Statement of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein at the International Peace Institute's Trygve Lie Symposium: Civil Society Under Pressure and the Role of the International Community, New York, 30 September 2015

Excellencies,

Distinguisted guests,

This Symposium honours the memory of our first Secretary General, who once famously described his task as "the most difficult job in the world." But I believe that many of us in the human rights community would echo that description. It seems sometimes that we are surrounded by a rising tide of cruelty, deprivation and suffering. Frequently, the reports that cross my desk make for intolerable, even nauseating reading.

 

And yet, within this horror, I find inspiration in the courage and determination of grass-roots civil society activists and human rights defenders. These women and men, clear and principled, often brave great risks to claim their rights and those of their communities, in the face of violations, injustice and abuse.

 

In their voices, we hear what the Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaims: "The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government". Their message is that government is a responsibility: those who are mandated to exercise power have the duty to promote the well-being and the dignity of the people whom they serve. Their voices tell us: we, the people, are sovereign. We have the right to share ideas, to criticise, and to join with others to participate in decisions about our future.

 

This is a matter of binding legal principle: the current normative framework demands that people have the right to exercise fundamental freedoms. it is also a very deeply practical improvement. When people can share ideas to overcome common problems – and in many areas, they do – the result is a better, more healthy, more secure and more sustainable State.

 

Today, in many regions, more and more governments are dismantling public freedoms. We see laws which forbid access to foreign funds; spurious prosecutions; smear campaigns; destruction of property; mass surveillance; disappearances and killings of civil society activists.

 

The ability of civil society actors to operate freely and safely is fundamental to building stable and thriving societies. It  underpins every activity of the United Nations – and in particular, the human rights that enable truly sustainable development and peace. So although our work to protect fundamental freedoms and deepen civic space is difficult, and even threatening, it is also one of the most meaningful tasks we can take on. 

I look forward to your contributions to this essential discussion.