COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS CONTINUES CONSIDERATION OF THIRD DECADE TO COMBAT RACISM AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
Press Release
HR/CN/710
COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS CONTINUES CONSIDERATION OF THIRD DECADE TO COMBAT RACISM AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
19960325 GENEVA, 22 March (UN Information Service) -- The Commission on Human Rights this afternoon continued its debate on the Programme of Action for the Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination.Following a working group meeting on a draft optional protocol to the Convention of the Rights of the Child -- a measure that would deal with the sale of children, child prostitution, and child pornography -- the Commission heard the representative of Nepal express disappointment that a lack of human and material resources had hindered the implementation of the Programme for the Third Decade. Unless supplementary funds were forthcoming, very few of the activities planned for the 1994-1997 period would be carried out.
The representative of Cuba said that in various countries anti-immigrant border walls were being built, social assistance funds were being reduced, and even basic education and medical care were being denied to migrant workers and members of certain ethnic groups. Cuba advocated that Third Decade activities be provided with new and additional resources, despite the Organization's financial crisis.
And according to the non-governmental organization African Association of Education for Development, six months after the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing, very few governments, non-governmental organizations and reports to the Commission mentioned the human rights of women who, in all societies, suffered from double discrimination when they were members of minority groups.
Statements in Debate
BANMALI PRASAD LACOUL (Nepal) said denial of the fundamental right to live in equality and dignity impeded social progress. Acts of racism and racial discrimination created social tensions which affected innocent lives. Article 11 of the Constitution of Nepal guaranteed equality of rights before the law. It stated that "no discrimination should be made against any citizen in the application of general laws on grounds of religion, race, sex, caste, tribe or ideological conviction or any of these". Moreover, Nepal had played an active role in the fight against apartheid and attached great importance to the implementation of the Programme of Action. It was, therefore, disheartening to note from the report of Secretary-General before the
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Commission that the lack of human and material resources had hindered the implementation of the Programme by the Centre for Human Rights and, unless supplementary funds were forthcoming, very few of the activities planned for the 1994-1997 period would be carried out.
AYMEE HERNANDEZ QUESADA (Cuba) said that apartheid had been toppled, but xenophobia was rising at the same time as extreme rightist groups were growing in number and influence -- groups that thrived, in part, through misguided application of the principles of human rights. It was necessary to withdraw reservations to article IV of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. Anti-immigrant border walls were being built, social assistance funds were being reduced, and even basic education and medical care were being denied to migrant workers and members of certain ethnic groups. Cuba advocated that the Special Rapporteur be provided with new and additional resources for the implementation of mandates and objectives, despite the Organization's artificial financial crisis. The Commission needed to have before it the facts of the Special Rapporteur -- given the unavailability of reports, it would be better to postpone consideration of that important agenda item until next year.
ELIZABETH BUMGARNER, of the African Association of Education for Development, addressing the Commission on behalf of her own organization and of the Anti-Racism Information Service, said it was disheartening to note that just six months after the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing, very few governments, non-governmental organizations and reports to the Commission mentioned the human rights of women who, in all societies, suffered from double discrimination when they were members of a minority group. In developed countries, immigration laws often penalized women, making it imperative that a wife remained with an abusive husband or risked deportation, as was the case in the United Kingdom. It was painfully evident that a great deal of work remained to be done in the arena of racial and ethnic discrimination, not least because some countries, such as the United States, were taking some alarming steps backward. Elsewhere, the Russian war against the people of Chechnya continued and now included attacks upon the people of Ingushetia; the situation in Burundi threatened to become another Rwanda. It should be of grave concern to the Commission when a member State failed to exhibit the political will to fight racial discrimination within its borders.
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