Opening of seminar on "The United Nations Commission on Human Rights: an Evolution"

Madam High Commissioner
Madam Rapporteur
Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is a pleasure to welcome you all to the Palais des Nations today for this annual seminar, organized by the World Federation of United Nations Associations in collaboration with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. I appreciate continuing the tradition of being with you at the opening of this event. I am particularly glad to be here today with both the High Commissioner for Human Rights – Ms. Louise Arbour – and the Rapporteur of the 61st session of the Commission on Human Rights – Ms. Deidre Kent. I am confident that you will get the best possible start to the seminar with such distinguished participants, and like you, I also look forward to hearing their views on both the evolution of the Commission and the challenges ahead. Because, the history of the Commission – and most importantly its future – are closely connected with the challenges facing the international community and the United Nations as a whole.

Your discussions could hardly be more timely. As we meet, Member States are in the process of preparing for the 2005 World Summit, which will take place from 14 to 16 September in New York. On this occasion, the largest ever number of Heads of State and Government is expected to come together to review the progress made in implementing the commitments made in the United Nations Millennium Declaration, adopted at the Millennium Summit in 2000, and the eight Millennium Development Goals that spring from that Declaration, as well as consider the integrated follow-up to the United Nations conferences and summits in the economic, social and related fields. They will discuss how to address the threats and challenges of the 21st century effectively and efficiently and how to make the United Nations an even stronger instrument in our collective efforts to ensuring a more secure and just world.

These high-level discussions will take place on the basis of the Secretary-General’s report entitled “In Larger Freedom: development, security and human rights for all”, which was released in March. I am sure that you will return to this report many times throughout this seminar – and in particular to the addendum on the proposed Human Rights Council. In the report, the Secretary-General reaffirmed that not only are development, security and human rights all imperative; they are also mutually reinforcing. While this idea was advanced already in the Charter of the United Nations – indeed, the Secretary-General has drawn the title of the report from the preamble to the Charter to demonstrate that the triangle of development, security and human rights forms part of the foundation of the Organization itself – the close relationship between these three pillars has only been strengthened in our increasingly globalized world, with growing economic interdependence, technological advances and rapid geopolitical change. Allow me to illustrate this: while poverty and denial of human rights may not be said to “cause” civil war, terrorism or organized crime, they all greatly increase the risk of instability and violence. Similarly, war and atrocities are far from the only reasons that countries are trapped in poverty, but they undoubtedly set back development. At the same time, security and development can only be attained if based on a solid foundation of human rights.

Full enjoyment of human rights is therefore essential if we are to advance towards greater peace and development. I know that my fellow panellists here today will elaborate on the importance of the promotion and protection of human rights and how we may further develop and strengthen our multilateral mechanisms to this end. I believe it is important to keep in mind throughout your discussions the wider context of reform, and the linkages between the human rights agenda and the security and development agendas. We will not enjoy development without security; we will not enjoy security without development; and we will not enjoy either without respect for human rights.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

As the international community works to reform the United Nations and to make it yet more responsive to global needs, the support of civil society is all the more critical. That is why only a few weeks ago – on 23 and 24 June – the President of the General Assembly presided over informal, interactive hearings with non-governmental organizations, civil society and private business, framed around the four themes in the Secretary-General’s “In Larger Freedom” report: freedom from want; freedom from fear; freedom to live in dignity; and strengthening the United Nations. The Hearings were held in preparation for the World Summit in September and were an opportunity for civil society to make inputs towards the Summit. In this way, the Hearings – the first of their kind – were a recognition of the importance of the views and experiences of civil society as we strive to further develop our multilateral machinery.

Raising awareness and increasing the knowledge of the United Nations system is important for civil society to be able to contribute actively and constructively to the work of the Organization. The efforts of the World Federation of United Nations Associations are particularly valuable in this regard, and this seminar is a practical example.

I trust that over the coming days you will not only have a closer look at the plans underway to reform the Commission on Human Rights but that you will also have rewarding and stimulating discussions that will inspire you to continue to work in support of the United Nations and for the promotion and protection of human rights.

Thank you very much.