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24 September 2002



STATEMENT BY
THE HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
TO THE INFORMAL MEETING OF
THE COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

- BILINGUAL VERSION -


Following is the statement made this morning by Sergio Vieira de Mello, High Commissioner for Human Rights, to the one-day Informal Meeting of the Commission on Human Rights.
"Thank you Mr. Chairman for your warm words and for all the friendly advice and support you have extended to me since my arrival in Geneva. I look forward to working closely with you and your colleagues."
«Il me parait approprié que ce soit devant la Commission de droits de l'homme que je présente mes premières réflexions en tant que Haut-Commissaire. C'est un défi audacieux que je dois personnellement relever; c'est un défi que nous devons tous relever pour faire en sorte que notre travail dans le domaine des droits de l'homme ait un véritable sens.
Pendant les 50 dernières années, la Commission a œuvré pour faire des droits de l'homme une réalité pour chaque être humain aux quatre coins du globe. C'est le cœur de sa mission, à savoir la promotion et la protection des droits de l'homme, et ceci est de nos jours plus pertinent que jamais. Un effort collectif n'est pas seulement le meilleur moyen de faire la différence pour ceux qui en ont le plus besoin, en fait, c'est le seul moyen d'y parvenir. Ce sont ces femmes et ces hommes auxquelles et auxquels j'accorderai toute mon attention pendant mon mandat. Leur dignité sera la mienne. Elle sera aussi la vôtre.
Permettez-moi, tout d'abord, de rendre hommage à mes prédécesseurs qui ont considérablement facilité ma tâche. Ils ont eu l'immense responsabilité de mettre en place un Bureau qui demeure encore jeune, et de faire en sorte que les droits de l'homme restent au cœur de chaque aspect de notre vie. J'ai l'intention de bâtir sur ces fondements et de travailler avec la solide équipe dont j'ai hérité.»
"I remain convinced that human rights are about ensuring dignity, equality and security for all human beings everywhere. These three formidable notions are at the core of our vision. They are closely interlinked. Dignity, which reflects both autonomy and responsibility, concerns the individual. Equality is the cornerstone of effective and harmonious relationships between people; it underpins our common systems of ethics and rights, whether we are discussing equality before the law or the need for equity in how states and international systems conduct their affairs. Neither dignity nor equality, of course, can take root in the absence of basic security.
These values will guide my way as High Commissioner because they are values which 'we the peoples' of the world have been determined to achieve since the creation of the United Nations. Sadly, it is an achievement, as we see each and every day, that we are still a long way off attaining.
But these notions are not ideals and aspirations that are impossible to achieve. They translate into benchmarks to measure conduct. More than half a century of collective hard work has provided us with norms that provide content to these notions. We have a universal human rights framework embedded in the Charter, the Universal Declaration, the two International Covenants and other core human rights treaties. These instruments have inspired provisions in many national constitutions and laws, and led to the creation of long-term national infrastructures for the protection and promotion of human rights. Ensuring that these rights are attainable by those who need them most – the victims of human rights violations – is what gives the United Nations meaning. It is, to be blunt, the only point behind our being here today. If our rules, our debates, this Commission and my Office's very existence, cannot protect the weak then what value do they have?
Ensuring dignity, equality and security requires systems of justice that can maintain and uphold these values. I therefore intend to focus on justice and the consistent application of the rule of law as an overarching theme. This rich concept provides that law should operate as an instrument to protect the dignity and worth of the human person, not as a tool to permit arbitrary rule or cruelty or an abdication of a State's basic responsibilities towards its citizens.
My Office will address violations whether they are deliberately perpetrated or the result of lack of awareness, weak structures or insufficient resources. We will help States to integrate and implement the international norms that they themselves have framed – and that they have voluntarily accepted – through treaties' ratification. But let me reiterate, that it is States that must fully assume their responsibilities to uphold human rights. We will, therefore, urge them to bring human rights fully to their people and to advance their national protection systems. My Office will work with leaders and officials, with the judiciary, with national parliaments, with national human rights commissions and with civil society. We can help educate and build capacity, we can assist, we can exhort, and we will speak up when necessary to ensure that excesses are remedied: one thing we must not do is to compromise on our end goal.
Let me now say a word about terrorism and the measures that are taken by States to address this scourge. Although terrorism is not a new phenomenon, any discussion of this subject nowadays must begin with what happened last year on 11 September. The victims of those horrific attacks have a basic right to justice. This traumatic episode must be looked at unequivocally by all as one of the more repugnant instances in which the rights of the innocent were trampled on without pity. We owe it to them that we all respond with determination and vigour to end the evil of terrorism. We must also recognize that States have not only a right, but a duty to protect their citizens from such forms of international crime. A brutal attack and an exceptional threat may require an extraordinary and unequivocal response.
But these measures must be taken in transparency, they must be of short duration, and they must respect the fundamental non-derogable rights embodied in our human rights norms. They must take place within the framework of the law. Without that, the terrorists will ultimately win and we will ultimately lose – as we would have allowed them to destroy the very foundation of our modern human civilization. I am convinced that it is possible to fight this menace at no cost to our human rights. Protecting your citizens and upholding rights are not incompatible: on the contrary, they must go firmly together lest we lose our bearing.
We have also to work on other pressing sources of insecurity. Armed conflict, discrimination, poverty and ignorance to name but only some of the major ones. Rights have no meaning, however – and you cannot be secure – if your family starves or if you cannot protect yourself or those closest to you from the most preventable or easily curable illnesses or provide your children with basic education. This is a truism just as it is to say that rights have no meaning if your life is held to have no value, or your voice is perpetually silenced.
To deny someone's dignity is to humiliate them. We need to be acutely aware of this: more so than I think we already are. To be humiliated risks insecurity. It is a needless risk to take; it achieves nothing that is positive. If people are stripped of their sense of their own decency – whether physically or psychologically, whether by omission or intentional act – or if they lack or are denied basic recognition either as an individual or as a people or are denied their most fundamental entitlement to live in safety, the result is loss of confidence, lethargy, despair, radicalization. In such scenarios – and we see this all too often - lives are lived that are full of nothing but anger and years of missed opportunities.
In other words, we need to look at security in its broadest sense, not only within an explicit framework of the indivisibility of rights, not only as a condition free from violence and terror, but also recognizing our growing inter-connectedness in a globalised world. We need to bring security to all individuals and peoples around the globe by protecting their rights to life, to identity, to liberty, to think freely and believe whatever they want; their rights not to fear torture, or exile or arbitrary detention; their rights to express themselves, to associate peacefully, to move freely within their country and return to it; their basic right to development, their rights to primary education, and to a standard of living adequate for health and well-being: adequate, in other words, to bring them – and us all – dignity. This will never be achieved other than through mutual pacts: among individuals, communities, states and regions.
A full range of human rights violations are invariably revealed during conflict: not just violations of the rights of those directly involved, but also the indirect – and more far reaching – impact on security, stability and economic and social progress.
Throughout my career, I have seen women and men, young and old, stripped of their rights and their dignity as a result of conflict. I am determined that we work together to see that humanitarian law is fully implemented and that we move forward urgently to develop and enhance the frameworks and strategies needed to protect civilians caught in the maelstrom.
We need to bring closer together human rights and humanitarian issues. The plight of refugees and the internally displaced must not be seen as falling only under the rubric of the latter. We must provide intergovernmental bodies that have international legal supervisory mandates with unequivocal political backing and resolve. They are entrusted by States with the ultimate and overarching task of ensuring that international law is upheld.
I would like to see human rights truly at the centre of peace agreements, at the centre of our efforts to prevent conflict, and at the centre of our peacekeeping endeavours. History has shown us that no peace is real unless the most fundamental concerns of justice are realized. On how many occasions, including in recent times, have alarming signals of human rights violations been ignored with only the resulting crimes against humanity waking us all from inertia? The establishment of the International Criminal Court marks a major landmark in this regard: however I can within my remit, I will work to assist in ensuring that the ICC is well supported and in a position to achieve its stated aims, free from manipulation and in the absence of all other judicial avenues. It is, to me, axiomatic that for those who commit the most heinous crimes of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, there is genuine international accountability. The concerns of all states, particularly those who lead the struggle for justice, have been – or can be – accommodated.
I would also like us to be equipped and ready to assist societies emerging from conflict to build democratic, representative, participatory and accountable institutions, to heal their wounds, to work on reconciliation and to ensure a credible process of accountability for the serious crimes and violations committed during conflict. I know all too well from our work in Kosovo and East Timor how onerous this task is, but I also know how vital and worthy of your support it is.
Frequently, a conflict has its origins in patterns of discrimination. We need to address these basic root-causes through advancing the principle of equality. We need to strengthen our work on this bedrock of justice that is at the core of all human rights. We need to pay particular attention to racial discrimination, minority rights, indigenous rights, the rights of the disabled – for too long an area that has gone unaddressed – children's rights, and gender equality.
The question of the rights of women merits specific and energetic focus: I shall make it one of my priorities. My experience in East Timor, as with other places, has taught me that it is all too often women who forge the greatest drive for peace in conflict-ravaged societies. They are, as a rule, a source of restraint, reason, reconciliation, stability and democracy. While great progress has been made in the last decade to place women's rights high on the human rights agenda, much is still to be desired, particularly at the national level. The basic treaty in the field, CEDAW, has wide reach with some 170 ratifications. At the same time, the problems that it addresses have exceptional depth and complexity.
We need all the above – and more – and we will seek to do it, but we cannot do it alone. We need to work with all members of the human rights family and expand it. I will work with the Secretary-General, whose trust and political leadership will be paramount, and in close solidarity with my UN colleagues in the Secretariat and throughout the system, with other inter-governmental and regional organizations, and with the media. The role of the business community will also be of particular importance. But here today, let me single out two actors: States and NGOs.
We will work in partnership with States. I can never repeat it enough: the primary responsibility to promote and protect rights lies with them. In recent years, States have started to realize and accept that sovereignty is a responsibility that not only provides rights but also entails duties to those living under their jurisdiction as well as to the international community as a whole. They have, in the words of one recent report, a “responsibility to protect”. The role of my Office will be supportive and constructive, assuming good faith on all sides even, and particularly when, disagreements arise.
We will continue to work with NGOs. My experience in many countries left me with deep appreciation for the irreplaceable contribution, on the frontlines of our endeavours that international, regional and national NGOs have made to enhance respect of rights, whether they are working on human rights, humanitarian or development issues. It is hard to imagine where we would be now without their expertise, energy and dedication. A special word goes to human rights defenders, particularly at the national level: you will find in me a friend and ally who is willing to act to protect your rights."
«Dans un rapport publié hier sur la deuxième phase de sa réforme, le Secrétaire général a mis en lumière l'importance de la coopération internationale dans l'assistance fournie aux États pour mettre en place et renforcer les systèmes nationaux de protection et promotion des droits humains. Il a également mis en relief l'importance que représentait le soutien aux organes des traités ainsi qu'aux procédures spéciales créées par la Commission. Ces différents organes constituent la colonne vertébrale du système des Nations Unies en matière des droits humains et leurs délibérations doivent sans aucun doute constituer la base sur laquelle tous les autres développements dans notre domaine doivent invariablement s'appuyer.
J'ai également l'intention de mettre l'accent sur notre capacité à disséminer notre message. Les droits humains ne sont pas simplement des sujets de discussion dans des assemblées telles que celle-ci. En dépit d'efforts considérables déployés durant ces dernières années, le rythme de travail des nombreuses structures du système de protection internationale des droits de l'homme est très mal connue de l'opinion publique. Et cela se vérifie au niveau des cibles à atteindre, à savoir les systèmes et individus qui violent les droits, et ceux qui voient leurs droits violés.
Récemment, il m'a été rappelé de manière fort éloquente que les droits humains universels devraient être connus non seulement par les meilleurs étudiants des meilleures universités et par les élites mais aussi par les enfants des régions les plus pauvres et les plus reculées du monde. Nous avons besoin de trouver des solutions innovatrices pour renforcer l'impact de notre travail et assurer que les activités et le travail de la Commission, de la Sous-commission, des structures mises en place par les traités, des rapporteurs spéciaux, de mon bureau et du reste de notre équipe soit mieux connus par le grand public et soutenus par celui-ci. Les droits humains appartiennent à tous. Nous devons ancrer cette rhétorique dans la réalité.
La Commission joue un rôle central dans le système onusien de promotion et de protection des droits de l'homme. En tant qu'une des plus anciennes institutions intergouvernementales du système des Nations Unies, elle a énormément œuvré pour définir le contenu des normes internationales des droits humains et pour assurer leur promotion ainsi que leur protection. Mais cela est insuffisant et encore très loin du compte. Je suis naturellement conscient du fait que la 58ème session de la Commission ne s'est pas déroulée sans heurts. Le manque de temps et un climat par trop politisé ont menacé de détourner la Commission de son rôle crucial en matière de protection et de promotion.
Malgré ces défis, la Commission reste une enceinte internationale vitale pour discuter de la question des droits humains. En particulier, elle garde le rôle de rédacteur des instruments internationaux des droits humains ainsi que l'a démontré cette année l'adoption du protocole facultatif à la Convention contre la torture, ainsi que la décision de commencer à rédiger un Protocole additionnel au Pacte International relatif aux droits économiques, sociaux et culturels l'année prochaine. Le fonctionnement effectif de la Commission est donc un sujet de préoccupation légitime pour l'ensemble de ses participants, et plus encore pour tous ceux qui comptent sur elle, consciemment ou sans le savoir vraiment, afin de protéger ce qui leur est reconnu en leur qualité d'être humain».
"Similarly, the Commission continues in its quest to promote the indivisibility of human rights by devoting increased attention to economic, social and cultural rights. You can count on me to support this process – this logical imperative – to the fullest extent of my and my Office's capacities. We will work with you toward the realization of the right to development so that all can fully seize their entitlements to participate in, contribute to and enjoy such systemic rights, just as much as we will work with you to ensure their civil and political rights.
Another balance to be struck in the work of the Commission is that between its protection and promotion roles. The protection role of the Commission is one of its core functions and one that calls for measurable results. The importance and effectiveness of the Commission's protection work is evidenced by the ever-increasing size and sophistication of its system of special procedures. However, protection goes hand in hand with promotion and we must stand ready to respond to requests by Member States for the provision of advisory services, in particular as a consequence of deliberations of human rights organs, as long as they are not a substitute for tangible improvements to domestic situations. Equally, the Commission must live up to its responsibilities and be prepared to call an abuse an abuse wheresoever these occur.
Today's meeting is a good example of the benefits of constantly fine-tuning your working methods. Instituted only two years ago, the informal one-day meeting enhances the transparency of the work of both the Commission and my Office by providing an opportunity for the timely exchange of information. In helping us all prepare for the upcoming session of the General Assembly, it allows Member States to know what is happening within the UN human rights system, and it helps me and my Office to get an idea of what issues are at the forefront of agendas in the run-up to the next Commission.
In conclusion, and also on behalf of my colleagues who have contributed to the substance of this statement, what I am saying is not revelatory but rather is nothing more than a reaffirmation of the obvious: human rights go to the heart of our collective sense of humanity, as well as of our sense of politics, in its original, Greek meaning: a social order that is for one and all. It goes to the heart of how we want to see ourselves and of the ideal we are striving to attain: we should not – must not – shy away from idealism. Whatever our culture, we share a common impulse to improve the individual and the common good. We often codify this ideal aspiration in our national laws, just as we do in our international laws. This vision, of human rights as the fundamental and most commonly understood prism through which we view our own humanity is the central guide for all our work.
In other words, we know where we are heading for. By now we should all be in agreement. Disagreements we must view within that framework. Discussion will only get us so far; action will get us further. You will find in me a tireless and an honest partner in helping us to achieve that end. This privilege that the Secretary-General and the General Assembly have given me is one that I do not take lightly. Equally, however, my sense of responsibility is outweighed by a sense of excitement. We are, once again, at a crossroads: let us try to make the most of it and regret nothing. Unless we aim for the seemingly unattainable, we risk settling for mediocrity. I offer you my colleagues' and my will, commitment, independence, impartiality, reason and idealism. I know that this Commission will provide the same in return".



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