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STATEMENT BY BERTRAND RAMCHARAN IN INTRODUCING ANNUAL REPORT OF THE HIGH COMMISSIONER TO THE COMMISSION
19 March 2004
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FRIDAY 19 MARCH 2004
Mr. Chairman,
Distinguished Members of the Commission,
I have the honour to present to you this year’s Annual Report which I have submitted as the Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights (E/CN.4/2004/12).
The report traces some of the important promotional building blocks on which I believe the international community can build to promote the protection of human rights in the future. It highlights areas such as: the importance of international protection systems; the importance of human rights education; and the role of the courts in the protection of human rights.
I should like to refer briefly to two of these: first, human rights education and, second, the role of the courts in the protection of human rights. On the third, national protection systems, I should like to refer to the report we submitted to you on this topic which is contained in document E/CN4/2004/3.
I. Human Rights Education
I believe that it is important to aim for some key objectives to take forward the provision of education on human rights nationally. Allow me to place before you the following simple objectives.
(i) There should be a teaching booklet on human rights, in local language, for every teacher in primary schools.
(ii) There should be a similar booklet for teachers in secondary schools.
(iii) There should be a manual for use by teachers in higher schools of learning, again in local language, so that professors and instructors may draw upon it in giving courses on human rights in all faculties.
(iv) Teacher training colleges should have human rights on their curriculum to help teachers impart the human rights idea.
These are simple, but important, objectives. I believe that a Convention on human rights education, negotiated over a period of time, would help produce a framework to promote objectives such as these. In the process, existing national experiences, many of which we heard about during the high level segment, could be drawn upon to help shape policy in the future.
I also think that once every five years or so, a group of, say, five experts, one from each region of the world, could review information gathered through the secretariat on how these objectives are being realised.
II. The Role of the Courts in the Protection of Human Rights
In another part of its programme, the Commission will hear from national institutions. Today I should like to refer to the role of judges in the protection of human rights. Here also, I believe we should aim for some simple objectives such as the following:
(i) In each country of the world there should be a human rights manual for judges, in local languages, setting out the principal human rights norms.
(ii) There should be an accompanying manual, again in local language, on key parts of international human rights jurisprudence.
(iii) We should aim for, in the wider human rights movement, periodic national, regional and sub-regional consultations among judges on the application of international human rights law in national courts.
(iv) Human Rights should be in the curriculum of schools for judges and lawyers.
Cooperative programmes such as these can be carried out with governments, regional organizations and legal organizations such as the International Bar Association, the Union Internationale des avocats and the International Commission of Jurists.
Closing remarks
The thoughts I have presented to you are quite simple but, allow me to say so, there is a marked lack of activities in these areas. There is a void which I believe we can fill.
Allow me to refer to the reports I submitted to the Commission on Liberia (E/CN.4/2004/5).
I would end by referring to para.67 of my report (E/CN.4/2004/12):
“67. In concluding this report, we would make a strong appeal to the Commission to act on the problem of trafficking in young women. We would appeal to the Commission to consider the establishment of a mechanism to study and analyse the problem, to present findings and recommendations to the Commission, to engage in urgent action for the protection of those at risk and to lead an international campaign against trafficking in human beings. This is a call to conscience that we hope the Commission will heed.”
FRIDAY 19 MARCH 2004
Mr. Chairman,
Distinguished Members of the Commission,
I have the honour to present to you this year’s Annual Report which I have submitted as the Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights (E/CN.4/2004/12).
The report traces some of the important promotional building blocks on which I believe the international community can build to promote the protection of human rights in the future. It highlights areas such as: the importance of international protection systems; the importance of human rights education; and the role of the courts in the protection of human rights.
I should like to refer briefly to two of these: first, human rights education and, second, the role of the courts in the protection of human rights. On the third, national protection systems, I should like to refer to the report we submitted to you on this topic which is contained in document E/CN4/2004/3.
I. Human Rights Education
I believe that it is important to aim for some key objectives to take forward the provision of education on human rights nationally. Allow me to place before you the following simple objectives.
(i) There should be a teaching booklet on human rights, in local language, for every teacher in primary schools.
(ii) There should be a similar booklet for teachers in secondary schools.
(iii) There should be a manual for use by teachers in higher schools of learning, again in local language, so that professors and instructors may draw upon it in giving courses on human rights in all faculties.
(iv) Teacher training colleges should have human rights on their curriculum to help teachers impart the human rights idea.
These are simple, but important, objectives. I believe that a Convention on human rights education, negotiated over a period of time, would help produce a framework to promote objectives such as these. In the process, existing national experiences, many of which we heard about during the high level segment, could be drawn upon to help shape policy in the future.
I also think that once every five years or so, a group of, say, five experts, one from each region of the world, could review information gathered through the secretariat on how these objectives are being realised.
II. The Role of the Courts in the Protection of Human Rights
In another part of its programme, the Commission will hear from national institutions. Today I should like to refer to the role of judges in the protection of human rights. Here also, I believe we should aim for some simple objectives such as the following:
(i) In each country of the world there should be a human rights manual for judges, in local languages, setting out the principal human rights norms.
(ii) There should be an accompanying manual, again in local language, on key parts of international human rights jurisprudence.
(iii) We should aim for, in the wider human rights movement, periodic national, regional and sub-regional consultations among judges on the application of international human rights law in national courts.
(iv) Human Rights should be in the curriculum of schools for judges and lawyers.
Cooperative programmes such as these can be carried out with governments, regional organizations and legal organizations such as the International Bar Association, the Union Internationale des avocats and the International Commission of Jurists.
Closing remarks
The thoughts I have presented to you are quite simple but, allow me to say so, there is a marked lack of activities in these areas. There is a void which I believe we can fill.
Allow me to refer to the reports I submitted to the Commission on Liberia (E/CN.4/2004/5).
I would end by referring to para.67 of my report (E/CN.4/2004/12):
“67. In concluding this report, we would make a strong appeal to the Commission to act on the problem of trafficking in young women. We would appeal to the Commission to consider the establishment of a mechanism to study and analyse the problem, to present findings and recommendations to the Commission, to engage in urgent action for the protection of those at risk and to lead an international campaign against trafficking in human beings. This is a call to conscience that we hope the Commission will heed.”