UNITED NATIONS HAS PUSHED FORWARD FRONTIERS ON HUMAN RIGHTS, SECRETARY-GENERAL TELLS HIGH-LEVEL FORUM
Press Release
HR/4198
UNITED NATIONS HAS PUSHED FORWARD FRONTIERS ON HUMAN RIGHTS, SECRETARY-GENERAL TELLS HIGH-LEVEL FORUM
19951025 Rwanda and Philippine Presidents, Norway Prime Minister Address Two Panel Discussions at United Nations HeadquartersThe United Nations had pushed forward the frontiers on human rights to encompass new fields, which included genocide, torture and discrimination based on race, sex or religious beliefs, Secretary-General Boutros Boutros- Ghali said this morning at a two panel Forum on Human Rights organized at Headquarters.
More recently, the United Nations had begun to define the "rights of solidarity", the Secretary-General stated. Those rights encompassed the rights to a clean environment, peace, food security and above all, to development.
Jose Ayala Lasso, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, introduced both panel discussions. The first was entitled "The United Nations Human Rights Agenda -- The Next Fifty Years"; and the second, was "Women's Rights As Human Rights". Mr. Ayala Lasso said the "new vision of human rights" needed to be based on universality, guarantees and democracy.
Addressing the first panel discussion, the President of Rwanda, Pasteur Bizimungu, said in its search for peace, the United Nations sometimes sought a compromise with groups which violated human rights, such as the militia in Rwanda. Seeking such compromise was a contradiction with the Organization's commitment to the fundamentals contained in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, he said.
Also addressing that panel, the President of the Philippines, Fidel Ramos, urged international attention to the issue of migrant workers -- a phenomenon of the new global economy. Migrant workers in foreign lands often worked under conditions of cruelty, earning inadequate wages, without access
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to relief. He called for adherence to the guidelines of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on the protection of such workers and he noted that he had proposed an international conference on migration.
The Prime Minister of Norway, Gro Harlem Brundtland, said that in this century, facts could no longer be concealed. The right to criticize was the most important right of all, and the freedom to do so needed to be the superior norm for the next 50 years.
Addressing the second panel, Gertrude Mongella, Secretary-General of the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995) said in that Conference, the international community had realized that the rights of women could no longer be negotiated. The world needed to make sure that the Platform for Action adopted at the Conference would be implemented, said Geraldine Ferraro, the United States representative to the Commission on Human Rights.
Culture and tradition needed to be in conformity with human rights international standards, Nafis Sadik, Executive Director of United Nations Population Fund, also addressing that panel, said; they should be wiped out, she added, if they are used to suppress women.
Also participating in the panel on "Women's Rights As Human Rights" were Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of UNICEF; Peter Hansen, Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs; and Noeleen Heyzer, Director of UNIFEM.
Views on the issues discussed were exchanged between the Panelists and questions were asked by the public present.
Forum/Panel Work Programme
A panel of world leaders met this morning for a high-level forum discussion on the status of human rights. The forum discussion, entitled "United Nations Human Rights Agenda -- The Next Fifty Years", was organized by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Jose Ayala Lasso, in commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations.
A second discussion on "Women's Rights As Human Rights" would follow the forum and would feature a discussion among senior United Nations officials on women's rights, particularly in the light of the 1993 Vienna Conference on Human Rights and the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing in September.
The main themes of the high-level forum discussion include: building understanding within and between communities; the fight against racism, xenophobia, and protection of minorities; democracy beyond free periodic political participation; the right to an adequate standard of living, health, education and employment; and the challenge of exclusion and extreme poverty, as well as the right to development.
Additional subjects to be considered are: action by the international community to stop or bring violations to an end; responsibilities of individuals before international law for human rights violations and an international criminal jurisdiction. Other topics range from education for human rights to national and local institutions for their protection.
The Secretary-General would summarize the points made by the participants at the end of the forum, and that summary would reflect the priority directions in the human rights field for the future and orientations for action within the United Nations by the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Participants in the forum are scheduled to include President Fidel Ramos of the Philippines, President Pasteur Bizimungu of Rwanda, President Václav Havel of the Czech Republic, and Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland of Norway.
Participants in the second discussion will address the priorities in the Beijing Platform for Action, within the framework provided by the Vienna Conference on Human Rights.
That discussion will be chaired by Mr. Ayalo Lasso. Participants include Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF); Geraldine Ferraro, United States Representative to the Commission on Human Rights and Vice-Chairman at the Beijing Conference; Peter Hansen, Under-Secretary-General of Humanitarian Affairs; Noeleen Heyzer,
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Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM); Gertrude Mongella, Secretary-General for the Fourth World Conference on Women; Nafis Sadik, Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); and James Gustave Speth, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Statement by Secretary-General
Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali said, in an opening statement, that building on the Universal Declaration of 1948, the General Assembly had always worked to broaden and deepen its action for human rights -- not only civil and political rights but also economic, social and cultural rights. Beyond that, the United Nations had pushed forward frontiers on human rights to encompass new fields: genocide, slavery, torture, the elimination of discrimination based on race, sex, religious beliefs or personal convictions. It had extended its concern to refugees and stateless persons, women and children, the physically and mentally handicapped, political prisoners and indigenous peoples.
More recently, the General Assembly had begun to define the "rights of solidarity", he stated. Those concerned the environment, the right to peace, the right to food security and above all, the right to development.
He said democracy, both within and among States, was ultimately, the sole true guarantor of human rights. And development must now centre on the rights of the human person.
The Secretary-General noted the various United Nations conferences that emphasized the human person, including the Earth Summit in Rio, the Cairo International Conference on Population and Development, the Social Summit in Copenhagen and the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing.
"But we must never forget that the struggle for human rights requires increasing vigilance. Without the commitment of each and every individual human being, that battle cannot be won," he said. The mobilization of public opinion was vital. (For text of statement, see SG/SM/5797=HR/4199.)
United Nations Human Rights Agenda -- The Next Fifty Years
JOSE AYALA LASSO, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said human rights had become "the common language of all humanity". Tragically, however, in many parts of the world genocide was taking place. In addition, racial and ethnic hatred also existed in the form of open wars and clandestine terrorism. Thousands of people had been killed because of that hatred. Furthermore, millions of people were subjected to discrimination based on their religion or language. And over half the population of the globe still needed to struggle against gender discrimination. The fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations
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had been a good opportunity to asses past achievements and to adapt purposes and structures to today's human rights realities.
In order to consider a "new United Nations vision of human rights", he said three imperatives needed to be considered: universality, guarantees and democracy. The first dealt with the assurance of a universal respect for human rights. The second concerned a system that guaranteed the enjoyment by all of their human rights such as the adequate provision of food, employment, adequate housing and medical care. Third, democracy needed to be implemented within and among nations. Democracy, development and the respect for human rights were intertwined and interdependent, he emphasized.
Steps needed to be taken to ensure that human rights headed the national agenda of States. Also, human rights had to play a crucial role in preventive diplomacy, peace-keeping and peacemaking, as well as in economic and social development. In addition, the new vision of human rights must include institutional mechanisms enabling rapid response and efficient action against violations of those rights.
"We need to consider giving recognition to human rights as a priority of the United Nations equal to peace and security", Mr. Ayala Lasso said. The United Nations required a specific organ that would be in charge of human rights issues. He proposed the creation of a human rights council as an intergovernmental body for policy-making and coordination, with the participation of governments, agencies, experts and non-governmental organizations. Such a Council could avoid duplication and better focus on human rights issues within the system. Also, the consolidation of international human rights treaties scattered among six different expert bodies needed to be considered.
FIDEL RAMOS, President of the Philippines, said that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was a description of the world as the international community wanted it to be. That instrument had become a standard to measure nations' adherence to human rights.
Amidst the landmark achievements in human rights, however, there were shortcomings. New human rights problems had emerged. It should become a minimum goal of the next half century to integrate in the Declaration the conventions drawn up to complement it.
He called for urgent attention to be focussed on the issue of migrant workers across the world, which was a peculiar phenomenon of the new global economy. Solutions to those workers' problems were needed now to avoid more serious problems later. Migrant workers in foreign lands often worked under conditions of cruelty, earning inadequate wages. Countries did not generally
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adhere to ILO guidelines on the protection of such workers. An international conference on migration and development should be convened to examine the issue.
He said the concern of countries for human rights must extend beyond their borders to inhabitants of other countries. Human rights were global rights.
PASTEUR BIZIMUNGU, President of Rwanda, said that after the genocide in his country, Rwanda was concerned with reconciliation. Racism and xenophobia centred on differences connected to skin colour or culture. Such differences bred conflict only when associated with social injustices and privileges. Conflict only arose when those differences were manipulated.
He said that the solution to the problem of discrimination and racism was the promotion of clear leadership. When differences were not manipulated, there would be no conflict. If one group had advantages, and other groups could share, them that would be a unifying factor. There must be the rule of law and laws must respect the fundamental rights embodied in the United Nations Charter. Everybody must have equal opportunity.
In societies like Rwanda, which had already been divided, he said, there was also the need to correct past mistakes. Leadership must be broad-based, both in quantity and quality. Awareness programmes must also be promoted, particularly through education. By teaching positive values, negative propaganda could be countered. Leadership also had to promote social and economic development. Poverty was quite often exploited by opportunists.
The question of "rights of minorities" contradicted the principle of democracy, which assumed equal rights for all. To start creating special rights for minorities meant providing room for injustices. All persons should enjoy the same rights under a democratic arrangement.
He said that in its search for peace, the United Nations sometimes sought a compromise with groups that violated fundamental human rights, such as the militia in Rwanda. Seeking such compromise contradicted the Organization's commitment to the fundamentals of the Universal Declaration. The United Nations must not seek compromise with groups that violated that Declaration. In the case of South Africa, the United Nations had played the right role by refusing to compromise with the apartheid system.
The Prime Minister of Norway, GRO HARLEM BRUNDTLAND, said societies were increasingly becoming multicultural and multi-ethnic. Also, most States had access to the same information through the increasingly globalized media.
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Some developing countries believed they were different and could not be treated the same way as developed States. However, currently, rights and values transcended all borders and cultures. "There are limits to the practices that countries can expect the international community to accept, or condone, even when such practices have deep cultural roots", she emphasized.
In this century, facts could not longer be concealed, Ms. Brundtland continued. The world needed to move "from a state of international legislation to a state of national implementation". Furthermore, the perpetrators of serious violations of human rights in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia needed to be held accountable for them and prosecuted.
The right to criticize was the most important right of all. "Without that right cases and issues may be papered over and people disappear", she said. The freedom to criticize must be the superior norm for the next 50 years. The technology revolution would be permanently unfaithful to half- truths and euphemisms.
Exchange of Views
Mr. AYALA LASSO, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, asked how the violations of human rights could be prevented and human rights respected.
The President of the Philippines, Mr. RAMOS, said the minimum basic needs of the human being needed to be defined. They were usually recognized as the right to shelter, health and food. A mechanism for national reconciliation, which would involve all sectors of society, needed to be established. Also, the rule of law needed to be observed by all. A monitoring system in accordance with a provision in his country's Constitution had been implemented.
Mr. BIZIMUNGU, President of Rwanda, said that there was a need to propagate the fundamental rights of the individual. However, massive violations of human rights stemmed from situations well known internationally. Lacking was the will to react to those violating rights. In the case of Rwanda, everybody knew that the violations were going on last year. There was enough prior knowledge of that situation in the international community but the courage to react was not there. A permanent tribunal to deal with violators of those rights was needed.
Ms. BRUNDTLAND, Prime Minister of Norway, said that a criminal court to try human rights cases was necessary. She considered it important enough to mention it in her statement during the special commemorative meeting to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations. There should be surveillance of compliance with the provisions of the various human rights instruments that had been signed by countries.
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Public Discussion
In response to a question concerning the human rights of those people on hunger strikes currently protesting outside Headquarters, GILLIAN SORENSEN, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General for Public Policy, said they were being carefully monitored by medical personnel. They would not be allowed to die and would be carefully watched.
In answer to another question on the practicality of the application of the principle of human rights, Mr. RAMOS, President of the Philippines, said that in practicality the implementation was difficult. Sometimes it was difficult for governments themselves, owing to their scarce resources, to assure the respect for human rights within their populations.
Mr. AYALA LASSO said that Jean-Bertrand Aristide, President of Haiti, had sent a message as he was unable to be present at the discussion.
Panel Discussion on Women's Rights as Human Rights
Mr. AYALA LASSO, Human Rights Commissioner, noting that the rights of women were recognized in all United Nations human rights instruments, went on to say that the Vienna conference had recognized that the rights of women were inalienable and an integral part of human rights. Eradication of all forms of discrimination on the ground of sex was a priority.
He said his office had recently organized a working group meeting on that issue in cooperation with UNIFEM. It had also increased emphasis on technical assistance to develop the human rights of women. Activities must increasingly take a practical approach.
CAROL BELLAMY, Executive Director of UNICEF, said that discrimination against women did not begin at the age of 18, but in childhood. UNICEF had worked to reduce maternal mortality, even before the Beijing conference. It worked with children and women and its emphasis included the economic status of women, the role of the woman in society and the role of the woman as a leader. Its work in the area of child survival also focused on women's health and adolescent health.
GERALDINE FERRARO, the United States representative to the Commission on Human Rights, reviewing the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, said the resulting Platform for Action addressed the violation of women's rights in every aspect of their lives. After that Conference, women had understood that they could freely and responsibly decide the number of children they wanted to bear, as well as their right to reproduction free of discrimination and coercion.
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The conference in Beijing had been one of commitments. The United States had also made a national commitment to advance the rights of women. The Labour and Justice departments had undertaken certain actions to improve women's rights. "If the adopted Platform for Action is simply lots of words, it will fade with time", Ms. Ferraro warned. It was up to the international community to make sure that that would not occur. While the empowerment of women was important for the present, it was imperative for the future.
PETER HANSEN, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said that currently women's roles were changing more rapidly than that of men. Women should not be viewed as victims only but as active participants in their societies, he said.
In many societies, as women's responsibilities increased, their status decreased, Mr. Hansen said. In many instances, women were not only active participants in the work force, but were responsible for children as well as for older relatives. Also, he called for an increased United Nations focus on the role of women in man-made and natural disasters, and added that the role of women in post-conflict reconstruction was essential.
During conflicts, an increased number of pregnancies occurred, Mr. Hansen went on to say. In Kigali, he had seen many girls who had been raped and left pregnant. Guidelines to assess the latter as well as the identification of vulnerable groups were essential. Much needed to be done to improve international assistance to women in emergency situations.
NOELEEN HEYZER, Director of UNIFEM, said that economic and political empowerment of women could only be looked at from within the human rights framework, which crossed national, racial and gender boundaries. UNIFEM had eliminated the gap between violent private acts against women and their public discussion.
Too many human rights practices had been shaped based on men's experiences, she continued. While some aspects of abuses were similar for women and men, much of that abuse was gender-specific, she said, mentioning such areas as torture and trafficking in female children.
Women formed half of the human race, she continued. The human rights agenda of women and the development agenda should be one. Women could only have access to resources and be able to control those resources if their rights were ensured.
She said it was necessary to ensure meaningful implementation of the declarations of the major conferences which affect women. There should be accountability for the mechanisms that were in place.
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Government personnel, peace-keepers and members of other groups should be trained to be more gender-sensitive, she went on, and women should have a very strong voice on critical issues about human rights.
GERTRUDE MONGELLA, Secretary-General of the Fourth World Conference on Women, said that everyone knew what the problems of women were and that women's rights were being violated. The international community could no longer just continue to negotiate the rights of women.
The Beijing conference was one of the most successful conferences of this century, she said, and broke new ground. There was no doubt about the consensus that had been reached. That success was due to the seriousness of the work of women. The Platform for Action would be implemented in the same spirit. The concerned organizations and agencies should proceed with the implementation. Men must come aboard to fight for equality for women.
NAFIS SADIK, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), said implementation of what had been discussed at recent world Conferences needed to be emphasized. Instead of asking for more financial resources, States needed to examine the use of their national resources. Women needed to be empowered to participate in the decisions that would affect their future.
Culture and tradition needed to be in conformity with human rights international standards, she said. Now that the conspiracy of silence had been broken, women needed to speak up wherever discrimination against them occurred.
Exchange of Views
Responding to a question posed by Mr. Ayala Lasso on how the international community could promote the empowerment of women, Ms. Ferraro said the international community needed to start giving loans to women. Women needed to fully participate in their national economies. She stressed the importance of investing in human capital.
To another question by the High Commissioner, on the effectiveness of the formula of "women's rights as human rights". Ms Heyzer said that once the female element was included in human rights, the male population would have to change. For a very long time, the understanding of human rights had been dealt with in the political and civil context. The United Nations allowed for the ensuring of the respect of human rights through its mechanisms. However, it was also important to consider what occurred at the national level. The economic empowerment of women needed to be part of their rights.
Ms. MONGELLA said that action within the United Nations to improve the human rights of women should not lead to women being "ghettoed". In some
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countries, ministries of women affairs had been established but had not been effective in dealing with issues affecting women. Such an approach should be avoided in the Organization. The way the United Nations system was currently structured was acceptable. The desired goals of human rights of women would be achieved if the various United Nations agencies focused on women's issues in their activities and programmes. Women's issues should be incorporated in all issues and in all the agencies.
Care should be taken not to create discrimination in decision-making at the United Nations, she continued. A situation that would pit women against women should be avoided. The United Nations, like the Beijing Conference, must be about women from all backgrounds. In dealing with the issue of the human rights of women within the United Nations, it was important to pay attention to the question of whether women were being marginalized. Areas needing attention included the issues of sexual harassment, accessibility and invisibility of women.
She noted that in conflict situations, planners rarely took into consideration the needs of women. That situation needed to be corrected.
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