HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL HOLDS INTERACTIVE DIALOGUE WITH HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ON HER ANNUAL REPORT

The Human Rights Council this morning held an interactive dialogue with United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay after she presented her annual report.

The High Commissioner said her annual report covered the activities undertaken last year in the framework of the thematic priorities and offered practical examples of the role of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in shaping the human rights agenda. Discrimination remained an obstinate obstacle to the realisation of human rights and the empowerment of the vulnerable, and much focus had been on racial discrimination particularly as a follow up to the 2009 Durban Review Conference. Migrants, especially those in irregular situations, were particularly vulnerable to discrimination and were often denied access to essential public services. Concerning violence and abuse against women and girls, the Office had convened a high-level panel to go to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to hear directly and engage in a dialogue with victims of sexual violence regarding their needs and their perceptions of remedies and reparations available to them.

Speaking of human rights mechanisms, Ms. Pillay noted the need to close the gap between rhetoric and good intent on one hand and measurable results on the other. The Council had established two new mandates, on the elimination of discrimination of women in law and practice and on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly. The establishment of new treaty bodies was welcomed, but this growth needed to be backed with sufficient financial resources, which unfortunately had not been kept apace.

The presentation of the annual report was followed by an interactive dialogue in which 33 countries presented their comments to the High Commissioner on her report including New Zealand, Cuba, Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Conference, Egypt, United States, Iraq, Nigeria, Colombia, Saudi Arabia, Hungary on behalf of the European Union, Congo, Costa Rica, Spain, Malaysia, United Kingdom, Chile, China, Nigeria on behalf of the African Union, Jordan, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Algeria, Germany, Australia, Burkina Faso, Pakistan in its national capacity, Ghana, France, Japan, Belgium, India and Iran.

Among other things, speakers said that they commended the High Commissioner’s Office in steering the proceedings of the Council in an effective manner and in the rapid response demonstrated during the recent violence and human rights violations in North Africa and the Middle East. Many countries welcomed the activities planned in 2011 for the twenty-fifth anniversary on the Declaration on the Right to Development and the tenth anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.

The functioning of the Universal Periodic Review was discussed with a concern for the burden of reporting obligations on small and developing States and the insufficient creation of specific mechanisms to ensure cooperation in these areas. More information was requested on the food crisis with an emphasis on those who had engaged in speculation. Members highlighted the benefits to be derived from the network of field presences which allowed for better engagement of Member States and other key players on the regional and national level, particularly the establishment of the new office in Guinea. Many States mentioned they would like a greater regard placed on the issues of discrimination, in particular discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and violence against women, particularly sexual violence.

The next meeting of the Council will be at 3 p.m. this afternoon when the Council will continue its interactive dialogue with the High Commissioner on the presentation of her annual report, before hearing the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights deliver a statement on the thematic reports of the Secretary-General and High Commissioner for Human Rights, which will be followed by a general debate.

Document

The Annual Report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, (A/HRC/16/20), provides an update of the activities undertaken by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) since its reports in 2010 to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/13/26) and to the General Assembly (A/65/36). It focuses on implementation of the six thematic priorities established by the Office for 2010/11.

Statement by the High Commissioner for Human Rights

NAVI PILLAY, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, introducing her annual report A/HRC/16/20, said that the events in the Middle East and North Africa had proven how human rights mattered concretely in the lives of people. The mounting humanitarian crisis at the border between Libya and Tunisia was now of a highest priority and all the resources to assist the people needed to be mustered. Civil society was at the forefront of the protest movement and was now contributing to the relief efforts in those countries. During this period the performance of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights was creditable, even though much more diligence was required to improve the protection of human rights. This annual report covered the activities undertaken last year in the framework of the thematic priorities and offered practical examples of its role in shaping of the human rights agenda.

Discrimination remained an obstinate obstacle to the realisation of human rights and the empowerment of the vulnerable, and much focus had been on racial discrimination, particularly as a follow up to the 2009 Durban Review Conference. Other activities undertaken by the Office to address this issue included technical assistance to States for development of national plans of action, support for the commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, support for the International Year of People of African Descent, mapping of Afro-descendant organizations in Central America and others. Migrants, especially those in irregular situation, were particularly vulnerable to discrimination and were often denied access to essential public services. The Office had played a key role in promoting the human rights of migrants and the regional office in Beirut had contributed to the development of a unified national contract for migrant domestic workers. Also, the Office had chaired in the second half of 2010 the Global Migration Group, and had focused on advocating for human rights of migrants, including those in an irregular situation. Concerning violence and abuse against women and girls, the Office had convened a high-level panel to go to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to hear directly and engage in a dialogue with victims of sexual violence regarding their needs and their perceptions of remedies and reparations available to them.

Concerning the thematic priority of violent strife and impunity, the High Commissioner said that the protection of civilians affected by conflict was an essential element of any meaningful concept of peace and security and this meant first and foremost protecting the human rights of individuals according to international law. The Office was a major actor in the implementation of Security Council mandates for the protection of civilians and this required robust mandates for the promotion and protection of human rights in peacekeeping missions. The High Commissioner had advocated and would continue to advocate for those detained in Guantanamo and other detention centres to receive a fair trial before the regular courts. Turning to the issue of poverty and disempowerment, the High Commissioner said that those were often underlying causes of violence and instability. Fighting those scourges had been a central theme of a summit that assessed the progress on the realisation of the Millennium Development Goals, attended by the High Commissioner herself. The current rise in food prices now cast a shadow over the ability of the poorest to make ends meet. States could do much more to protect nationals from the effect of such a crisis through proactive measures and must avoid rolling back safety nets. In September 2009, the Optional Protocol of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights had been opened for signature and the Office was directly involved in supporting the process of the adoption of the Optional Protocol and would continue to work towards the ratification of this important instrument. The promotion and realisation of the right to development remained a key dimension of the work of the Office.

Concerning the issue of proximity to the victims, Ms. Pillay said that 54 field presences helped remain close to the victims and served as early warning institutions. In Haiti and Kyrgyzstan, the Office had a lead role in protection clusters. The Office ensured protection by its presence and was a trusted interlocutor for national authorities, civil society and the population. In January, a delegation had been sent to Tunisia to assess human rights priorities and define a strategy for engagement for the promotion and protection of human rights. The Government of Egypt had invited the Office to send in the assessment team to identify ways to enhance human rights protection and the High Commissioner would be doing so. The Office was ready to support and service the commission of inquiry to Libya mandated by the Human Rights Council. It was to be noted that the International Criminal Court had announced yesterday that an investigation into crimes against humanity in Libya was being opened. The High Commissioner then expressed concern over the human rights situations in Belarus and Côte d’Ivoire and then updated the Council on her own missions to Jordan, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, the Russian Federation and Brussels. During those missions different human rights issues had been discussed, such as accountability and international human rights law and international humanitarian law in Israel and the Optional Protocol; reforms to strengthen the rule of law in the Russian Federation; the Roma people, migrants and children placed in institutional facilities on grounds of poverty and disability in Brussels.

Speaking of human rights mechanisms, the High Commissioner noted the need to close the gap between rhetoric and good intent on one hand and measurable results on the other. The Council had established two new mandates, on the elimination of discrimination of women in law and practice and on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly. The establishment of new treaty bodies was welcomed, but this growth needed to be backed with sufficient financial resources, which unfortunately had not been kept apace. In conclusion, Ms. Pillay noted that the Office had strengthened its programme planning, monitoring and evaluation capacity, and results-based management.

Interactive Dialogue with High Commissioner for Human Rights

LUCY RICHARDSON (New Zealand) said that human rights must be an integral part of the reforms necessary in the Middle East. New Zealand commended and encouraged the work to improve accessibility for persons with disabilities across the United Nations system and stressed the importance of the work related to maternal mortality and morbidity and human rights, particularly the constructive contribution to the Millennium Development Goal five on maternal health. New Zealand would be interested in the Office of the High Commissioner’s views on the best way to follow up on the report on effective practices on a human rights based approach to addressing preventable maternal mortality and morbidity and on the burden of reporting obligations related to the Universal Periodic Review on small and developing States.

RODOLFO REYES RODRIGUEZ (Cuba) took note of the progress made in fighting discrimination, and on the rights of minorities, those affected by leprosy and persons with disabilities. Cuba took note of the tenth anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and asked the High Commissioner to follow any development on the food crisis. Cuba recognized the efforts to strengthen the relations between the High Commissioner and the Human Rights Council and was interested in what the Office planned to do with technical operations and with the establishment of technical institutions.

ZAMIR AKRAM (Pakistan), speaking on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, said that the Organization of the Islamic Conference agreed with the High Commissioner that discrimination remained an obstacle to empowerment of the vulnerable and supported the plans to mark the tenth anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. International law should be examined for loopholes allowing discrimination. People who did not share a community’s values often were discriminated against, but assimilation rather than integration should be the objective. When racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance were left to fester, they could often escalate into communal conflicts. Poverty and disempowerment were often root causes of violence and national governments had an obligation to introduce home-grown and pro-development efforts in order to eradicate poverty and lay foundations for sustainable peace and development. The twenty-sixth anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development was an opportunity to review progress and the Organization of the Islamic Conference had noted with appreciation the plans of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to commemorate it. The Organization of the Islamic Conference believed that the time was right for action and not debate on the realisation of this right.

AHMED IHAB GAMALELDIN (Egypt) said Egypt had organized an important side event regarding the events leading to the revolution in the country and steps taken to ensure accountability for all violations and to provide compensation to all victims. The event had been well attended by delegations and non-governmental organizations. The Government has decided to welcome the team of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to undertake a visit to Cairo to determine the assistance to be provided to the government, the National Council for Human Rights and civil society organizations. The fight against racism and racial and religious hatred continued and the Government appreciated the work of the Office in organizing expert workshops on the prohibition of incitement and in the application of the outcome document of the Durban Review Conference. Egypt encouraged the visit of the High Commissioner to the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel and would appreciate hearing on the findings and recommendations for this Council and the international community to address the unacceptable continued occupation by Israel which represented a gross and systematic violation of the human rights of the Palestinian people.

EILEEN CHAMBERLAIN DONAHOE (United States) said that the value of the Office of the High Commissioner depended upon the High Commissioner’s ability to speak out for victims in real time and hold governments accountable. Similarly, the ability of the Council to speak the truth about country situations was vital to the Council’s credibility. Last week’s Special Session on Libya demonstrated that this Council could respond in real time to a crisis. Country-specific mandates were an essential tool to enable the Council to address chronic human rights situations. The United States called for the swift renewal of the mandates for Burma and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, two governments that denied human rights and fundamental freedoms to their citizens. At this session, the United States and Egypt would work with partners to renew the mandate on freedom of expression. Recent events underscored the fundamental importance of free speech and the power of peaceful demonstrations. The world had watched as governments tightened restrictions on communications as a means to suppress national dialogue and dissent. Tragically, they had also witnessed brutal suppression of peaceful protestors. In conclusion, the United States believed that governments had a special responsibility to protect those who were most marginalized.

MOHAMED ALI ALHAKIM (Iraq), speaking on behalf of the Arab Group, said that the Arab Group believed the necessity to stress the need for the commitment to total respect of total sovereignty of countries. The Arab Group believed in the professionalism of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the work done in different thematic priorities which showed the dedication of the staff. The setting of thematic priorities needed to be in line with the strategic priorities and the Arab Group welcomed the role of the Office in affirming the right to development. The Arab Group had noted the contractual activities undertaken in the field and those must be closely monitored and balanced and limited in time. There was a need to work closely with other regional groups in the Human Rights Council to achieve the objectives that had been set.

OSITADINMA ANAEDU (Nigeria), speaking on behalf of the African Group, said the African Group welcomed the identification of the relationship between discrimination and the realization of human rights and the empowerment of the vulnerable. The events around the commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and the International Year for People of African Descent should represent a platform for countries to exhibit their political will towards the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. Migrants should not be denied their human rights and the African Group had been pleased with the Global Migration Group’s focus last year on advocating for the human rights of migrants and welcomed the workshop on the prohibition of incitement to national, racial or religious hatred. The High Commissioner’s advocacy should concentrate on the eradication of poverty, the right to development and access to safe drinking water and the African Group would like to know what steps the High Commissioner would take to ensure the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

ALICIA VICTORIA ARANGO OLMOS (Colombia) said that Colombia welcomed the efforts made by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in the fight against all forms of discrimination, especially against specific vulnerable groups that were victims of discrimination on the basis of their sex, ethnic origins, sexual identity, and political or religious beliefs. Colombia agreed on the emphasis of the High Commissioner report on the necessity to protect and provide reparation to those who had been victims of serious violations of human rights. The Colombian Government wished to continue to work constructively with the High Commissioner’s Office in Bogotá in different areas of human rights and for this reason the country had renewed the mandate of the Office in Colombia for three years.

ABDULWAHAB ABDULSALAM ATTAR (Saudi Arabia) said that Saudi Arabia had studied with great interest the content of the report and took into consideration the comments regarding the human rights mechanisms. The exchange of opinion on the activities should be strengthened, Saudi Arabia noted. Discrimination was indeed a real obstacle to development and countries were asked to deploy further efforts to combat discrimination. The High Commissioner had supported the efforts of the Durban Review Conference and Saudi Arabia supported all the activities of the Office in supporting the commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and the twenty fifth anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development. The Government of Saudi Arabia had addressed the impacts of the global food crisis nationally and had donated $ 500 million to the World Food Programme.

ANDRAS DEKANY (Hungary), speaking on behalf of the European Union, said that the European Union welcomed the intensifying partnership of the High Commissioner’s Office with all United Nation’s agencies and programmes on a wide variety of human rights concerns such as meeting the Millennium Development Goals, HIV/AIDS, the rights of persons with disabilities, the rights of women and the issue of sexual violence in conflict. The Office’s network of field presences allowed for better engagement of Member States and other key players on the regional and national level, particularly the establishment of a new office in Guinea. The European Union would like to know the assessment of this field presence, in terms of the financial support provided. The European Union also supported Tunisia’s call for an office and would like to know the timeline for this. The European Union welcomed the Council’s strong role in the Middle East and the commitment to support the transition in Egypt and fully supported the Council’s mission to the country and stressed the importance of a systematic and timely follow-up visit, inter alia in the form of a briefing. The European Union would like the Council to prevent reprisal against people who cooperated with the Special Procedures. It was working on a Roma strategy to be adopted during this semester focusing on education and labour and aimed at promoting their social integration. The European Union was one of the largest recipients of migrants and asylum seekers and was committed to adopting measures at the national level aimed at countering the incitement to racial hatred and xenophobic reactions against migrants and other minority groups.

LUC-JOSEPH OKIO (Congo) said the report of the High Commissioner showed the efforts to strengthen the human rights mechanism in order to improve the human rights situation in the world. Congo was pleased to note the reinforcement of the capacity building in Haiti and the creation of new offices in Africa in Guinea and Mauritania. Congo supported the work of the Office of the High Commissioner to rectify the imbalance between civil and political rights and economic, social and cultural rights. Congo was pleased to see that the right to development was inserted into the list of priorities of the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights.

At the end of 2010, the complete adoption of the law on the protection of indigenous peoples, promulgated at the end of December after the visit of the Special Rapporteur to Congo from 2 to 12 November 2010, allowed to fill the gaps in the legislation. In conclusion Congo wished that the voluntary fund for technical assistance could be more accessible.

CHRISTIAN GUILLERMET-FERNANDEZ (Costa Rica) said that challenges in the promotion and protection of human rights varied and there was a need for an independent and financially robust Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Costa Rica welcomed the work of the Regional Office especially with regard to people of African descent. Costa Rica would continue making efforts to ensure that people of African descent, who had given so much to their societies, fully enjoyed their rights. The protection of the rights of civilians in any conflict was a precondition for peace and security and it was one of the priorities of the Government of Costa Rica. The interactive dialogue with the High Commissioner was an opportunity to give more credibility to this body, and to make it a resonance box for the rights of victims throughout the world.

JAVIER GARRIGUES (Spain) said that Spain had been impressed with the efficacy of the Rapid Response Unit in the High Commissioner’s Office as evidenced by a presence in Guinea, Tunisia and Egypt. Spain would like the High Commissioner’s Office to focus on achieving results on the ground and would encourage different modalities for debate such as the organization of panels during Council meetings and would like the Council’s support for the upcoming Panel on Human Rights in Terrorism to be organized in June. Spain was concerned about reprisals against human rights defenders and would like to know what measures should be adopted in this area? Spain had engaged in coordinated work to increase the work of Independent Expert on the right to drinking water and sanitation which must now move beyond definitions and supported the Council’s work on the human rights of persons belonging to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community such as the decriminalization of consenting sex between same sex people and would like to know what specific objectives did the High Commissioner’s Office have in this area?

OTHAM ASHIM of (Malaysia) said that the High Commissioner had rightly identified a number of major contemporary obstacles to the full realization of human rights which included discrimination in all its forms, issues of transitional justice, poverty and disempowerment. In this connection the delegation of Malaysia continued to believe that overcoming such challenges could be achieved by among others, pursuing strategies which built upon and recognized the complementarities between the promotion and protection of human rights on one hand and socio-economic development on the other.

Malaysia also shared the High Commissioner’s concerns on the increasingly strained financial situation of the Office. In this respect, the Malaysian delegation recalled that several practical proposals including the proposal to cap the total number of Special Procedures and the proposal for equitable funding of Special Procedures based on existing models applied in other United Nations Agencies were made, but no agreement could be reached.

PETER GOODERHAM (United Kingdom) welcomed the High Commissioner’s statement that producing concrete results should be a paramount goal. Country visits were central to the work of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the United Kingdom would welcome an indication for the visits for this coming year. Recent events in the Middle East and North Africa had seen the Office taking a central role on promoting international human rights standards, and the United Kingdom welcomed the actions taken by the Office so far, such as a mission to Tunisia and the planned mission to Egypt. The United Kingdom opposed the death penalty in all circumstances and was concerned about the increase in executions in Iran which had reached 100 since the beginning of this year. The remarkable response of the Human Rights Council on the situation on Libya had shown the importance of the Council acting quickly and effectively in sending a clear message about the importance of accountability in particular.

VICENTE ZERAN (Chile) said that the Council had seen two types of actions from persons who had demonstrated peacefully for their human rights and from authorities who had chosen violence having forgotten that their main responsibility was to protect their citizens and their rights; Chile strongly supported the Council’s resolution against Libya and would like to see selectivity and double standards eliminated. The progress in the fight against discrimination should continue with a focus on migrants, women and girls who suffered multiple forms of violence and Chile would organize a panel on violence against women with a focus on prevention in the June meeting.

QI XIAO XIA (China) said that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights had made a positive contribution to the development of the human rights cause and had made achievements in the elimination of poverty and various forms of discrimination. This year marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development and the tenth anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. Climate change and the food crisis had worsened and China appreciated the guidance of the High Commissioner and her attention to the right of development. China hoped that the High Commissioner would make due contributions toward the elimination of poverty and in the fulfillment of the Millennium Development Goals and hoped that the Office would increase communication and coordination with the various countries and would pay attention to the needs of the developing countries.

Since 2000 China and the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights had implemented two memorandums of understanding and various agreements on many aspects and such cooperation had been fruitful and had provided effective help. China was willing to further explore the concrete content of the next stages of technical cooperation.

KHADIJA R. MASRI (African Union) thanked the High Commissioner and her Office for the efforts in assisting some African countries recently and said that the diversity of the topics tackled by the Office coincided with the priorities and initiatives undertaken in the African continent. The African Union attached particular attention to activities on the promotion of the right to development which was a priority and would remain on the agenda until all African countries fully enjoyed this right. The events in North Africa had clearly demonstrated the need to implement and fully enjoy this right. The year 2011 would be a year to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action which was the main instrument in the combat against racism, intolerance and xenophobia. The African Union also welcomed the important role played by the High Commissioner in protecting the rights of migrants, including those with irregular status.

MOHAMMED HINDAWI (Jordan) said that Jordan would like to express a high appreciation for the work of the High Commissioner’s Office in steering the proceedings of the Council in an effective manner and appreciated the greater regard placed on the issues of discrimination, violence against women and advocating for the rights of victims. Jordan looked forward to receiving the compilation of recommendations to strengthen the treaty body system. Jordan was pleased with the visit of the High Commissioner to Jordan and as a follow-up it had embarked on a review of relevant legislation relating to civil and political rights; amended the Public Assembly Law to bring it in line with human rights standards, which should be endorsed by the Parliament in its current session; had been organizing the visit of the Special Rapporteur on Violence against women; had reviewed the Juvenile Justice Law to identify alternatives to imprisonment to support reintegration; and had added a new amendment relating to the age of criminality that stipulated that no charges should be brought against any child below the age of 12 which should be endorsed during the current session of the Parliament.

MARIA NAZARETH FARANI AZEVEDO (Brazil) said that this year began with important changes in several countries, especially in the Middle East and North Africa. Brazil concurred with the High Commissioner that human rights lay at the heart of those developments and had to be an integral part of the reforms to come. The High Commissioner expressed her concern about the rights of migrants. Brazil called upon all countries, especially developing ones, to treat migrants and refugee flows stemming from recent crises in accordance with refugees and human rights law. They called upon the Office of the High Commissioner to be vigilant.

Brazil said that freedom of assembly and freedom of expression, including freedom of the press, were rights to be preserved and cherished. Restriction of those rights led to an atmosphere of impunity and to further violations. Beside the angst opposition, recent crises were triggered by frustration stemming from poverty, unemployment, lack of essential services and opportunities. Democracy and all human rights were interdependent. One could not be achieved without the other. Brazil had endeavored to strengthen their democracy by decisively tackling social exclusion. Gender income distribution, gender equality and decent jobs had been instrumental, and they were sustained throughout the economic crisis. Following that path, President Dilma Rousseff had set the eradication of extreme poverty and the creation of opportunities for all as the main priorities of her Government.

MOHAN PEIRIS (Sri Lanka) said Sri Lanka concurred with the High Commissioner that discrimination was the singularly interwoven impediment to the realisation of human rights. Sri Lanka hoped that the tenth anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action would be a platform to discuss this issue in a practical and meaningful manner. Sri Lanka hoped that the International Year of People of African Descent would end up in lessons learned to enhance the existing human rights protection mechanisms. There must be a greater sensitisation to human rights-related issues on discriminatory practices, inter alias, related to persons with disabilities, older persons, leprosy and HIV/AIDS. Poverty and disempowerment were indeed often underlying causes of violence and instability and there was an urgent need to redouble the efforts for the early realisation of the Millennium Development Goals and the right to development.

IDRISS JAZAIRY (Algeria) said that Algeria had been concerned about the issue of kidnapping and the payment of ransoms and would like the Office of the High Commissioner to report on the implications of these activities on human rights. Algeria was concerned about the High Commissioner’s wording of protest movements occurring in certain Arab countries which did not seem objective as there had been manifestations of violence in other countries that had not been mentioned and Algeria would like this to be clarified. Algeria had increased its food subsidies and would like the High Commissioner to denounce international speculation, an exogenous factor, which had led to increased food prices and instability in countries. Only Latin America was mentioned as having cushioned the effects of crises on vulnerable groups and the efforts made in Algeria and Saudi Arabia were not discussed; this should be rebalanced and the discussion should be less selective.

REINHARD SCHWEPPE (Germany) welcomed that on 2 March Egypt had finally issued an invitation to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to deploy a mission, something the European Union had been calling for since the end of January. Germany expected the High Commissioner to report back to the Council after concluding the visit, hopefully by the end of this session. Germany also strongly supported plans regarding the opening of an Office in Tunisia and welcomed the openness of the Tunisian Government in this regard. Germany understood the High Commissioner’s motivation for a geographical balance of her expressions of concern on country situations. However, Germany was not convinced that the queries the High Commissioner had addressed with regard to Germany’s handling of the return of Kosovars to their home country were really of the same magnitude as the outrageous brutalities against peaceful protestors that the international community faced elsewhere. Nevertheless, and in the spirit of respect and close cooperation with the High Commissioner and her Office, Germany responded to the concerns the High Commissioner had voiced. On behalf of the Federal Government Germany had to underscore that the country was acting in accordance with international and European norms regarding the treatment of refugees and of course with respect to the human rights and those concerned.

MIRANDA BROWN (Australia) said that Australia deeply valued the independence of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and was particularly grateful for the field work in insecure and dangerous environments. The efforts for an integrated human rights agenda in peacekeeping missions were admirable and therefore the efforts of the High Commissioner with the Security Council were particularly welcome, as were the efforts to mainstreaming human rights in humanitarian responses. The work on the indigenous peoples was a good example of how to engage national human rights institutions in international human rights mechanisms. In closing, Australia welcomed the work of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Pacific region and encouraged the Office to continue to provide technical assistance to Pacific States with their Universal Periodic Reviews.

SALAMATA SAWADOGO (Burkina Faso) said Burkina Faso was pleased with the interactive dialogue following the report by the Office of the High Commissioner. Progress had been made on the Universal Periodic Review, the creation of international instruments and Special Procedures but Burkina Faso was concerned about the insufficient creation of specific mechanisms to ensure cooperation in these areas. The Government supported the opening of the Dakar office and would complete its response to the Universal Periodic Review by the end of March. The thematic priorities of the Council required coordinating efforts and the Government had welcomed the High Commissioner’s coordinated work with United Nation’s specialized institutions and regional organizations, which would provide the resources necessary to enhance its rapid response capacity. Burkina Faso would combat any infringement of human rights and would be fully available to support the commemoration events in 2011.

ASIM AHMAD (Pakistan) said that the High Commissioner’s report provided a good overview of the range of the activities carried out for the promotion and protection of human rights. The High Commissioner had made a number of important observations which deserved serious consideration by the Council such as combating discrimination and upholding the right to development. The death of the Pakistani Minister for Minorities was a great loss and the population of Pakistan suffered the most in the context of their collective efforts to tackle extremism and terrorism. The people of Pakistan had made immense sacrifices and the Government was determined to address these matters and believed that the blasphemy law was non discriminatory. The Government was taking steps to prevent abuse of this law and the independent judiciary provided additional safeguards against the misuse of this law. Pakistan underlined that it was important to prevent any misuse of the blasphemy law. As a democratic and progressive State Pakistan was fully committed to respecting and promoting the rights of all citizens and political empowerment of women and minorities was one of the concrete steps.

MERCY YVONNE AMOAH (Ghana) said that two of the issues raised in the report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights involved poverty and disempowerment as underlying causes of violence and instability and the need to avoid the repetition of the 2008 crisis. Those two issues were a reminder for Ghana to act in concert, not only to advance civil and political rights but also to do its utmost to promote economic, social and cultural rights and to support the efforts of the needy countries to do so. It was definitely cheaper to assist countries to raise their levels of development than it was to respond to humanitarian crises arising from diseases, hunger and instability. The celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development was a good opportunity to take concrete action on how this crucial human right was implemented. Action was needed also on economic, social and cultural development by ensuring that global economic governance was implemented fairly and the benefits of development distributed equally both nationally and internationally.

JEAN-BAPTISTE MATTEI (France) said that France saluted the actions of the High Commissioner in facing the historic events which had occurred in North Africa and the Middle East, especially the swift way that the Council brought support to the democratic aspirations of the people and the fruitful cooperation that had occurred in Tunisia and Egypt. There should be a strong and independent voice on human rights. France shared the Council’s determination to combat discrimination and would shortly adopt a national plan to combat racism. Regarding the issue of Persons of African Descent, France had shown its efforts through the Law of 21 May 2001 which identified the trafficking of people as a crime against humanity. France had endorsed the declaration of decriminalizing the act of homosexuality and had supported the ratification of the Convention on Enforced Disappearances which also served as a valuable tool in preventing torture.

KENICHI SUGANUMA (Japan) said Japan had been actively involved in a series of meetings following the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. Japan sincerely hoped that the international community would be able to take steps forward, from a future-oriented perspective, to reach the common goal of abolishing racism and racial discrimination. In addition, Japan had been actively engaged in international initiatives to eliminate discrimination against persons affected by leprosy. Following the adoption of resolutions at the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly, Japan encouraged the High Commissioner to continue her efforts to support the implementation of all principles and guidelines. Regarding the situation in Libya, as Japanese Parliamentary Vice-Minister Yamahana had mentioned before the Council this week, Japan strongly urged the Libyan authorities to immediately stop violence against its own people and observe the resolutions adopted at the Special Session of this Council and the United Nations Security Council.

Japan welcomed the High Commissioner’s plan to send a team of her senior staff to Egypt. The High Commissioner’s previous dispatch of a mission to Tunisia was timely and constructive. There was much that the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights could do to promote and protect human rights on the ground and Japan encouraged the Office to develop flexible measures, including sending missions of inquiry and those of technical assistance, to monitor and address serious human rights violations.

FRANCOIS ROUX (Belgium) said that the Council’s interactive debate with the High Commissioner reinforced the common objective to promote and protect human rights. Belgium believed that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights must be independent and it should carry out its work in full freedom. Belgium noted with satisfaction the rapid mission carried out to Tunisia and hoped that the same would be done for Egypt. Belgium shared the analysis of the High Commissioner on the human rights challenges today, including discrimination, and in particular discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Violence against women, particularly sexual violence was a scourge affecting many countries today and that was why Belgium was particularly pleased with the visit of the high-level delegation to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

GOPINATHAN ACHAMKULANGARE (India) said that the High Commissioner’s annual report had provided an informative overview of the Council’s activities. India would like to make four observations. Firstly, that the increase in food prices had pushed more people into poverty and it would like to have more information, analysis and efforts in this area. Secondly, there should be more equitable space in the annual report on the activities on economic, social and cultural rights. Thirdly, India appreciated the focus on the treaty body reforms and would like to emphasize the need for consultations with States parties regarding treaty bodies. Fourthly, India reiterated its request for the High Commissioner to update the Council on the composition of the staff of her Office in the annual report and she should make a statement on this later.

SEYED MOHAMMAD REZA SAJJADI (Iran) believed that the credibility and coherence of the Human Rights Council and other international human rights organs, as well as, confidence of States in the work and functioning of the United Nations human rights system, depended a lot on the technical efficiency, professional competence and credibility of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Iran appreciated the activities of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action as well as to mark 2011 as the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development and the International Year for People of African Descent. They were of the view that such commemorative events should be designed with a view to make a difference on the ground.

Iran believed that the enhancement of international cooperation was an irreversible and vital necessity for the promotion of human rights worldwide. In this context, Iran had launched various initiatives, inter alia, holding 18 rounds of bilateral human rights talks and convening several technical meetings on judicial issues the most recent of which was a judicial colloquium jointly held by the Iranian judiciary and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in December 2010. Finally, Iran welcomed the visit of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to Iran which would take place this year and hoped that this visit would enhance meaningful cooperation between the Islamic Republic and the Office of the High Commissioner.

NAVI PILLAY, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, answering the questions by the delegations, thanked all the delegations which had taken the floor and expressed support for the work of her Office and said that she attached great value to the annual interactive dialogue. The attention and great care given to the annual report were greatly appreciated. Concerning extra-budgetary funding and the regular budget, the High Commissioner said those were necessary for the work and directly impacted its independence. The voluntary contributions, even those earmarked, were used for the activities contained in the SMP. There was no question of the Office taking on additional work outside of the agreed framework only because a donor would be willing to fund it. As long as the activities were in line with the objectives and priorities, the decision on which ones to take on were of the Office and the Office alone. The High Commissioner appealed to countries for additional support, even of a symbolic nature, as the Office was striving to a more diverse donor base. While voluntary contributions were essential, the regular budget resources were equally important. Last year, three quarters of the budget came from voluntary contributions. Seventeen per cent of the staff supporting the work of treaty bodies for example, came from regular budgetary resources.

The fact that geographic diversity of the staff in the Office was not on top of the comments by the delegations today was encouraging. The improvement in recruitment had been made, for example since December 2009, the number of staff from Africa had increased by 6 per cent, and from Asia by 17 per cent. The New York Office actively contributed to the work of the Secretary-General and actively engaged with other organizations and agencies in New York. Since the arrival of the Mr. Simonovic in New York, many more agencies had been requesting the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to join the table and participate in policy deliberations. On the strategic framework, Ms. Pillay said that the Human Rights Council during its last session had reaffirmed the role of the Office and had issued a Presidential Statement to that effect. In 2012, the strategic framework for 2012-2014 would be submitted to the Council and a meeting would be organised with the High Commissioner and the President of the Human Rights Council and the delegations, to answer any questions.


For use of the information media; not an official record

HRC11/015E