Press Conference by UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Kyung-wha Kang

Asunción, Paraguay (Saturday 22 October 2011)

Thank you all very much for attending this press briefing. It has been a great pleasure to visit Paraguay.

I would like to thank the Government of Paraguay for their warm welcome and for the cooperation extended during my first visit to this beautiful and hospitable country. Although it has been a short visit I could see that overcoming the legacy of decades of dictatorship is still a huge challenge in Paraguay. But I am encouraged by the will that I have seen in all sectors of society and the Government, to work towards making Paraguay a country where all people enjoy all their human rights.

Since last year, an OHCHR human rights advisor has been working in Paraguay to assist the country move forward in its human rights agenda. I am impressed by the authorities’ openness to working with us and by how they have taken advantage of our technical cooperation.

Over the past three days, I have met with President Lugo, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Justice and Labour and the Chief of the Social Cabinet. I have held discussions with the President of the Senate and other key members of Parliament, the Supreme Court, the Human Rights Network of the Executive Branch, civil society organisations and representatives of the business sector. I have also met with the UN Country Team and the diplomatic corps, and I visited a Maká community and met with indigenous leaders from different regions. I thank all of them for their frank views and open discussions on the situation of human rights in Paraguay.

I recognise that important efforts have been made in the field of human rights, in particular with the establishment of the Human Rights Network of the Executive Branch and the implementation of social policies with a human rights-based approach. I am energised by the commitment of the members of the Executive´s Human Rights Network to move the human rights agenda forward and to incorporate a human rights approach in every aspect of the Government’s work.

Human rights belong to each and every person. There are some for whom ensuring that no one´s rights are violated has become a life-long work. Many have done so, and are still doing so, at a high cost to themselves. I therefore want to pay homage to those human rights defenders who fought tirelessly during the Stroessner era, as well as the victims they tried to protect, and through them to all those working for human rights in Paraguay today. Their struggle to make a better, fair, and inclusive country is what makes current progress possible.

The National Human Rights Action Plan will be the embodiment of this commitment of both State and civil society towards full enjoyment of human rights, and I urge all sectors to work together towards its finalisation and implementation.

The National Human Rights Education Plan is another meeting point. Human rights education is fundamental to ensure respect of all rights, especially non-discrimination, equality and justice.

During my short visit I have heard the plight of groups ranging from women, children, indigenous people LGBTI, people with disabilities, older persons and Afro-descendants. I have heard of how their everyday lives are made difficult by fear, bigotry and abuse. Many even suffer physical attacks. And I am concerned that the anti-discrimination bill, an important framework to protect them, has not yet been passed as law. I urge Congress to pass this essential piece of legislation without further delay.

Women in particular are subject to discrimination, domestic violence, sexual abuse and trafficking for labour and sexual exploitation purposes. The wage gap is also important. Paraguay’s levels of maternal and infant mortality and early pregnancy are among the highest in the region. I invite the Government to adopt concrete measures to tackle these prevalent problems through adequate education programmes and the protection of sexual and reproductive rights, in compliance with international standards and recommendations issued by UN human rights mechanisms.

I would like to draw special attention to the situation of indigenous women, who suffer the combined effects of multiple forms of discrimination – for being indigenous, women and poor.

The promotion and protection of the rights of indigenous peoples remain a major priority for our Office. We are guided by the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples – of which Paraguay is a signatory – as our framework for action. But it is one thing to have signed up to the Declaration, and quite another to implement it.

Yesterday, I visited a Maká community, one of the 20 existing indigenous peoples in Paraguay, and later met a group of indigenous leaders. I heard about the obstacles they face every day to the enjoyment of their rights, discrimination, their difficult living conditions, and the problems related to the possession and ownership of their ancestral land. I encourage the Government to increase efforts to ensure that indigenous peoples’ rights are respected, their participation in decision-making processes is guaranteed and their right to prior consultation is exercised. Indigenous peoples have also increasingly suffered forced evictions to make way for soy production. I urge the Government to enact comprehensive legislation and policies to address the highly unequal land distribution and thus protect the rights of indigenous peoples and other communities.

Paraguay is not necessarily a poor country, but it has a lot of poor, and extremely poor, people. The high rates of economic growth in recent years have not reduced extreme poverty or inequality. The fight against poverty should be accompanied by the adoption of social policies with a human rights-based approach. Economic development is necessary, but development has to have a human face. Young people throughout the world who are taking the streets are reminding us of the hollowness and injustice of economic growth that does not bring about an end to exclusion and an improvement in the enjoyment of all rights by all.

But a State requires resources to do this. Fiscal revenue in Paraguay is one of the lowest in the continent. I urge the State to establish more effective control mechanisms to ensure that taxes are paid. I also invite Congress to ensure the entry into force without further delay of the law that establishes personal income tax.

My team met with men and women leaders from the business sector associated to the Global Compact and learned first-hand about their efforts and commitment in promoting a human rights culture in their businesses. We are encouraged by their willingness to shoulder their share in securing a minimum standard of living for all.

Crime must be punished, but this does not mean that those accused or convicted of crimes should be denied their fundamental rights to life and personal integrity, to due process and to be treated with dignity. However, this is often not the case for those deprived of liberty in this country. Torture and prison conditions amounting to torture or cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment are all too frequent in Paraguay. I urge the Government to take urgent measures to reverse this situation, in line with the recommendations of several UN mechanisms.

An independent and impartial justice system is the ultimate guarantor of human rights, and Paraguay has numerous challenges to overcome in clearing the deficit in this area. The Ombudsman also has an important role to play in ensuring access to rights. However, the selection of a new Ombudsman has been pending since 2009, and its capacity must be strengthened.

International human rights law recognises that a State has a right to take all necessary measures in situations of public emergency to protect its citizens. However, I would like to recall that all actions carried out during the state of emergency must be conducted with respect for human rights and proper controls within the boundaries set by human rights standards and principles.

I invite civil society organizations and human rights defenders to continue to denounce violations and help protect victims, as well as contribute to the elaboration of public policies and give visibility to the challenges that the country is facing. I also encourage you, the media to investigate and report on human rights issues, and help in the creation of a culture of human rights, by informing, educating and helping ordinary people gain awareness of their human rights.

Last year, OHCHR made a commitment to assisting Paraguay tackle its human rights challenges. My visit here is further confirmation of this commitment.
Finally, I would like to thank again the Government and people of Paraguay for their warm welcome. It has been a privilege to visit this country.

Thank you.

ENDS

Learn more about the Deputy High Commissioner Kyung-wha Kang: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/AboutUs/Pages/DeputyHighCommissioner.aspx

Regional Office for South America: http://acnudh.org

OHCHR Country Page:
Chile: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/LACRegion/Pages/CLIndex.aspx
Paraguay: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/LACRegion/Pages/PYIndex.aspx
Uruguay: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/LACRegion/Pages/UYIndex.aspx

For more information and media requests, please contact:
In Santiago de Chile, OHCHR regional office for South America:
Jennifer Ross: +562 321 7750 / jross@ohchr.org
In Asunción: Iris Rojas: +595 972101077 / irojas@ohchr.org
In Geneva: Ravina Shamdasani: +41 22 917 9310 / rshamdasani@ohchr.org
Xabier Celaya: +41 79 444 7578 / xcelaya@ohchr.org

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