APPROVED THIRD COMMITTEE DRAFT WOULD ASK SECRETARY-GENERAL TO SECURE URGENT IMPLEMENTATION OF PLAN TO IMPROVE WOMEN'S STATUS IN SECRETARIAT
Press Release
GA/SHC/3338
APPROVED THIRD COMMITTEE DRAFT WOULD ASK SECRETARY-GENERAL TO SECURE URGENT IMPLEMENTATION OF PLAN TO IMPROVE WOMEN'S STATUS IN SECRETARIAT
19951130 The General Assembly would call upon the Secretary-General to ensure full and urgent implementation of the strategic plan for the improvement of the status of women in the Secretariat (1995-2000), in order to achieve the goal contained in the Platform for Action of the Fourth World Conference on Women for overall gender equality, particularly at the Professional level and above, by the year 2000. That request was contained in an 87-Power draft approved this morning by the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) without a vote.Also by the terms of that orally revised text, introduced by Australia, the Secretary-General would be urged to continue his work on improving the work practices and environment within the United Nations system with a view to increasing flexibility so as to remove direct or indirect discrimination, including against staff members with family responsibilities.
In addition, the Committee this morning agreed to postpone action on a draft resolution on the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women.
The representatives of New Zealand, the Dominican Republic, Norway, Brazil, Suriname, Zambia and Kenya made statements relating to that draft.
The Committee also continued its consideration of various human rights questions. Several members appealed to States that had not done so to ratify or accede to the existing human rights instruments.
The representative of Ukraine said States should take immediate measures to revise or lift any reservations to those international human rights covenants and treaties in order to achieve their universalization.
The successful implementation of human rights lay in the integrity of International treaties, the representative of Slovenia said. States needed to preserve the coherence of the international legal order and should avoid
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resorting to reservations that were general in scope. It called for ways to encourage States to review periodically their reservations with a view to their withdrawal.
Also this morning, the representative of the United States said that all parties to the Dayton Agreement were obliged to cooperate fully with the United Nations War Crimes Tribunal investigations and prosecutions, and to comply with its orders. "The work of the Tribunal is of direct and immediate relevance to the peaceful resolution of the conflicts in Bosnia and Rwanda", he added.
The representative of Cuba said that as the realities of his country became more and more evident to the international community, appointing a Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Cuba would be regarded as unjustified and discriminatory. He added that his country had had an excellent human rights record during the nearly 36 years that had passed since the Cuban Revolution.
Statements were also made by the representatives of Georgia, Lebanon, Nicaragua and Cote d'Ivoire.
The Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. today, to continue its consideration of human rights questions and to introduce draft resolutions relating to the promotion and protection of the rights of children as well as the programme of activities of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People.
Committee Work Programme
The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) met this morning to continue its consideration of human rights questions. Those include how the provisions of human rights instruments are being carried out, as well as alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of those rights. The Committee will also examine human rights situations and reports of special rapporteurs and representatives. It will also discuss the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action.
Under its sub-item on the implementation of human rights instruments, the Committee has before it the report of the Human Rights Committee (document A/50/40); report of the Committee against Torture (document A/50/44) and one on the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture (document A/50/512); and a report by the Secretary-General on the status of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (document A/50/469). It will also consider the report on the status of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and of the Optional Protocols to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (document A/50/472). (For background, see Press Release GA/SHC/3331 of 24 November.)
On another sub-item, on human rights questions, including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, the Committee has before it reports on the following:
-- Respect for the principles of national sovereignty and non- interference in the internal affairs of States in their electoral processes (document A/50/495);
-- Effective promotion of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities (document A/50/514);
-- Human rights and mass exodus (document A/50/566);
-- Human rights and terrorism (document A/50/685);
-- Assistance to States in strengthening the rule of law (document A/50/653);
-- Strengthening of the Centre for Human Rights (document A/50/678);
-- Geographical composition and function of the staff of the Centre for Human Rights (document A/50/682).
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Also before the Committee are:
-- The report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the plan of action for the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education (document A/50/698);
-- Report of the Secretary-General on the Recommendations made by his Special Representative for human rights in Cambodia (document A/50/681);
-- Report of the Secretary-General on the role of the United Nations Centre for Human Rights in assisting the Government and people of Cambodia in the promotion and protection of human rights (document A/50/681/Add.1);
-- Report of the Secretary-General on national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (document A/50/452);
-- And report of the Secretary-General on enhancing the effectiveness of the principle of periodic and genuine elections (document A/50/736).
(For background on these reports, see Press Release GA/SHC/3331 of 24 November, GA/SHC/3335 of 28 November and GA/SHC/3336 of 29 November.)
Under its sub-item on human rights situations and reports of special rapporteurs and representatives, the Committee had before it notes by the Secretary-General transmitting the following: interim report prepared by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar (document A/50/568); the interim report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Sudan (document A/50/569); the interim report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cuba (document A/50/663); and the three reports by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Rwanda (document A/50/709). (For background, see Press Releases GA/SHC/3333 and GA/SHC/3334 of 27 November as well as GA/SHC/3335 of 28 November.)
Under its sub-item on the implementation of the follow-up to the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, the Committee has before it the Secretary-General's report on the implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development (document A/50/670). (For background, see Press Release GA/SHC/3335 of 28 November.)
The Committee is also expected to take action on two draft resolutions on the advancement of women. The first is on the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (document A/C.3/50/L.22); the second is on the improvement of the status of women in the Secretariat (document A/C.3/50/L.23). (For background, see Press Release GA/SHC/3334 of 27 November.)
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GUEORUI Z. VOLSKI (Georgia) said his country's traditions and national culture provided a clear example of peaceful coexistence of different ethnicities and religions. The stumbling block for the Government in assuring fundamental human rights was the grave economic and social situation. The peculiarity was that every misfortune which eventually entailed violations of human rights and fundamental liberties was of political origin.
Political factors were responsible for the emergence of the Abkhazian armed conflict in the western part of Georgia, he continued. The humanitarian assistance furnished to Georgia by United Nations institutions and donor countries and the impartial evaluation of that conflict was extremely valuable. The consequences of genocide perpetrated against two thirds of the region's population constituted a heavy moral and material burden for the entire population of Georgia.
He said that every peace-keeping or military operation should have a clear mandate reflecting its ultimate goal which should be respected for human rights. The timely establishment of an international criminal court would serve the same principles.
HASSAN KASSEM NAJEM (Lebanon) said Lebanese citizens living under Israeli occupation suffered all types of torture and tragedies. The occupation of one State by an another was in itself a violation of human rights. Israel had occupied the southern part of his country for 17 years, and violence had always prevailed there. The Government of Israel usually deported Palestinians to his country. Such action was considered a violation of human rights as well as of international law. Israel also abducted civilians as well as carried out air raids against civilian targets, causing the destruction of property and the killing of people. Indiscriminate bombing by Israel occurred on a daily basis.
It was the right of the Lebanese citizens to live with dignity on their free land, he continued. "As long as Israel does not withdraw from Lebanon, the human rights violations will not end". He said he called on the international community to put an end to the arbitrary practices of Israel by implementing Security Council resolution 425 (1978).
VOLODYMYR A. VASSYLENKO (Ukraine) said that with the end of the cold war and the collapse of communism, the United Nations should increase its role in enhancing international cooperation for the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The coordinating functions of the High Commissioner for Human Rights should be expanded, especially through establishing a capacity to prepare and follow-up substantive and administrative aspects of such activities.
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Ukraine joined in the general appeal to States to ratify or accede to the existing human rights instruments. States should also take immediate measures, he went on, to revise or lift any reservations to those international covenants and treaties in order to achieve their universalization. Ukraine was a party to all major human rights instruments and did its best to implement their provisions.
He said a commitment to generally recognized human rights standards lay at the heart of the political reform in his country. The Parliament and the Government were channelling efforts to narrow the bridge between national legislation and international standards in human rights. Systematic efforts had also started to reform the legal and judicial system. Besides intensifying the constitutional process, a series of legal instruments which dealt with human rights were under consideration. A new criminal code and code of criminal procedure, new laws on elections and on political parties would be enacted soon. A reliable basis for the protection and promotion of human rights had been created in Ukraine, though there was still much to be done.
He said the situation in the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Burundi and some other countries were among the most serious concerns of the international community. Diplomatic efforts would bring to an end the terrible human rights violations and prevent further aggravation of ethnic tensions in those regions. Persons responsible for any gross violations of international standards in the field of human rights should be prosecuted in accordance with the norms of international law and domestic legislation. Ukraine had already expressed its support for the international criminal tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.
BRUNO RODRIGUEZ PADILLA (Cuba) said there were some States which tried to use the cause of human rights to bring about a policy aimed at reducing the diversity of life and setting up universal models which took no account of geographic borders or differences in economic levels.
He considered the report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cuba "a campaign led by the Government of the United States". As the realities of his country became more and more evident to the international community, appointing a Special Rapporteur for human rights in his country would be regarded as unjustified and discriminatory. His country had had an excellent human rights record during the nearly 36 years that have passed since the Cuban Revolution. It had never resorted to torture, political assassinations or forced disappearances, he said.
"If we are to be rightly accused of something, it should be for having achieved one of the most complete and efficient health systems in the third
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world, of having eradicated illiteracy, reduced the infant mortality rate and increased life expectancy to levels only comparable to those achieved by most developed countries", he stated.
The difficult economic situation his country was going through had been worsened by the United States economic embargo against it. In spite of that, his country was going through a transformation process aimed at perfecting the society and searching for formulas that would lead to an efficient economy. Also, a new electoral law that proclaimed free and direct elections to the Parliament had been put into force.
He said the report of the Special Rapporteur did not and could not reflect non-existent violations. How could that report be legitimate, when the very essence of it violated the principles enshrined by the Charter? he asked. The report was based on the systematic questioning of the political, economic and social order that had been chosen by the people of his country. He said he reaffirmed Cuba's continued cooperation with United Nations human rights mechanisms and the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
ERICH VILCHEZ ASHER (Nicaragua) said that existing international instruments on human rights were the sine qua non for maintaining international peace and security. Nicaragua welcomed the holding of a regional meeting aimed at promoting the universal ratification of those instruments.
He said the enjoyment of true democracy was an essential element for building a just world. Nicaragua's efforts to ensure the full enjoyment of human rights by its citizens included extensive work in the legal area. In June, partial reforms came into force with regard to the 1987 Constitution. Those reforms were unparalleled, and the product was a modification of 65 articles of the Constitution. The main objective of the reform was the political modernization of Nicaragua. It ensured the right of minorities to express their views. It also changed the name of the country's army, defined the armed forces and put them under civilian control. Under no circumstance was a civilian to be brought before a military court. The reforms also guaranteed free education and public health and were creating an improved condition for peaceful coexistence in Nicaragua.
The post of investigating magistrate had been created in Nicaragua for the protection of freedom, equality and social justice, he continued. The investigating magistrate would be the defender of civil society, and serve as a link to ensure popular participation and promote human rights.
Nicaragua was also working on solving the property conflicts in the country, he said. Thousands of properties that had been in the hands of the State had been handed over to their original owners.
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MILENA SMIT (Slovenia) said that implementation of international human rights standards was more effective when followed by monitoring. Such monitoring should take into consideration that the conditions in different parts of the world varied considerably.
Slovenia was party to all major human rights treaties concluded within the United Nations framework, she said. Those international treaties had directly affected her country's national law. The successful implementation of human rights lay in their integrity. States should therefore preserve the coherence of the international legal order and should avoid resorting to reservations that were general in scope. Reservations that were contrary to the objectives of the treaties were inadmissible. Ways should be found to stimulate and encourage States to review their reservations periodically with a view to their possible withdrawal.
She said Slovenia supported the proposals for an additional protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women which would provide the right of individual and collective appeal. Also, it believed that the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights offered an appropriate tool to achieve the goal of wide abolition of the death penalty.
JOHN SHATTUCK, (United States) reiterated his full support of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, welcomed his efforts in restructuring the Human Rights Centre and encouraged further efforts at streamlining it. The High Commissioner needed adequate resources to do his work. His field operation in Rwanda had been a groundbreaking undertaking. However, the withdrawal of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) was of great concern. He urged a redefinition and extension of that mission. The redeployment of existing resources within the United Nations budget was both feasible and desirable for that purpose.
"The work of the United Nations War Crimes Tribunal is of direct and immediate relevance to the peaceful resolution of the conflicts in Bosnia and Rwanda", he said. All parties to the Dayton Agreement were obliged to cooperate fully with the Tribunal's investigations and prosecutions, and to comply with its orders. In addition, international human rights monitors as well as the work of the High Commissioner would have a major role to play in ensuring that the human rights of all of Bosnia's citizens were guaranteed. The respect for human rights would be essential to the healing and reconciliation process.
D. KABA CAMARA (Cote d'Ivoire) said the right to development imposed an obligation on the rich countries to ensure a fair sharing of the world's resources. Development was as important as peace. Development made it possible to consolidate peace. In times of trouble, he added, States were forced to invoke emergency powers which could not guarantee the promotion of
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human rights. The right to development should not be overlooked because other human rights were emphasized. The universality of all human rights implied that there should be international solidarity to prevent violations.
She said those States which were quick to denounce violation of political rights were silent when it came to contributing towards the reduction of poverty throughout the world. When there was an execution, human rights were invoked but when there were deaths through starvation, no such outcry was heard; all life should be defended. Her country believed that 0.7 per cent of the gross national product of the developed countries should be devoted to development assistance as agreed to many years ago.
She expressed concern about the underrepresentation of Africa in human rights monitoring organs. The representation should be more equitable and should be ensured by adoption of the voting arrangements which obtained in the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council. There should be geographical balance.
Action on Draft Resolutions
PATRICK JOHN RATA (New Zealand), Acting Chairman of the Committee, announced that consideration of the draft resolution on the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (document A/C.3/50/L.22) had been postponed. Further negotiations were required on the text. He hoped the draft would be approved by consensus.
JULIA TAVARES DE ALVAREZ (Dominican Republic) expressed concern that action on the draft was postponed. The text had been published on 17 November, and States should not have waited to the last minute to make amendments. She hoped action would be taken on the draft tomorrow before 1 p.m.
STEN ARNE ROSNES (Norway) said he supported the postponement. Negotiations were going on to improve that text which was related to draft resolution A/C.3/50/L.21 on the proposed merger of the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM).
EDGARD TELLES DE RIBEIRO (Brazil) said he supported the postponement as the draft dealt with a sensitive issue and amendments needed to be made.
Mrs. ALVAREZ (Dominican Republic) said she disagreed with the representative of Norway and did not believe draft resolution L.21 was related to the present draft text. The question of the proposed merger had nothing to do with the Institute. If the delay in taking action was due to the presumed link between the two texts, she disagreed with postponing action.
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Mr. ROSNES (Norway) said he believed draft L.21 was not related to the draft resolution being discussed.
Mrs. ALVAREZ (Dominican Republic) said she was prepared to postpone a decision until tomorrow for the amendments but wished to emphasize, again, that the present resolution was not linked to draft L.21.
RUTH DE MIRANDA (Suriname), speaking on behalf of most Caribbean States, said she supported the statement made by the representative of the Dominican Republic, that the action on the draft on the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women should be taken up before 1 p.m. tomorrow.
MWILA CHIGAGA (Zambia) said that even though the proposed amendments had come late, action should take place tomorrow morning.
FRANCIS K. MUTHAURA (Kenya) said the draft should be taken up by the Committee before 1 p.m. tomorrow.
The Acting Chairman announced that action on the draft resolution on the International Research and Training Institute had been postponed.
Next, the Committee took up the text on the improvement of the status of women in the Secretariat (document A/C.3/50/L.23).
KATHY WONG (Australia) announced that the following countries had joined in sponsorship of the draft: Federated States of Micronesia, Greece, Mali, Luxembourg, South Africa, Vietnam, El Salvador, United Kingdom, Peru, Guyana, Colombia, Indonesia, Botswana, Nepal, Philippines, Angola, Lesotho, Cambodia, Jordan, United Republic of Tanzania. She orally amended the text on several procedural points.
The Committee then approved that draft text, as orally recorded, without a vote.
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