means to better ensure the application of existing standards and the implementation of existing instruments to combat racial discrimination; (iii) increase the level of awareness about the scourge of racism and its consequences; (iv) formulate concrete recommendations to increase the effectiveness of United Nations activities and mechanisms; (v) review the political, historical, economic, social, cultural and other factors leading to racism; (vi) formulate concrete recommendations to further action-oriented national, regional and international measures to combat all forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance; and, (vii) draw up concrete recommendations for ensuring that the United Nations has the financial and other necessary resources for its actions in this field.

The General Assembly has called for an action-oriented Conference with concrete steps to be identified in the areas of prevention, education and protection. This is certainly my approach. Some of the specific issues that will be addressed are:

- the question of recourse procedures open to victims of racial discrimination. Although the principles establishing non-discrimination and the equality of all human beings have been accepted by Governments and recognized in international law, the rights have yet to be assured by effective guarantees at the national level which allow individuals to have access to recourse procedures when their rights are violated. In many countries, effective penal, civil or administrative recourse procedures to victims of acts of racial discrimination have not yet been established. In those countries where recourse procedures exist, they are often little known, or they are complex and difficult to use effectively, or they require significant financial resources that are rarely available to those who suffer most.

- Another key issue will be the manifestation of contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. The Conference will consider inter alia, discrmination against black people, Arabs and Muslims, xenophobia, negrophobia, anti-Semitism and related intolerance including discrimination against indigenous peoples, migrants, refugees, displaced persons and the Roma population.

- As I mentioned, racism has taken another contemporary form in the dissemination of racist and xenophobic material via the Internet. Websites exist which publish racial hatred and which urge incitement to racial and ethnic hatred and action, even genocide. Hateful, racist messages are only a click away. The international community will wish to address the issue of harmful and hateful content in telecommunications, taking account of freedom of speech and opinion and access to information.

- A further theme will be the disproportionate economic impact of racism and racial discrimination. Certain regions, countries or entire communities are affected by racially-based economic policies, or discriminatory laws that have a widespread economic impact.

The first Preparatory Committee for the World Conference will take place in Geneva in May, and the second will take place in May 2001. There will be a series of regional conferences and expert meetings to prepare the ground and to involve as many people as possible in the build up to the Conference proper. The Preparatory Committees and ultimately the World Conference itself face the challenge of ensuring that the best conditions are in place for the international community to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and to adopt effective measures to eliminate these plagues that are an affront to all humanity.

Combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, remains our collective responsibility. A fundamental first step is that nations and the international community as a whole acknowledge the reality of multi-racial and multi-ethnic nations. Only then can we endeavor to protect and promote all human rights for all.

The Urban Morgan Human Rights Institute and the University of Cincinnati are well-placed to support the preparatory processes and the World Conference itself. Academic institutions such as the Urban Morgan Human Rights Institute can provide new ideas and strategies for implementation in the field of international human rights and anti-racism. You can give intellectual leadership and help to mobilize the academic and legal communities.

I would ask you to think in the period ahead about racism, to discuss concrete measures to fight racism and intolerance, to encourage the holding of symposia and seminars and the writing of articles about the many issues and problems associated with racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. The Human Rights Quarterly which you publish is justifiably recognized as the leading academic journal in the human rights field and it has a worldwide audience. That influence should be used to spread the message of the Conference to as wide an audience as possible.

There is a fundamental need for civil society to be closely involved in the work of the World Conference. Human rights and the fight against racism are not just the province of lawyers. Everyone has a part to play in combatting racism: non-governmental organizations, community groups, religious groups and the private sector. I welcome the active participation of these groups at the World Conference.

I look forward to your cooperation in this important task and to your continued action on behalf of human rights worldwide. People sometimes ask me if I do not get discouraged at the human rights abuses I witness in the course of my work. It is true that there is no shortage of violations - whether it is gross violations such as people being murdered or driven from their homes in East Timor and Kosovo or children being mutilated in Sierra Leone - or the daily assault on the economic and social rights of a huge part of the world’s population. But I draw encouragement from the fact that we start this century with human rights to the fore of international attention, on a scale never known before. Human rights legislation has reached an advanced stage and the mechanisms are largely in place. What is needed now is to move from standard-setting to implementation and I believe that this can be achieved, as long as the will is there to do so.

I also draw encouragement from the award I have received here tonight. I accept it on behalf of all those who champion the cause of human rights. It will be an inspiration to me as I prepare for the World Conference against Racism and in my work as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Thank you.