人权理事会向人权事务高级专员告别，并结束第二十六届常会（部分翻译）

人权理事会
晚上 

2014年6月27日

人权理事会今晚向将在八周内结束六年任期的联合国人权事务高级专员纳维·皮莱告别，并结束了第二十六届常会。

联合国日内瓦办事处代理总干事迈克尔·穆勒（Michael Møller）宣读了联合国秘书长潘基文的致辞，秘书长表示，皮莱女士是一名杰出的人权事务高级专员，她始终是世界最弱势群体的可靠、公正而有效的倡导者。作为一名南非种族隔离制度的亲历者，皮莱女士曾亲眼见证歧视。她的肤色剥夺了许多机会，但她依靠着惊人的决心和敏锐的头脑成为了一名律师，之后又成为一名法官。她从未忘记多少和她一样的人未能踏上这个脆弱的阶梯。这种不公正的感觉为她对人权的坚定承诺埋下了种子，也成为促使她帮助他人的重要动力。皮莱女士作为人权事务高级专员的任期将在八周后结束，但她的建树将产生长期持续的影响。

联合国人权事务高级专员纳维·皮莱对所有人为她准备的惊喜表示感谢，并表示，对人权问题的关注使得秘书长的致辞尤为珍贵。高级专员表示，理事会解决人权侵犯受害者关注的问题对他们而言至关重要。她表示，被纳尔逊·曼德拉提名为卢旺达问题刑事法庭法官具有重大的意义，因为这是南非的首次国际任命。

人权理事会主席波德莱尔·恩东·艾拉表示，在过去的六年中，高级专员在保护人权和确保国际社会的权利受到捍卫方面不遗余力。主席代表理事会感谢高级专员的工作和承诺。

发言者承认了高级专员在促进和保护人权方面的主要贡献，及其在促进最弱势群体受关注程度方面的努力。她在促进和保护人权方面采用了真正普适的方法。人权问题从日内瓦走到了实地。皮莱女士对人权侵犯行为的明确态度令人赞赏，无论其发生在何地。高级专员已展示出如何调解不可化解的局势，其继任者也应在其成就的基础上再接再厉。发言者祝愿高级专员在未来的努力中一帆风顺。 
 
在讨论中发言的有：埃塞俄比亚代表非洲集团，南非，伊斯兰合作组织，欧盟，阿根廷，德国代表西欧和其他国家集团，哥斯达黎加代表拉美和加勒比国家共同体，伊朗代表不结盟运动。

非洲维护人权会议也在讨论中发言。
 
人权理事会将于2014年9月8日至26日举行第二十七届常会。    
 
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Message
 
MICHAEL MØLLER, Acting Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, reading out the message of BAN KI-MOON, the United Nations Secretary-General, said that it was a great pleasure to convey greetings to all who had gathered for this event honouring a close colleague, friend and global champion of justice and equality for all.  Navi Pillay had been an extraordinary High Commissioner for Human Rights.  Ms. Pillay had served as a dependable, even-handed and effective advocate for the world’s most vulnerable people.  Her clear voice, wisdom and sound sense of balance had guided her Office, placed human rights at the centre of the United Nations family and extended the reach of human rights around the world.  As someone who came of age under the apartheid regime in South Africa, Ms. Pillay had seen discrimination up close.  Her skin colour had denied her many opportunities.  But her tremendous determination and sharp mind had helped her to become a lawyer, and then a judge.  Ms. Pillay had never forgotten how many others like her never made it up that fragile ladder.  That sense of injustice planted the seeds of her strong commitment to human rights, and was a big part of what drove her to help others.

Ms. Pillay had been an inspiration to everyone who had had the pleasure of working with her; and had significantly strengthened the Office of the High Commissioner’s field presence, and responded quickly and nimbly to crises.  Ms. Pillay had always insisted on painstaking attention to facts, and shared her deep knowledge widely and generously.  Her deft political skill piloted her team through many perilous waters.  Ms. Pillay had also been an indispensable partner in advancing the Rights Up Front initiative, which sought to strengthen the United Nations’ response to threats of serious human rights violations.  Ms. Pillay's term as High Commissioner for Human Rights would end in eight weeks, but what she had built would last for many years.  Navi Pillay, thank you for your service as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.  You have made an unforgettable contribution.
 
Statements
 
MINELIK ALEMU GATAHUN, Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the United Nations Office at Geneva, speaking on behalf of the African Group, paid tribute to Navi Pillay for her work as High Commissioner for Human Rights and for speaking against human rights violations around the world.  The African Group commended, in particular, her commitment and hard work in South Africa, her commitment to the justice system as a member of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and her commitment and hard work as High Commissioner for Human Rights.  The African Group also commended Ms. Pillay’s initiatives on the treaty-body strengthening process and human rights mainstreaming, and her contribution to the promotion of the right to development and the Declaration on the Right to Development.  The African Group hoped that the work already undertaken by Ms. Pillay would be strengthened under the incoming High Commissioner, Prince Zeid al-Hussein of Jordan.  The African Group also thanked the staff of the Office of the High Commissioner and wished Ms. Pillay success in her future endeavours.
 
South Africa said that Navi Pillay was the first non-white person who had become a Judge in the High Court in South Africa.  South Africa was very proud of her service in the United Nations and thanked Ms. Pillay for her sterling service for humanity. 
 
Organization of Islamic Cooperation reiterated its appreciation and respect for the High Commissioner’s tireless efforts for the promotion and protection of human rights around the work and wished her best in all her future endeavours.
 
European Union appreciated Ms. Pillay’s clear words on human rights violations regardless of where they occurred and her consistent fight against impunity, and commended the High Commissioner for giving a voice to victims of human rights abuses and for speaking out on such pressing issues as the persecution of human rights defenders and persons belonging to minorities.
 
Argentina thanked and recognised the High Commissioner for her major contribution to promoting and protecting human rights and for her efforts to promote the visibility of the most vulnerable.
 
Germany, on behalf of the group of Western European and other States, applauded the High Commissioner for her many years of courageous and unrelenting work for human rights.  She had applied a truly universal approach to the promotion and protection of human rights, forcefully defending the independence of the Office.
 
Costa Rica, on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, paid worthy tribute to Navi Pillay.  She had undertaken incredible work in the course of her mandate.  Major changes had emerged over her mandate in terms of the fair geographical distribution of representation.  Human rights had been taken out of Geneva and into the field.
 
Iran, speaking in behalf of Non-Aligned Movement, thanked the High Commissioner for her efforts during her mandate and wished her success.
 
Rencontre Africaine pour la défense des droits de l’homme was honoured to congratulate Ms. Pillay for the way in which she had led the Office of the High Commissioner during her tenure and her reaction to events unfolding during her mandate.  The organization welcomed the establishment of new Council mandates, achieved despite the lack of funding and a drastic decline in the contributions.  Ms. Pillay had shown how to reconcile the irreconcilable and the organization encouraged her successor to work on the basis of her achievements.
 
Concluding Remarks by the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the President of the Council
 
NAVI PILLAY, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, thanked all for the lovely surprise and said that the words of the United Nations Secretary-General were particularly valuable because of the great attention that he paid to human rights.  Ms. Pillay remembered her first appearance at the Human Rights Council, which was on the second day of her mandate.  The High Commissioner said that it was of great importance for the victims of human rights violations that the Council addressed issues of concern to them.  Ms. Pillay thanked speakers for their warm and moving tributes today.  She said that her nomination by Nelson Mandela to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda had been of extreme importance as it was South Africa’s first international appointment.
 
BAUDELAIRE NDONG ELLA, President of the Human Rights Council said that in the past six years the High Commissioner had spared no efforts in protecting human rights and making sure that the international community protected rights.  On behalf of the Council, the President thanked the High Commissioner for her work and her commitment.

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