THIRD COMMITTEE APPROVES DRAFT SEEKING FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN
Press Release
GA/SHC/3340
THIRD COMMITTEE APPROVES DRAFT SEEKING FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN
19951201 Discusses Human Rights IssuesThe General Assembly would reiterate the importance of maintaining the level of resources devoted to independent research and training activities which are crucial for the situation of women, under the terms of a draft on the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women approved this morning by the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural).
According to the text, introduced by Brazil, and approved without a vote as orally amended, Member States and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations would be invited to contribute to the United Nations Trust Fund for the Institute, thus enabling it to continue to respond effectively to its mandate.
Also this morning, the Committee continued its consideration of questions relating to human rights.
"Human rights are national rights and national rights are sovereignty", the representative of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea said. Interference in others' internal affairs under the pretext of human rights questions posed the most serious violation of human rights.
The representative of Libya said that the approach of some States in not emphasizing dialogue in their pursuit of human rights issues in other States ran counter to the principles of non-interference in internal affairs and the sovereign equality of States.
The representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina expressed disappointment that persons indicted for war crimes in the former Yugoslavia remained free. In addition, the paramilitary and institutions that the Pale Serbs headed remained unimpeded in their functioning. She called for individual accountability for the crimes committed in that war.
Statements were also made by the representatives of Tunisia, Viet Nam, Chile and Belarus.
The Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. today to continue its consideration of human rights questions and to take action on a draft resolution related to the advancement of women.
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 human rights. The Committee will also examine specific 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); reports of the Committee against Torture (document A/50/44) and 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 a report on the status of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and on 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 a 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 following:
-- 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 Releases 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 has 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); three reports by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Rwanda (document A/50/709); and the report on the situation of human rights in Kosovo (document A/50/767). (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 a draft resolution on the advancement of women.
By the terms of a draft resolution on the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women, the Assembly would reiterate the importance of maintaining the level of resources devoted to independent
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research and related training activities, which are crucial for the situation of women (document A/C.3/50/L.22). It would also invite Member States and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to contribute through voluntary contributions and pledges to the United Nations Trust Fund for the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women, thus enabling the Institute to continue to respond effectively to its mandate.
Statements
JAMALEDDIN A. HAMIDA (Libya) said that human rights issues must be addressed in a comprehensive and non-selective manner.
Libya commended the approach of dialogue in the promotion of human rights which had been adopted by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, he said. For that reason, it opposed the approach of some States which tended to divert attention from the subject matter. The approach of those States ran counter to the provisions of the United Nations Charter which called for cooperation to solve problems and promote human rights. It was also a violation of the principles of non-interference in the internal affairs of States and of the sovereign equality of States. It was unfortunate that those States which launched such campaigns totally ignored human rights violations in their own territories or violations committed by their allies. They should not forget that racism, racial discrimination and racial supremacy were still practised in their countries. The history of slavery was still alive in some of those countries and some of the repercussions were still felt today.
He said that the treaty bodies must be committed to the definite mandates in the instruments which established them. There should be increasing contact between the treaty bodies and States to determine the reason for delays in the submission of reports. States might consider submitting one comprehensive report for the treaty bodies. Also, the use of reservations could enhance wider accession to international human rights instruments.
He noted that two-thirds of the professional staff of the Centre for Human Rights came from the developed countries. The Secretary-General should, therefore, take necessary measures to ensure that the incumbents of those posts reflected the pluralism of the world, he said.
LI SONG IL (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) said his Government opposed any attempt on the part of some States to "absolutize the concept of human rights based on their own value and to force the other countries to accept it unilaterally on the pretext of universality of human rights". Each country had its own national characteristics, traditions and political philosophy. His country had been guided by the Juche Idea, the unique political philosophy centred on people. "It regards the popular masses as the
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masters of everything, and therefore makes everything serve for their well- being", he said.
Human rights were the rights of popular masses and whatever people liked should be the absolute standard of human rights, he said. "Only when we base ourselves on the people, can we distinguish true human rights from false ones". In handling human rights questions, it was also important to respect the sovereignty of other countries and their right to self-determination. Interference in others' internal affairs under the pretext of human rights questions posed the most serious violation of human rights. "Human rights are national rights and national rights are sovereignty," he said. It was important for States to first safeguard their national sovereignty in order to protect human rights.
The South Korean authorities had no qualifications to judge human rights questions, he said. They saw themselves as the "civil government". They still had in force the National Security Law, "the most vicious evil law of anti-nation, anti-reunification, anti-democracy and anti-human rights in force". Under that law, the south Korean people had been deprived of all sorts of human rights, including freedom of expression and the press.
SLAHEDDINE ABDELLAH (Tunisia) said his country was fully committed to the promotion and protection of human rights, and had adapted its domestic policies to its international commitments. For example, his country's criminal code was in conformity with international human rights laws.
Legislation and mechanisms alone could not guarantee the effective respect of human rights, but needed to go hand in hand with awareness activities, he said. For that reason, emerging democracies needed to focus on the dissemination of a "culture of human rights". The values of solidarity and the respect of the human being needed to be emphasized as well as the concepts of tolerance, dialogue and openness. That was being done in his country through the inclusion of human rights issues in the schools' curricula.
The curbing of religious extremism would be accomplished by analyzing its causes and effects without selectivity and ambivalence, he said. In the face of religious extremism and its related terrorism, the teaching of human rights became even more important.
PHAM THI THANH VAN (Viet Nam) said that the protection of human rights was the responsibility of governments, and action to that end should be taken at the national level in accordance with the strategic development of the countries concerned. However, no single country could accomplish the huge task of guaranteeing political, civil, economic, social, cultural rights for its people alone. International cooperation and dialogue was needed as was technical and financial assistance, and information and experience from United
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Nations human rights-related bodies, regional financial institutions, and countries with experience in the rule of law.
She said that human rights could not be dissociated from the level of socio-economic development. While there should be high respect for civil and political rights, economic, social and cultural rights must not be given less attention. Socio-economic development provided the objective conditions and possibilities for better implementation of human rights.
She said that Viet Nam was serious about human rights. For the first time, after decades of dependence on food imports and food aid, it had become self-sufficient in rice and food production, thus enabling Vietnamese people to enjoy the basic human right of being free from hunger. Also, within less than a decade, her country had revised and developed more laws than in the past several decades lumped together. Since 1985, more than 30 codes, laws and legal decrees had been adopted, including criminal and criminal procedure codes, laws on foreign investment, business, the protection, care and education of the child, the protection of the environment, and laws on property inheritance and citizens' complaints and denunciations. In undertaking that effort, the need for consonance with international law and compatibility with Viet Nam's historical, social and cultural conditions was borne in mind.
AMELA SAPCANIN (Bosnia and Herzegovina) said that her country would be remembered for the most savage war waged by Serbian forces against its civilian population. The war would also be remembered for numerous contradictions, including the inexplicable lack of proper action by the international community for too long to stop the crimes as well as the maintenance of the notorious arms embargo against the defenceless victim.
She was disappointed, she said, that the persons indicted for war crimes in the former Yugoslavia remained free while the Prosecutor, Judge Richard Goldstone, called out for urgent support. The response was still inadequate. While the individuals that directed the war crimes had been indicted, the Pale Serbs paramilitary and institutions that they headed remained unimpeded in their functioning.
The success of the Dayton Agreement would be measured by many conditions, she said, including the pursuit of justice through the International Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, full and wide respect for all human rights, return of refugees, holding of free elections throughout the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina and transformation from dictatorship to democracy. Many reports confirmed that Serb militants had been responsible for nearly 90 per cent of the atrocities committed during the war. The deeds of the Serbian political and military leaders did not make Serbs collectively guilty. It was therefore important that the individual accountability for crimes be established.
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She said elections must be facilitated throughout the country and the transformation of various systems carried out in accordance with the highest democratic standards. A final defeat and reversal of ethnic cleansing must also be brought about. That would secure the conditions for a safe and voluntary return of refugees.
FELIPE PORTALES (Chile) said many recommendations of the Vienna conference had not yet been implemented, and those efforts should be strengthened by the special procedures and special rapporteurs of the Commission of Human Rights. It was very important to increase the resources allocated for human rights activities as well as awareness of the existence of human rights bodies. Very often, few human rights violations came to the attention of the relevant bodies due to the lack of knowledge about their existence.
A working group was trying to identify the obstacles to the implementation of the right to development, he said. The pursuit of that right involved the adoption of both domestic and international policies, including more equitable international economic relations. The leadership of the High Commissioner for Human Rights was crucial in the promotion of the right to development world-wide. He also called for the establishment of a permanent international criminal tribunal which would act as a great deterrent to war crimes and terrorism.
IGAR GUBAREVICH (Belarus) said that not a single country could state that it fully respected all human rights, and international efforts at promotion and protection of human rights had been inadequate. Also, the technological advances of the recent past had not led to progress in protection.
He said that the countries in political transition were places where there was unhappiness because of difficulty in ensuring the protection of human rights. Political instability brought about the most blatant abuses of human rights. Belarus considered that democracy was the political system most conducive for compliance with human rights requirements. His country had started laying the legislative foundations for the protection and promotion of human rights. A number of laws had been enacted, and the country was now in the second year of implementation of its constitution, which incorporated absolute guarantees for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
He said that the process of building democracy was difficult and had many contradictions. The acute economic crisis facing Belarus did not allow it to guarantee the people their full inalienable rights, including the right to work, and the right to adequate housing and health care.
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Action on draft resolution
Before the Committee was a draft resolution on the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women.
EDGARD TELLES RIBEIRO (Brazil) announced that Bangladesh and the Kyrgyz Republic had joined in sponsoring the text. He also introduced amendments to that text.
He said that operative paragraph 5 should now read as follows:
"Encourages the Institute to further develop active and close cooperation with the specialized agencies and related organizations of the United Nations system, and with other institutions such as universities and research institutions, so as to promote programmes that contribute to the advancement of women".
Burundi, Indonesia, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire and Guinea also joined in sponsoring the draft.
The orally amended draft resolution on the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women was approved without a vote.
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