UNITED NATIONS RIGHTS COMMISSIONER ANNOUNCES SERIES OF NEW MEASURES TO EXPAND HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVITIES IN THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA
Press Release
HR/4196
UNITED NATIONS RIGHTS COMMISSIONER ANNOUNCES SERIES OF NEW MEASURES TO EXPAND HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVITIES IN THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA
19951020 GENEVA, 19 October (UN Information Service) -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Jose Ayala Lasso, has announced a series of new measures designed to strengthen human rights activities of the United Nations in the territories of the former Yugoslavia.In a statement delivered to a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva on 18 October, Mr. Ayala Lasso announced the following new measures:
-- Establishment of a dialogue with other interested partners -- governments, United Nations agencies and programmes, European organizations and non-governmental organizations -- with the aim of arriving at a comprehensive human rights action plan for the former Yugoslavia;
-- Increase the presence of human rights staff in the Zagreb, Mostar, Sarajevo and Skopje; and
-- Discussions with the Government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) on establishing a continuous human rights presence throughout the entire territory of the Republic.
Mr. Ayala Lasso said the human rights field operation, including human rights monitoring and technical assistance activities in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, comprising offices in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, can be cited as an example of the increased emphasis being placed on comprehensive regional human rights strategies, both by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and his office.
"As we move towards peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, concerted and determined efforts will have to be deployed by the international community to ensure respect for human rights", Mr. Ayala Lasso said. "Gross and massive violations have characterized and indeed fuelled the conflict. As High Commissioner for Human Rights, I consider it essential that human rights constitute a pillar of the reconstruction effort and become a building block of the foundations of the new societies that will emerge from the conflict in the former Yugoslavia."
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Mr. Ayala Lasso said the expanded United Nations human rights activities in the former Yugoslavia would include preventing human rights violations; investigating those that have been already committed; monitoring the situation of human rights, particularly where it is essential to encourage the return of refugees and displaced persons; reporting human rights violations to local and national authorities, as well as to policy-making organs or relevant organizations, including the International Tribunal or the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights; providing human rights training to the staff of the military and civilian component of a peace operation; offering the necessary technical cooperation programmes for the establishment or strengthening of the judiciary and of national institutions for the respect of human rights and the rule of law; and providing support for human rights education programmes and human rights community development activities.
The High Commissioner said these were some of the functions that human rights monitors would have to perform as a matter of priority in order to achieve peace and solidify the reconstruction and reconciliation efforts among nations and within nations in the territory of the former Yugoslavia.
As part of the development of a comprehensive human rights action plan for the former Yugoslavia, Mr. Ayala Lasso said he would facilitate the effective and efficient implementation of human rights related activities by relevant United Nation Agencies and Programmes, first and foremost UNHCR, as well as regional organizations, such as the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) or the Council of Europe. In addition, he planned to commence a series of consultations in the coming days with the High Commissioner for Refugees, Sadako Ogata, as she had requested.
In expanding the field staff of the Centre for Human Rights in the former Yugoslavia, new monitors would support the work of Ms. Elizabeth Rehn, the new Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Former Yugoslavia. This, he said, would ensure greater protection capacity at a crucial stage of the political negotiations and would help emphasize the commitment of his office to the promotion and protection of human rights in the former Yugoslavia. Currently, the Centre maintains field offices in Zagreb, Mostar, Sarajevo and Skopje, with overall coordination in Geneva and a total staff of 16 international and local staff.
In addition, the High Commissioner said that establishment of a dialogue with the Government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia could lead to a continuous human rights presence throughout the entire territory of the Republic. This, he said, would greatly assist in the achievement of truly durable and comprehensive solutions to the immense problems facing the area while it enters the road to peace and it embarks on the huge enterprise of reconstruction of the infrastructures of society, with the active support of the international community.
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