HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL OPENS THIRTEENTH SESSION

The Human Rights Council this morning opened its thirteenth session, hearing from 17 high-level dignitaries and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, who said the Council was conceived as a forum where responses to inequality, repression, and impunity could be crafted and advocated to help build a world in larger freedom. The review of the Council, now forthcoming, would help the international community to assess whether the fundamental principles of this body’s mandate had been solidly and consistently upheld. Many of the other high-level speakers also focused on the upcoming review of the Council and its mechanisms.

The Council held a minute of silence for the victims of recent events throughout the world.

Alex van Meeuwen, President of the Human Rights Council, in an opening statement, said the thirteenth session was to be placed under the triple banner of action, responsibility and dialogue. The Council must not be afraid to discuss all subjects relative to human rights, particularly those on which contrary viewpoints existed. Discussion, however, should not prevent the Council from acting and assuming its responsibility to protect the human rights of all human beings.

Navi Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, also in an opening statement, said to counter deeply rooted and chronic human rights conditions in many countries, such as repression, discrimination, and strife, as well as rapidly unfolding challenges to human welfare, five years ago the United Nations had initiated a process of reform that proposed several innovations, including the creation of the Human Rights Council. This new institution was conceived as a forum where responses to inequality, repression, and impunity could be crafted and advocated to help build a world in larger freedom. The review of the Council, now forthcoming, would help the international community to assess whether the fundamental principles of this body’s mandate had been solidly and consistently upheld.

Seventeen high-level dignitaries addressed the high-level segment of the Council.

Francisco Santos Calderon, Vice President of Colombia, said Colombia was fighting violence through human rights, laws and its citizens. Democracy and State institutions were stronger now than ever before. Serious problems remained in the field of human rights although reducing paramilitary activity assassinations and bolstering unions had improved.

Teresa Fernandez de la Vega, Vice President of Spain, speaking on behalf of the European Union, said the creation of the Human Rights Council had confirmed the commitment that dialogue was the best way to prevent human rights violations. The Council had made much progress in the past years and never lost the final aim from its sight. It was a young institution that had already proven its value but it must also adapt itself to the changed world that demanded initiatives.

Steven Vanackere, Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belgium, said human rights were universal, indivisible, and common to all regions and cultures of the world. The protection and promotion of human rights should enjoy the commitment of all. It should be a common work, beyond regional and political lines, with a frank and open dialogue.

Salomon Nguema Owono, Vice Prime Minister of Social and Human Rights Affairs of Equatorial Guinea, said Equatorial Guinea worked for peace, harmony, solidarity and the promotion of global human rights, and had a firm political commitment to promoting, ensuring, protecting and consolidating human rights worldwide and attaining sustainable development in the principles of peace, equality and justice, by working closely with the United Nations.

Ahmed Shaheed, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives, said the Council had played an important role in the transformation of the Maldives and although the human rights situation in the country was still very much a work in progress, it was self-evident that much had been achieved. The achievements of the past five years would not have been possible without the strong, mutually respectful and cooperative relationship with the Human Rights Council.

Dipu Moni, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, said that in the developing countries, particularly in least-developed countries like Bangladesh, challenges were many. Abject poverty often created conditions of exclusion and hindered the full enjoyment of all human rights. It was important, therefore, that the global community help create the enabling environment in which all people could fully enjoy all human rights.

Bandar Bin Mohammed Al-Aiban, Chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Saudi Arabia, said Saudi Arabia’s Universal Periodic Preview would now allow it to continue promoting and protecting human rights. Saudi Arabia had laid the foundations for dialogue among religions and cultures. To promote more awareness on human rights, a four-year programme was underway to build institutional capacities, compassion, understanding and a culture of human rights.

Kasit Piromya, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Thailand, said that much progress had been seen in the promotion and protection of human rights since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Many challenges remained, and among fundamental ones was how to make the Human Rights Council a truly effective force. The second challenge was ensuring that Governments did their part to create enabling environments in which human rights could flourish and prosper.

Mourad Medelci, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Algeria, said since its establishment, the Human Rights Council had achieved significant progress in achievement of its mandate, but there was still a need for considerable progress to achieve the expectations of humanity. This was why the five-year review of the Council should take place in a spirit of serenity.

Manouchehr Mottaki, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iran, said the Human Rights Council’s thirteenth session was an opportunity to consider urgent, daunting human rights challenges ahead and to solve them. It was crucial to examine the Council’s functions with a set of objective criteria. It was a forum for global dialogue and understanding.

Ivan Simonoivic, Minister of Justice of Croatia, said the first review of the Human Rights Council next year would offer an opportunity for improvements based on critical and open evaluation of achievements, challenges and shortcomings. The upcoming review of the Universal Periodic Review had to look at its results with respect with the ability to reflect the reality of human rights situations in all countries.

Madické Niang, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Senegal, said if the upcoming evaluation of the functioning and activities of the Council was well prepared and took place from an inclusive perspective, it could incite a stronger commitment in favour of its noble mission. This reassessment exercise should in no circumstances weaken the Council, or put in doubt the fundamental balances which lay in the heart of its founding text.

Ana Trisic Babic, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, said Bosnia and Herzegovina was committed to promoting and protecting human rights. It had expressed its commitment to ensuring the utmost protection of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights through policies and strategies. Bosnia and Herzegovina saw human rights and fundamental freedoms through bolstering democracy, multi cultural dialogue, cultural and religious diversity and non-discrimination as a top priority.

Maria Otero, Under-Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs of the United States, recalled the three tenets that guided its participation in the Human Rights Council: a commitment to principled engagement, consistent application of international human rights law and a fidelity to the truth. The Council should promote and develop measures that truly helped the human rights situation on the ground and this meant that it must collect human rights information, assess it properly and act after it reviewed the information.

Julia D. Joiner, Commissioner for Political Affairs of the African Union, said the Council was gathered at a time when the economic and environmental crises that the world faced were increasingly and evidently recognised as a human rights crisis, a reality that was more apparent in Africa than in any other part of the globe. In a world of complexity, contradiction and perceptive differences on human rights, the independence and leadership of the Council served as the fundamental basis for constructing action on the basis of sound guidance.


The next meeting of the Council will be at 3 p.m., when it will continue to hear statements from high-level dignitaries, following which it will hold a High-Level Panel on the economic and financial crises.


Opening Statements

ALEX VAN MEEUWEN, President of the Human Rights Council, said that much progress had been achieved within the Council, particularly in defining the modalities of work and achieving a strong institutional base. The thirteenth session was to be placed under the triple banner of action, responsibility and dialogue. The Human Rights Council must profit from mechanisms it had set up to fulfil the hopes placed in it by the international community and victims of human rights violations. It must prove its readiness to strengthen the promotion and protection of human rights for all human beings everywhere in a just and equitable way. The Council must not be afraid to discuss all subjects relative to human rights, particularly those on which contrary viewpoints existed. Discussion however should not prevent the Council from acting and assuming its responsibility to protect the human rights of all human beings.

The Human Rights Council would benefit from the expertise of eminent personalities, would take into account interactive dialogues and would host national delegations from all over the world. It would ensure the follow up of the Special Sessions to improve dialogue and understanding on important subjects. This thirteenth session would cover a spectrum of human rights relative to all, as well as special situations. The Council must move to action through dialogue. Mr. Van Meeuwen extended his best wishes for a fruitful thirteenth session and reassured all of his total commitment and availability.

NAVI PILLAY, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said she spoke last year to the Council against the background of worsening financial and economic crises. These sudden and cascading upheavals exposed and exacerbated existing violations of human rights. They also widened the areas and increased the number of victims of abuse and hardship. The financial and economic downturns, together with food shortages, climate-related catastrophes and continuing violence, had shattered complacent or over-optimistic notions of expanding security, prosperity, safety and the enjoyment of freedoms by all. The cataclysmic earthquake that struck Haiti and its aftermath were tragic illustrations of multiple vulnerabilities that left so many unprotected.

To counter deeply rooted and chronic human rights conditions in many countries, such as repression, discrimination, and strife, as well as rapidly unfolding challenges to human welfare, five years ago the United Nations had initiated a process of reform that proposed several innovations, including the creation of the Human Rights Council. Ms. Pillay said this new institution was conceived as a forum where responses to inequality, repression, and impunity could be crafted and advocated to help build a world in larger freedom. The General Assembly envisaged a body guided by the principles of universality, impartiality, objectivity, non-selectivity, transparency, and accountability. The review of the Council, now forthcoming, would help the international community to assess whether the fundamental principles of this body’s mandate had been solidly and consistently upheld. Gaps in the Council’s practices needed to be addressed in order to attain greater equality and a framework in which the public good was more widely enjoyed.

The High Commissioner said four broad areas lent themselves to further improvement in the practice of the Council. First, while the Council had often reacted in a timely manner to emergencies, it could also become more alive to the realities of drawn-out and less visible challenges to human rights. In short, it should devise ways and means to devote more attention to chronic human rights conditions that the waxing and waning of crises or of public outcry neglected. Second, there was also a need to improve coordination among the various human rights mechanisms. Overlap or duplication of recommendations must be avoided regarding States’ reporting obligations to treaty bodies, as well as with recommendations of Special Procedures, and of the Universal Periodic Review.

Third, the Council’s authority largely depended on making its deliberations actionable and in a way that led to discernible improvements in human rights conditions. To motivate States’ compliance with their obligations and responsibilities, the Human Rights Council needed both internal cohesion and external credibility, since its influence rested on persuasion, not coercion. Consequently, this body must avoid falling back on regional reflexes. Fourth, there was a need to pair tasks with resources in order to bolster the authority and credibility of the human rights system. To be sure, the growing list and scope of activities carried out by the Council, or on the Council’s behalf, were a measure of this body’s ambition, activism and success. Ms. Pillay encouraged the international community, including the Council’s Member States, to ensure that the increasing number and variety of human rights mechanisms’ tasks were adequately resourced in order to preserve and bolster the quality and the long-term effects of this vital work.

Later in this session, Ms. Pillay said she would present her second annual report as High Commissioner for Human Rights. The report contained a detailed account of the whole range of activities that her Office carried out in the past year. It also illustrated actions and results of the vision that underpinned efforts.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights had identified six areas as requiring additional focus in the next biennium, Ms. Pillay said. These priorities, pursued with OHCHR’s core work on all rights, would provide more visibility to issues of increasing concern. They were: countering discrimination, in particular racial discrimination, discrimination on the grounds of sex, religion and against others who are marginalized; pursuing economic, social and cultural rights in efforts and combating inequalities and poverty, including in the context of the economic, food and climate crises; protecting human rights in the context of migration; combating impunity and strengthening accountability, the rule of law, and democratic societies; protecting human rights in situations of armed conflict, violence and insecurity; and strengthening human rights mechanisms and the progressive development of international human rights law.

Ms. Pillay said the identification of these thematic areas stemmed from a broad assessment within the Office which took stock of issues already identified by States at the inter-governmental level. Through a sharpened focus, and together with the Human Rights Council, as well as with partners in the UN, national human rights institutions and civil society, the Office would endeavour to ensure that the forthcoming review process would help Member States to enhance human rights implementation. The international community should continue to build on the Secretary-General’s vision of reform and keep developing a narrative of the possible, the imperative and the achievable, in the name, and for the sake of, human rights.

High-Level Segment

FRANCISCO SANTOS CALDERON, Vice President of Colombia, extended Colombia’s condolences to Chile after the recent natural disaster that struck there. Colombia was committed to upholding human rights. Paramilitaries had been at large, wreaking havoc. Still, eight years later, the country had an efficient Government that sought to tackle that problem. In the midst of such challenges, the country had sound human rights tools to deal with them. The State had lost control of large parts of its territories, but a policy of human rights had helped it to regain them. Colombia was fighting violence through human rights, laws and its citizens. Democracy and State institutions were stronger now than ever before. Serious problems remained in the field of human rights, although reducing paramilitary activity assassinations and bolstering unions had improved.

Colombia was earmarking millions of dollars towards protecting displaced people. Violent deaths had dropped by 2009, over an eight-year period. Objective approaches to dealing with justice and peace were crucial. Institutions had to be strengthened, and impunity had to be quashed. Racial and gender discrimination had to be scrapped. Poverty had to be rolled back. Colombia had to look at its legal standards in dealing with human rights violations critically and the international community had to look at it as exemplary. In 2009 Colombia earmarked 100 million dollars for victims of violence. There had been many cases of double standards. Illegal armed groups in Colombia thrived due to drug trafficking, encouraged by countries that supposedly defended human rights. That could not be tolerated. The Council’s review should help consolidate what had been achieved in terms of the Universal Period Review.

TERESA FERNANDEZ DE LA VEGA, Vice President of Spain, speaking on behalf of the European Union, expressed condolences to the Government of Chile. The creation of the Human Rights Council had confirmed the commitment that dialogue was the best way to prevent human rights violations. The Council had made much progress in the past years and never lost the final aim from its sight. It was a young institution that had already proven its value but also it must adapt itself to the changed world that demanded initiatives. It was important to improve its functioning and the 2011 review was an opportunity that must be seized to identify limitations that could be overcome.

The Human Rights Council had many achievements, such as the independence of the Special Procedures, and the capacity of the High Commissioner to respond to human rights violations. There was still room to progress and gain greater efficiency by strengthening the role of the President, Special Rapporteurs and Independent Experts. They must have full cooperation of all, particularly Member States of the Human Rights Council. The advances in the past few years, stemming from the globalization of economies and technological progress, meant that they were seeing a revolution in the way they saw the world in that they shared more and more. The global culture of human rights was possible and should be a primordial objective for all. Member States must have the values and principles of freedom, democracy and security in them and translate them into a concrete reality for all. Human rights education, dialogue, tolerance and respect of differences must be the basis and the foundation for the progress of human society.

Ms. Fernandez de la Vega reiterated the European Union’s continuing support to the Human Rights Council and outlined a number of initiatives they were promoting to strengthen the promotion and protection of human rights, such as presentation of a very ambitious plan to the United Nations that would guarantee greater protection of human rights, a proposal for a gender violence observatory, and others. The European Union was ready to take joint measures to fight any incitation to religious hate and to overcome the debate on the concept of defamation of religions. Europe, the cradle of human rights, must be a leader in promoting and protecting human rights and extending it to the entire world. Human rights were not an obligation but an urgent necessity to make progress towards a world that was not perfect but more human and more dignified. The Human Rights Council could make a huge contribution in making it a reality and could not go back on promises made.

STEVEN VANACKERE, Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belgium, said human rights were universal, indivisible, and common to all regions and cultures of the world. They were defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in all the international conventions on human rights that had followed. It was the international community's common responsibility to implement the rights in the Declaration, on the multilateral, regional, and national levels. The commitment to human rights should go beyond words and solemn speeches. They deserved better than a mere acknowledgement from diplomats and politicians. The commitment to human rights should be shown through action and the fulfilment of promises and obligations. The creation of the Human Rights Council and its instruments had been an important step towards more efficiency in the protection and promotion of human rights.

The success of the Council depended on the joint commitment and shared responsibility to fully implement the mandate which the General Assembly had given it. The Council should examine all issues and the situation of human rights everywhere in the world. The universality of human rights should not be ignored. There should be no selectivity. The Council's credibility would suffer if it did not examine, in a transparent manner, thematic issues or situations specific to certain countries. The commitment to defend the rights and dignity of each human being lay not only in Belgium's work for an efficient Council, but equally in its national priorities. Also of importance were the rights of the child, injustices against which continued to be perpetrated. The protection and promotion of human rights should enjoy the commitment of all. It should be a common work, beyond regional and political lines, with a frank and open dialogue.

SALOMON NGUEMA OWONO, Vice Prime Minister of Human Rights and Social Affairs of Equatorial Guinea, said Equatorial Guinea worked for peace, harmony, solidarity and the promotion of global human rights. He reiterated his country’s firm political commitment to promoting, ensuring, protecting and consolidating human rights worldwide and attaining sustainable development in the principles of peace, equality and justice, by working closely with the United Nations.

Equatorial Guinea first addressed the question of human rights systematically in 1979 after a change of Government. Ever since, it had been committed to upholding and acknowledging human rights by way of commissions, the new Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948. Article 13 of the Constitution addressed a range of rights and freedoms that could be evoked through national courts. Article 14 stated that that list was not exhaustive and that it had to include other rights stemming from the need for dignity and democracy. The creation of a Constitutional Court in 1995 was a positive milestone in terms of the ability of State institutions to improve human rights and to ratify international human rights instruments. Still, 30 years on, a great deal remained to be done although many strides had been made in that regard. The country’s human rights protection systems were mainly divided up into three mechanisms, namely legislation, court action and development programmes.

In national education, the State’s monopoly had been dissolved, making way for a remarkable growth in private education. Public health was crucial to development and it signified social, mental and physical wellbeing. Equatorial Guinea would be an emerging economy within a decade. Diverse sources of economic growth were being sought in numerous natural resource sectors. The country had designed several human rights projects with United Nations agencies and programmes, which would come into effect over the next two years. It had also made huge efforts in ensuring economic, social and cultural rights.

AHMED SHAHEED, Minister of Foreign Affairs Republic of the Maldives, said that many questioned whether the Human Rights Council made a difference to the lives of ordinary people. The Council had played an important role in the transformation of the Maldives and although the human rights situation in the Maldives was still very much work in progress, it was self-evident that much had been achieved, from the ratification of a brand new Constitution to the reform of the judiciary and the introduction of a party political system. The achievements of the past five years would not have been possible without the strong, mutually respectful and cooperative relationship with the Human Rights Council.

The Maldives had decided to run for a seat on the Human Rights Council and believed that they had an understanding, through first-hand experience, to bring about change and the insight on how the work of the Council could be improved and strengthened. The unique perspective that the Maldives could bring to the work of the Council included understanding of the human rights challenges faced by the national authorise, the kind of external support that was required and the way to forge partnerships. Also, the Maldives was a Small Island State and as such was able to bring independence, dialogue, cooperation and build bridges rather than construct walls. Election of the Maldives to the Human Rights Council would also mean greater commitment to consolidating democracy and human rights progress at home. It would not be easy to overcome the existing challenges and the Maldives assured the Council of the Government’s determination to use its time in office to ensure that the progress made across democracy, human rights and the rule of law would be consolidated and would become, in time, irreversible.

DIPU MONI, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, said Bangladesh held that all human rights were equal, indivisible, interdependent and mutually reinforcing. In developing countries, particularly in least-developed countries like Bangladesh, challenges were many. Abject poverty often created conditions of exclusion and hindered the full enjoyment of all human rights. It was important, therefore, that the global community help create the enabling environment in which all people could fully enjoy all human rights. It was from this perspective that socio-economic development of people assumed paramount importance, as much as ensuring their civil and political rights. Eradication of poverty was, therefore, at the top of Bangladesh's development agenda. The eradication of poverty was about inclusion, about empowerment, and about access to opportunities.

Women's empowerment was critical for the full exploitation of the potential of a society. The provision of basic healthcare was a fundamental right. Efforts towards food security were challenged by unabated climate change. Unpredictability in weather and the erratic pattern of natural disasters were compromising efforts to ensure sustained agricultural and livestock production. These were direct offshoots of climate change caused by insensible industrialisation. Bangladesh had always been a contributing member of the international community, particularly in developing norms and standards, including in human rights, but was concerned about the growing levels of intolerance and stereotyping in certain societies. Member States had to do more to reverse this trend. The Council was well equipped to deal with global human rights with its streamlined procedures and mechanisms, innovative conduct of special sessions, and introduction of the Universal Periodic Review. The Council could, however, do better if Member States engaged in its work with more resolve, if they sought consensus, dialogue and understanding, if they recognised the sensitivities of others, and if they treated all human rights equally.

BANDAR BIN MOHAMMED AL-AIBAN, Chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Saudi Arabia, congratulated the President of the Council and expressed his country’s appreciation of High Commissioner Navi Pillay’s endeavours in human rights. Saudi Arabia’s Universal Periodic Preview would now allow it to continue promoting and protecting human rights. Saudi Arabia had laid the foundations for dialogue among religions and cultures. To promote more awareness on human rights, a four-year programme was underway to build institutional capacities, compassion, understanding and a culture of human rights. The adverse effects of the global economic crisis on human rights had made it crucial to mitigate its negative impacts. It had impeded progress that had been made in ensuring access to education. Thus global efforts to reverse that had to be supported.

Saudi Arabia had already done so, especially by forgiving more than $ 6 billion in debts owed by least developed countries. It had given the World Food Programme $ 500 million to help these countries in light of the increase of basic food prices. In terms of education, it had allocated $ 500 million to education projects in developing countries. It had given millions of dollars to Haiti for disaster relief and humanitarian assistance. It had just allocated $ 1 billion to assist neighbouring Yemen. It had also gone way beyond United Nations standards in terms of debt relief. The Council had to play a more active role in human rights. Saudi Arabia urged Members to support the Council’s working methods, which were due to be reviewed. Israel had violated international law by continually annexing Palestinian territories and violating religious beliefs and sites. The campaigns by some to distort religions and the increase of acts of violence and discrimination based on religion and belief against minorities meant that the international community had to take joint action to fight this kind of discrimination which was banned by international laws and legislation. The promotion of human rights was a strategic choice for Saudi Arabia, one that went hand in hand with its religious principles.

KASIT PIROMYA, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, said that much progress had been seen in the promotion and protection of human rights since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Many challenges remained, and among fundamental ones was how to make the Human Rights Council a truly effective force. The second challenge was ensuring that Governments did their part to create enabling environments in which human rights could flourish and prosper. Thailand had declared that human rights would be one of its top priorities and had been working hard to translate words into action. Contributions to the promotion of human rights at the national level included the initiation of policies to enhance the human rights of the Thai people on all levels, the protection of the rights of vulnerable and marginalized groups, the initiation of economic stimulus package to alleviate people’s immediate economic difficulties and placing of democratisation process and the promotion of good governance high on the agenda.

Globalization had its impact on the full enjoyment of all human rights which was no longer confined to any one country but transcended borders. Thailand had been advocating the establishment of a human rights body at the regional level for over 15 years. It would host the Asia-Pacific Workshop on Regional Cooperation for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in April 2010. Since the establishment of the Council in 2006 significant progress had been made in the right direction. The main challenge now was how to enhance the impact of the Council and ensure it made differences to the lives of the people on the ground. There was a need for all to approach the task within the Council with a sense of accountability and responsibility, engage the countries concerned constructively and engage with all relevant stakeholders. Most important was to foster a culture of respect for human rights by taking various preventative measures to sensitize governments and build their capacities to help them carry out their human rights obligations. The Human Rights Council should be even-handed in addressing the many complex and pressing human rights challenges of today and be ready to respond to all human rights concerns wherever and whenever they arose. Thailand was ready to work with all stakeholders in the review process to enhance the overall effectiveness of the Council and it had submitted its candidature to the Human Rights Council for the term 2010-2013.

MOURAD MEDELCI, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Algeria, said since its establishment, the Human Rights Council had achieved significant progress in achievement of its mandate, but there was still a need for considerable progress to achieve the expectations of humanity. This was why the five-year review of the Council should take place in a spirit of serenity. Algeria had participated actively in the creation of the Council, and had also been subject to the Universal Periodic Review. Different regional groups should bring their views closer in a spirit of consensus, which latter should not undermine the momentum of the groups. Trans-regional initiatives were encouraged to promote compromise. However, this process should not distract the Council's attention from the urgency of the task which was its raison d'être: the prevention of human rights violations in the field and the protection of victims. A serious review should be given to what the Council could do to improve the dramatic situations of populations that were victims of foreign occupation and those who had been chased out of their lands by forces of occupation for having claimed the right to self-determination.

The balance sheet of the Council was consistent when it came to responding to other challenges such as the earthquake in Haiti, and the attack on fundamental rights resulting from the recent world-wide food and financial crises. The Council should study further the inhuman impact of the lack of economic, social and cultural rights, and the impact of climate change on the enjoyment of fundamental rights by vulnerable populations. Where the Council's balance sheet was without doubt the most encouraging, it was in the spirit of dialogue, cooperation and non-selectivity which had presided during the implementation of the Universal Periodic Review. Not that the conviviality of debates was an end in itself, but it helped to generate a climate of confidence, which had led to a concrete and positive impact on the lives of vulnerable groups. Algeria remained committed to cooperating fully with all those on its soil working for the furtherance of human rights.

MANOUCHEHR MOTTAKI, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iran, said the Human Rights Council’s thirteenth session was an opportunity to consider urgent, daunting human rights challenges ahead and to solve them. It was crucial to examine the Council’s functions with a set of objective criteria. It was a forum for global dialogue and understanding. The Council’s Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review recently considered Iran’s report in its seventh session with most Member States welcoming its renewed efforts to improve the country’s civil, political, economic and cultural situation and to meet its people’s aspirations in that regard. Iran was a democratic country with deep-rooted Islamic values and ideologies. Recent elections had shown that the country was committed to the principles of democracy and the rule of law. The review of the Human Rights Council was an important opportunity to enhance the constructive functioning of the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms. Iran would like to highlight a number of issues of particular importance which should be considered duly by the Council: religious and ethnic discrimination that had affected and marginalized Muslims and minorities; the abuse of United Nations human rights mechanisms for political gain; double standards set by Western countries on freedom of expression that had targeted Muslim countries; and the abuse of human rights by some Western countries in terms of how they treated refugee, migrant and indigenous groups.

International human rights and humanitarian law violations by Israel against the people of Palestine had been ongoing, consistent and systematic for almost 70 years. Iran firmly condemned that and all forms of violations against the people of Palestine. Despite the Council’s numerous resolutions, the human rights situation in the occupied territories had been deteriorating while Israel had been defiant, acting with impunity and still committing massive human rights violations. The Goldstone Report had clearly not been taken into consideration. The recent killing of a Hamas official in Dubai questioned the integrity of Westerners who had conspired to carry out that crime. Terrorists had recently killed and injured hundreds of Iranians. If the Council did not take serious decisions on such murky Zionist regimes and the Dubai killing, it would be too late to act. Those were double standards that would create more challenges. The Council had to take immediate, concrete actions. Iran would continue to work with the Council to ensure that it addressed global human rights challenges properly.

IVAN SIMONOVIC, Minister of Justice of Croatia, said that the first review of the Human Rights Council next year would offer an opportunity for improvements based on the critical and open evaluation of achievements, challenges and shortcomings. The upcoming review of the Universal Periodic Review had to look at its results with respect to the ability to reflect the reality of human rights situations in all countries. A proper division of labour was needed between the Universal Periodic Review and treaty bodies whose recommendations were often repeated by the Universal Periodic Review recommendations. Croatia attached particular importance to the work of the Special Procedures that were at the heart of the whole system of the protection and promotion of human rights.

The financial and economic crisis was still pressing and Croatia recognised its global character and the potential danger it represented to the human rights situation of citizens in different countries of the world. Croatia noted that the Council should focus on promoting and protecting human rights of children and women. In the past ten years Croatia had developed a significant national human rights infrastructure, a number of human rights bodies had been established and the relevant legislation had been adopted. Achievements were made in the reconstruction of the country after the war and the return of refugees and internally displaced persons, the protection of national minorities, and protection from different kinds of discrimination. The Human Rights Council, as the only body charged with the assessment of human rights situation in all countries, bore an important responsibility to respond to all human rights violations and challenges.

MADICKE NIANG, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Senegal, said many members of societies around the world continued to be victims of a treatment that ran counter to international human rights norms. Senegal was concerned about the humiliations and other attacks on the fundamental dignity that migrants suffered daily throughout the world. The respect of the rights of these people should be ensured in all places and under all circumstances. Mr. Niang therefore appealed for a good preparation for the tenth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of All Migrant Workers and their Families, and, particularly, for universal ratification of the instrument. Senegal was committed to reinforcing its cooperation with all treaty bodies and the Special Procedure mandate holders, and to continue to cooperate fully with the human rights protection system of the United Nations. With regard to the Universal Periodic Review, it was necessary to maintain its credibility, as this was closely linked to the Council's effectiveness. If the upcoming evaluation of the functioning and activities of the Council was well prepared and took place from an inclusive perspective, it could incite a stronger commitment in favour of its noble mission.

This reassessment exercise should under no circumstances weaken the Council, or put in doubt the fundamental balances which lay at the heart of its founding text. Further, it should be kept in mind that the efficiency of the Council would be measured by the degree of implementation of the resolutions adopted within it. These should produce a positive effect on the situation of victims of the lack of observance of human rights. More efforts needed to be made to strengthen the fight against discriminatory practices and the exclusion caused thereby. Dialogue was a strong fulcrum for the edification of a world free from all sorts of prejudices, which slowed the flowering of a true brotherhood on the planet where all lived together. Working together for the coming of a world of peace, with justice, tolerance, respect of all human rights and enjoyment of the fundamental rights for all was the challenge before the Council, and it should work to that end, within the context of its mandate.

ANA TRISIC BABIC, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, said Bosnia and Herzegovina was committed to promoting and protecting human rights. It had expressed its commitment to ensuring the utmost protection of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights through policies and strategies. Bosnia and Herzegovina saw human rights and fundamental freedoms through bolstering democracy, multi cultural dialogue, cultural and religious diversity and non-discrimination as a top priority. In that regard, it had made great strides through more effective mechanisms with international standards. The country was aware of its commitment to upholding global human rights at the executive and legislative levels by adopting action plans. It had also cooperated with numerous United Nations bodies on human rights matters, which had been constructive.

As one of the Council’s main mechanisms, it was crucial for the Universal Periodic Review, which had examined Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2009, to function effectively. In that regard, her country would study the recommendations of the Council’s draft report carefully and submit its responses towards the final Review report in June 2010. The country had made progress in creating tools to protect vulnerable groups. It had also adopted a law prohibiting discrimination, including against children, based on the Convention of the Rights of the Child. It had addressed the rights of minors and those with disabilities. It often addressed the needs of vulnerable groups with programmes for women, children and victims of trafficking. A strategy for addressing minority-housing problems was also underway. Human rights helped improve relations with neighbouring countries. Bosnia and Herzegovina had made significant strides in human rights namely by acceding to international instruments and conventions; adopting legislation; and by creating relevant institutions. Bosnia and Herzegovina was still committed to ensuring that human rights were promoted and protected.

MARIA OTERO, Under-Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs of the United States, recalled the three tenets that guided its participation in the Human Rights Council: a commitment to principled engagement, consistent application of international human rights law and a fidelity to the truth. The Council should promote and develop measures that truly helped the human rights situation on the ground and this meant that it must collect human rights information, assess it properly and act after it reviewed the information. The Council needed to find flexible, creative and effective ways to address specific situations wherever they occurred and those three principles would guide the approach for the 2011 review.

The United States expressed its concern about inflammatory speech and language that reinforced negative stereotypes of individuals based on their religion, but did not support the concept of “defamation of religions” that had been proposed. It supported efforts by States to take practical steps to address discrimination, intolerance and hateful acts and had presented an action-oriented approach that included efforts to support implementation of anti-discrimination laws, enactment and enforcement of hate crimes laws, governmental outreach to members of minority groups, ensuring they had a voice in public discourse and greater human rights education and inter-faith activities. The United States expressed a continued concern about disproportionate attention the Council paid to Israel and urged Israel and Palestine to conduct serious reviews of the allegations in the Goldstone report. Human rights challenges existed in many countries and the Human Rights Council should address them. The United States was concerned about the lack of capacity to prosecute human rights abusers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and believed the Council should play a helpful role in accompanying Guinea though its current transition.

JULIA D. JOINER, Commissioner for Political Affairs of the African Union, said the Council was gathered at a time when the economic and environmental crises that the world faced were increasingly and evidently recognised as a human rights crisis, a reality that was more apparent in Africa than in any other part of the globe. In a world of complexity, contradiction and perceptive differences on human rights, the independence and leadership of the Council served as the fundamental basis for constructing action on the basis of sound guidance. At a time of crisis, the Council and, indeed, all, were called upon to be bold in thought and action, as they moved beyond a system of self-interest towards a system that was inclusive, sustainable, and respectful of rights. Now, more than ever, the international community needed to be strong and creative in their response to the collective human rights crises confronting them.

The work of the High Commissioner for Human Rights was evident to the African Union Commission, and the partnership continued to grow. As the process on the African Human Rights Strategy unfolded, appropriate synergies would have to be established between the Universal Periodic Review and the African Review Process. The call for action on the part of African Union Member States emanated from the reality that African States, and all other States, could not remain oblivious and indifferent to the plight of their peoples. Human rights education was a pertinent tool, and would have a concrete and direct bearing on the protection and promotion of rights. The human rights challenges faced across the world and indeed in Africa were vast, complex, and required collective and coordinated effort. This was a world of increased awareness and increased opportunity: as more and more people began to understand the human rights they were entitled to as individuals and as communities, the more it became possible to act boldly and move forward the agenda of change and action.


For use of the information media; not an official record


HRC10/008E