HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH CRITICISM DEMEANING TO UNITED NATIONS, SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL'S SPOKESMAN
Press Release
SG/SM/5841
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH CRITICISM DEMEANING TO UNITED NATIONS, SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL'S SPOKESMAN
19951207 The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary- General Boutros-Boutros Ghali:The Spokesman has noted the press release regarding the report issued today by Human Rights Watch, criticizing the United Nations. While we have not yet had a chance to read the full report, we would like to make the following comments:
We share Human Rights Watch's anguish over man's continuing inhumanity to his fellow man. The world -- and history -- will make its own judgement as to the United Nations effectiveness in alleviating human misery and human rights abuses.
Interestingly, even as Human Rights Watch was unveiling its criticism of the United Nations performance on human rights, a Richard Wirthlin poll of the United States public conducted for the United Nations Association found that 49 per cent of Americans think that the United Nations has become more important, or somewhat more important, in dealing with problems around the world. Some 54 per cent think the United Nations is doing "a good job" in solving the problems it has had to face.
The fact is that the Secretary-General spends an extraordinary amount of his time and energy in the campaign against human rights abuses around the world.
In the case of the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, the Secretary-General engaged in long but quiet diplomacy with the Chinese Government to ensure the success of the Conference and to facilitate the parallel meeting of the non-governmental organizations.
In the case of Chechnya, far from withholding comment, the Secretary- General expressed his great personal anguish over the fighting. He did, correctly, explain that the United Nations had no mandate to intervene.
In the case of Bosnia, the Secretary-General sought troop strength to protect Srebrenica and other "safe areas" which Member States did not authorize.
- 2 - Press Release SG/SM/5841 7 December 1995
Human Rights Watch's criticism is demeaning to those United Nations soldiers and personnel who gave so much -- sometimes their lives -- in an attempt to stem the barbarity in Bosnia, albeit with hopelessly inadequate resources. They can only do what the world asks and equips them to do.
* *** *