FOURTEEN TEXTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES INTRODUCED IN THIRD COMMITTEE, INCLUDING SIX COUNTRY-SPECIFIC DRAFTS
Press Release
GA/SHC/3402
FOURTEEN TEXTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES INTRODUCED IN THIRD COMMITTEE, INCLUDING SIX COUNTRY-SPECIFIC DRAFTS
19961125 A series of draft resolutions on human rights issues, including country- specific texts on the situations in Rwanda, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Haiti and the Sudan were introduced in the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) this morning. Other texts introduced dealt with the elimination of religious intolerance, extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, strengthening the rule of law and enforced or involuntary disappearances. The text on Rwanda would have the Assembly express concern at reports of civilian killings, apparently by militias and insurgents opposed to the Government as well as during the Rwandan army's search operations. It would also call on States to contribute urgently to the cost of the United Nations Human Rights Field Operation in Rwanda and to work for lasting solutions to its financing problems through the United Nations regular budget. Another text calls on the Sudanese Government to comply with applicable international human rights instruments to which it is a party, and halt the use of weapons against civilians and protect all of them, including women, children and members of ethnic and religious minorities, from such violations as forcible displacement, arbitrary detention, ill treatment, torture and summary executions. It would deplore the consequences for innocent civilians of the use of land-mines by the Government and rebel forces alike. According to the terms of a draft on Iraq, the Assembly would express grave concern at the use of heavy artillery and tanks against civilian targets in northern Iraq as well as the large number of arrests and missing persons. It would demand the Iraqi Government restore the independence of the judiciary, and abrogate all laws granting impunity to specified persons or forces for killings or injuries to anyone, except for administration of justice and the rule of law. A text on Haiti calls for the international community to contribute funds to help reform the country's judicial system and to the Trust Fund for the Haitian National Police. The money is needed to combat increasing crime as well as for technical assistance for the new police force. The Committee also heard the introduction of texts on the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious or Linguistic Minorities, the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as a draft on strengthening his office and the Centre for Human Rights, and a text on follow-up to the United Nations Year for Tolerance. The Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. today to hear the introduction of additional texts on human rights issues.Committee Work Programme
The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) met this morning to hear the introduction of a number of draft resolutions on human rights issues.
Introduction of Draft Resolutions
The representative of Ecuador introduced the draft resolution on the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (document A/C.3/51/L.42), by which the General Assembly would encourage the High Commissioner to continue his activities in discharging his responsibilities under its resolution 48/141. It would also decide to consider this matter at its fifty-second session under a sub-item entitled "report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights" as part of the item on "human rights questions".
In operative paragraph 3, the word "satisfaction" will be replaced with "appreciation".
The representative of Austria introduced a draft resolution on effective promotion of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities (document A/C.3/51/L.45) by which the Assembly would call on the Secretary-General to make available, at the request of concerned governments, qualified expertise on minority issues, including dispute prevention and resolution, to assist in existing or potential situations involving minorities. States would be called upon to include in their reports to human rights treaty bodies, measures to promote and protect the rights of persons belonging to minorities.
The representative of Finland introduced a draft resolution on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions (document A/C.3/51/L.46) would have the Assembly demand that all governments ensure that the practice be brought to an end and that they take effective action to combat and eliminate the phenomenon in all its forms.
The representative of Ireland introduced a draft resolution on strengthening the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights/Centre for Human Rights (document A/C.3/51/L.39) which would have the Assembly request that the Secretary-General make additional human and financial resources available from within the overall regular budget of the United Nations, and enhance the capability of the High Commissioner and the Centre to effectively fulfil their mandates and to coordinate efficiently with other relevant departments of the Secretariat, as well as other parts of the United Nations system on logistical and administrative questions, having due regard to the need to finance and implement development activities of the United Nations.
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He also introduced a draft resolution on the situation of human rights in Iraq (A/C.3/51/L.40), which would have the Assembly urge the Government of Iraq to cooperate with the United Nations to ensure the implementation of Security Council resolution 986 (1995), in accordance with the agreement reached in May 1996 that medicines, health supplies, foodstuffs and other humanitarian supplies, purchased with the proceeds of the sale of Iraqi petroleum and petroleum products, are distributed to the Iraqi population equitably and on a non-discriminatory basis.
The Assembly would demand that the Government of Iraq restore the independence of the judiciary and abrogate all laws granting impunity to specified forces or persons killing or injuring individuals for any purpose beyond the administration of justice under the rule of law as prescribed by international standards. It would also demand the abrogation of any and all decrees that prescribed cruel and unusual punishment or treatment, and the implementation of steps to ensure that the practice of torture and cruel and unusual punishments and treatment no longer occurs. The Assembly would also urge the Iraqi Government to improve its cooperation within the framework of the Tripartite Commission and its technical subcommittees with a view to establishing the whereabouts or resolving the fate of the remaining several hundred missing persons and prisoners of war, Kuwaitis and third-country nationals who were victims of the illegal Iraqi occupation of Kuwait.
By the terms of a draft resolution on the situation of human rights in Iran (document A/C.3/51/L.41), also introduced by the representative of Ireland, the Assembly would urge the Government of Iran, as a State party to the International Covenants of Human Rights, to abide by its freely undertaken obligations under the Covenants and under other international instruments of human rights, and to ensure that all individuals within its territory and subject to its jurisdiction, including members of religious groups and persons belonging to minorities, enjoy all the rights enshrined in those instruments.
The Assembly would call on the Government to implement existing agreements with international humanitarian organizations and the Special Rapporteur's conclusions and recommendations on religious intolerance relating to the Baha'is and to other minority religious groups, including Christians.
Ireland also introduced a draft resolution on the situation of human rights in Nigeria (document A/C.3/51/l.53). The draft resolution would have the Assembly call on the Government of Nigeria to: ensure that trials are held in strict conformity with the international human rights instruments to which Nigeria is a party; abide by its freely undertaken obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and other human rights instruments; and, implement fully its interim undertakings to the Secretary- General without further delay and to respond in full to the recommendations of the Secretary-General's mission to Nigeria.
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The representative of Ireland, on behalf of the European Union and the co-sponsors, introduced a draft resolution on the elimination of racial intolerance (document A/C.3/51/L.47) which would have the Assembly call on all States to recognize the right of all persons to worship or assemble in connection with a religion or belief, and to establish and maintain places for that purpose. It would request the Secretary-General to ensure that the Special Rapporteur receives the necessary staffing, financial and material resources to enable him to discharge his mandate fully and on time.
A draft text on the question of enforced or voluntary disappearances (document A/C.3/51/L.48), introduced by France, would have the Assembly call on governments, to ensure that when a state of emergency is introduced, the protection of human rights is ensured, particularly as regards enforced disappearances. It would also decide to consider the question, particularly the implementation of the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, at its fifty-third session.
The following paragraphs were to be added after operative paragraph 9:
-- A new operative paragraph 9 (bis) would read as follows: "requests the working group, in the continued exercise of its mandate, to take into account the provisions of the Declaration and to modify its working methods if necessary";
-- Operative paragraph 9 (ter) would read as follows:
-- "Recalls that the primary role of the working group, as described in its reports, is to act as a channel of communication between families of the disappeared persons and the governments concerned, with a view to ensuring that sufficiently documented and clearly identified cases are investigated and to ascertain whether such information falls under its mandate and contains the required elements and invites him to continue to seek the views and comments of all concerned including Member States in elaboration of his report".
By the terms of the draft resolution on follow-up to the United Nations Year for Tolerance (document A/C.3/51/L.50), introduced by the representative of Turkey, the Assembly would request the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to continue to coordinate actions in support of tolerance promotion and education in partnership with other United Nations agencies and regional, intergovernmental and non- governmental organizations, to make reports available to the Assembly on a biennial basis on the implementation of the Declaration of Principles of Tolerance and Follow-up Plan of Action for the United Nations Year for Tolerance. It would also invite Member States to apply the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance at the national level and to continue to undertake public information campaigns aimed at the realization of more tolerant societies.
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The representative of Brazil introduced a draft resolution on strengthening of the rule of law (A/C.3/51/L.52) which would have the Assembly request the High Commissioner for Human Rights to accord high priority to the technical cooperation activities undertaken by the Centre for Human Rights with regard to the rule of law. It would also encourage the High Commissioner to continue to explore the possibility of further contact with and support of financial institutions to obtain technical and financial means to strengthen the capacity of the Centre to provide assistance to national projects aiming at the realization of human rights and the maintenance of the rule of law. The Secretary-General would be asked to submit a report on the results of the contacts established, and other developments, to the Assembly at its fifty- second session.
By the terms of a draft resolution on human rights in Haiti (document A/C.3/51/L.55), introduced by the representative of Venezuela, the Assembly would request the international community, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), to continue to provide funds for the reform of the judicial system and those activities which contribute to the social and economic development of Haitian society, including reconstruction and development. It would also encourage the international community to contribute generously to the Trust Fund for the Haitian National Police, which will be needed to respond to the request of the Government of Haiti for a technical adviser programme.
The representative of the United States introduced a draft resolution on the situation of human rights in the Sudan (document A/C.3/51/L.61) which would have the Assembly call on the Sudanese Government to comply with applicable international human rights instruments to which the country is a party, particularly the International Covenants on Human Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Slavery Convention of 1926, as amended, and the Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery of 1956. It would call on the Sudan to ensure that all individuals in its territory and those subject to its jurisdiction, including members of all religious and ethnic groups, would enjoy fully the rights recognized in those instruments. The Sudan would be called on to halt the use of weapons against the civilian population and protect all civilians, including women, children and members of ethnic and religious minorities, from such violations as forcible displacement, arbitrary detention, ill treatment, torture and summary executions. It would deplore the consequences for innocent civilians of the use of land-mines by the Government and rebel forces alike.
The representative of Canada introduced a three-part draft resolution on the situation of human rights in Rwanda (document A/C.3/51/L.64). According to the terms of Part I, the Assembly would urge all parties to cooperate with the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda; by the terms of Part II, it
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would express grave concern at reports of the killings of civilians during attacks on survivors and witnesses of genocide, apparently by militias and insurgents opposed to the Government, and at reports that civilians had been killed during military search operations by the Rwandese Patriotic Army. In Part III, it would call on States to respond to the appeal by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and contribute urgently to the costs of the Human Rights Field Operation in Rwanda and work for lasting solutions to its financing problems through the regular United Nations budget.
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