SECRETARY-GENERAL OF ORGANIZATION OF ISLAMIC CONFERENCE ADDRESSES HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION

Press Release
HR/CN/768

SECRETARY-GENERAL OF ORGANIZATION OF ISLAMIC CONFERENCE ADDRESSES HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION

(Reproduced as received.)

GENEVA, 17 March (UN Information Service) -- The Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference told the Commission on Human Rights this morning that the international community must redouble its efforts to ensure the prosecution of those responsible for war crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Speaking as the Commission continued its consideration of the implementation of the programme of action for the Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, Azzedine Laraki said the application of the high standards of human rights asserted in the Dayton agreement would not be possible if war criminals were not brought to justice. He also called for international support for other Muslim minorities in the territories of the former Yugoslavia, as well as for Palestinians and Kashmiris.

During its debate, the Commission also heard statements from the delegations of Brazil and Pakistan, who regretted the lack of international support for the Programme of Action of the Third Decade. The representative of Cuba, meanwhile, said her delegation would propose a number of practical ideas for the organization of a world conference on racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia. And Senegal warned against protecting racist speech under the cover of freedom of expression.

Statements were also heard this morning from the following non-governmental organizations: World Federation of United Nations Associations; Human Rights Advocates; Movement against Racism and for Friendship among Peoples; Minority Rights Group; Women's International League for Peace and Freedom; African Association of Education for Development; Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Organization; and the International League for the Rights and Liberation of Peoples.

The Commission will continue its general debate on racism and racial discrimination this afternoon at 3 p.m.

Statement by Secretary-General of OIC

AZZEDINE LARAKI, Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), said that since its inception, the OIC had contributed to the efforts of the international community in building an international order based on peaceful co-existence among nations, universal progress and international cooperation. The OIC was attached to the concept of human rights and universal freedoms, as its constituted an integral part of the Islamic faith.

Mr. LARAKI recalled that in 1995, the OIC member States had adopted a Declaration on Human Rights in Islam which set forth the highest standards of conduct and morality, tolerance, freedom from exploitation and persecution and the right to a dignified life. One of the essential principles of human rights was the right to self-determination, yet there were still people were struggling to exercise this right. The People of Palestine were engaged in a determined struggle to achieve their inalienable right to self-determination. For its part, the OIC had consistently supported the peace process in line with Security Council resolutions and the principle of land for people. The establishment of Israeli settlements and violations of human rights in the occupied territories constituted flagrant violation of international conventions. A just and lasting peace in the Middle East could only be achieved by an Israeli withdrawal from all the occupied Arab territories, including Al-Quds Al-Sharif.

The OIC had also consistently called for respect of the human rights of the Kashmiri people, including their right to self-determination, and for a peaceful settlement of the dispute in accordance with existing United Nations resolutions, he continued. The proposal made by Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for a dialogue with India to resolve the problem, and India's positive response, were encouraging signs.

Mr. LARAKI said the OIC was also concerned over crimes against humanity committed by the Serbs against the civilian population of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The international community must redouble its efforts to ensure the prosecution of those responsible for war crimes in Bosnia, for the application of the high standards of human rights asserted in the Dayton agreement would not be possible if war criminals were not brought to justice. The one million displaced persons and refugees in Azerbaijan as a result of Armenian aggression was another source of concern; the OIC called on the international community to restore full territorial integrity to Azerbaijan. Furthermore, the OIC was concerned about the violation of the fundamental rights and freedoms of Muslim communities and minorities living in certain countries, particularly of Albanians living in Kosova.

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Statements in Debate

GILBERTO VERGNE SABOIA (Brazil) said widespread xenophobia, the continuous rise of extreme right movements and persistent violence against migrant workers, refugees and other vulnerable groups in the developed world, especially in Europe, was distressing. Given these trends, full use must be made of the international human rights machinery. Brazil regretted that the Programme of Action of the Third Decade had not received resources commensurate with its importance. For its part, Brazil had always repudiated racism, and relations among different ethnic groups in the country were not conflictual. Furthermore, the Government was developing specific measures to improve the living conditions of blacks and coloured people -- who made up 44.2 per cent of the population -- and to enable them to enhance their self-esteem. In November 1995, President Fernando Henrique Cardoso had set up an inter-Ministerial working group to develop public policies for the promotion of the black population. The Government hoped through these measures to, among other things, raise awareness of the important contribution of Africa and of Afro-Brazilian communities to the country's national identity.

AYMEE HERNANDEZ QUESADA (Cuba) listed among the worst threats to mankind racism and xenophobia and the way such ideas were trying to don new clothes. The upsurge of racial discrimination and xenophobia was deeply troubling, as were attempts to institutionalize these heinous attitudes, she said. It was alarming how political parties which advocated racial exclusion had gained ground in several countries. Racism had acquired "unprecedented and scandalous strength". The developed world was the site of the most acute form of this intolerance of foreigners, and this required attention and monitoring, especially as there was a chasm between countries of the north and south which resulted in massive migration. Many human rights "champions" refused to give even basic rights to immigrants and their families. Real and feigned walls were erected because of skin colour. It was necessary to evaluate the role the Internet played in spreading racism and limit it. But the lack of financial resources for the Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination meant that there would be no programme of action to implement it. Still, the scourge of racism had to be eliminated before the end of the century. Her delegation would propose a number of practical ideas for the organization of a world conference on racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia.

TEHMINA JANJUA (Pakistan) said the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination had been ratified by more than 150 States since its adoption some 30 years ago. Despite this, much of the discrimination proscribed by the Convention continued to plague and haunt the world today. And this year again, a lack of human and material resources had prevented the Centre for Human Rights from giving fuller implementation to the aims and objectives of the Third Decade. Racial discrimination continued to jeopardize friendly relations among peoples; it also impeded cooperation among nations and threatened international peace and security. Pakistan had

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been at the forefront of the fight against racism. The country called on the international community to oppose the portrayal of a distorted image of Islam and Muslims, an image which was being used to justify aggression against and occupation of Muslim countries and peoples.

ABSA CLAUDE DIALLO (Senegal) said the will to protect human rights in this age was a reaction to the monstrous and grave crimes committed during the Second World War. Yet the persistence of xenophobia and racism went against the very basis of the United Nations and posed a mortal threat to human rights and to tolerant societies. Despite all declarations, the problems remained -- racism was increasing and intolerance was growing. The United Nations first had to be a place to combat racism. Senegal commended the Centre for Human Rights in Geneva for holding a seminar on the issue. One of the issues emerging from that discussion was that despite the high level of State participation in the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, its universality was still questioned. Also, how could racism be combated if resources for doing so were denied? Among measures to combat racism were the placing of reservations on the type of freedom of expression that could be exercised. Furthermore, positive measures were needed to eliminate all racist propaganda. A Senegalese philosopher had warned against making freedom of expression a tool of racial hatred. But what should the limitations be? The proper application of the Convention against racism was the most urgent matter in this connection, as well as the most effective means to implement universal human rights.

L. H. HORACE PERERA, of the World Federation of United Nations Associations, said it should be realized that what was being attempted in the Third Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination was the herculean task of eliminating centuries-old racial attitudes and prejudices. Those attitudes, which had become like second nature, on the one hand had hindered State parties to the anti-bias Convention from taking appropriate action, and on the other had continued to reinforce racial discrimination. There was only one way of eradicating these attitudes and the resultant racist discrimination: effective education programmes by every agent of education, be they parents, other elders, peer groups, educational and religious institutions, the media and non-governmental organizations. The first seeds of racist attitudes and prejudices were sown in the early years of a child's life by parents and other elders. These prejudices were carried to school where they infected other children. There, the racial attitudes of teachers and textbooks contributed to the hardening of the attitudes developed. The role of the teacher was crucial, and it was distressing that even in advanced industrialized countries, the preparation of teachers for the task envisaged fell far below the requirements of the time. As for national non-governmental organizations, the immediate challenge facing them was to mobilize public opinion for their respective governments to become parties to the Convention. The electronic media could also make a significant and valuable contribution, but had to be free of any kind of government or other censorship or control.

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MINAL SHAH, of Human Rights Advocates, said the international community faced not only institutionalized forms of racial discrimination, such as doctrines of racial superiority, but also indirect forms, often disguised by the proclamation of theoretical equality for all communities. Many countries had passed legislation which prohibited racial discrimination, but it was important to evaluate the effectiveness of such laws and to compare domestic legal standards with international ones. The domestic legal standards of countries where racism was on the rise needed to be compared with international legal standards of non-discrimination, which did not require a showing of intent for racial discrimination. There were discrepancies between domestic and international legal standards of non-discrimination in the United States, which was a cause of concern. The United States Constitution did not offer adequate protection for racial minorities. Moreover, the country's had failed to effectively address racism in the criminal justice system. Human Rights Advocated recommended that the Commission should continue to focus on contemporary forms of racial discrimination and urged countries to respond to the concerns voiced by the Special Rapporteur on the subject.

JEAN-JACQUES KIRKYACHARIAN, of the Movement against Racism and For Friendship among Peoples, said that the resurgence of racism in different parts of the world reserved some unpleasant surprises for decision-makers. In France, far-right parties had begun to openly declare the existence of racial inequality and express anti-semitic views. In those towns where it held power, the far-right had begun to apply a racist policy of exclusion. In France, a recent poll that would shortly be published showed that a majority of people considered that the expression of racist opinions was as valid as any other form of expression, even if they continued to consider that racism was odious and needed to be combated. Racism was a hardy survivor which words alone would not eradicate.

SONJA WÖLTE, of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, said her group was convinced that a concerted effort by all governments could bring racism and racial discrimination to a halt. Lack of interest in and support for such an effort was deplorable. Governments should provide the needed resources for implementation of the Programme of Action for the Third Decade. Discrimination could be hidden in laws and policies and racism was often embedded in the structures and policies of the state long before it became openly manifest. This created an environment where individual acts of violence seemed permissible. In the European Union (EU), for example, foreigners were blamed for the economic crisis. But for peace to exist, there had to be respect for the dignity and rights of all, including refugees, immigrants and asylum-seekers. The fortress that the EU was building around its borders was alarming -- many states had adopted more restrictive asylum laws, and European deportation practices were inhuman. Governments were urged to show their commitment to combat racism and racial discrimination by concrete actions.

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HARISH GUPTA, of the Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Organization, said his group was concerned over the persistence of racism and racial discrimination in general and the increase in the phenomenon against migrant workers in particular. The Special Rapporteur on racism had in his report pointed out that in the United States, racism and racial discrimination persisted structurally, economically, socially and culturally. All over the world, immigrants had become easy scapegoats and sacrificial victims of economic crises or insecurity. Xenophobia was growing at an alarming rate and most of the world's advanced democratic peoples, supposedly devoted to such civilized values as the dignity of the individual, did not care. Also of concern were the use of Internet as a tool to promote agendas ranging from terrorism to racial violence and divisiveness and the refusal by some self-proclaimed "human rights champion States" to curb that under the pretext of protecting freedom of expression. The fight against racism did not lie merely in enactment of laws or provisions of constitutional equality. The reasons were social and economic and needed to be identified.

ANDREA BONARDI, of the International League for the Rights and Liberation of Peoples, said power in Mauritania was in the hands of Arabs, who discriminated against Black Africans at every level. Thousands of Black Africans had been expelled and their villages destroyed. The Government had organized a genocide in the south of the country, where killings and disappearances continued. To ensure impunity for those responsible for this genocide, the Mauritanian Government had in 1993 declared an amnesty for all crimes committed by the Armed Forces. Today, Black Mauritanians continued to live the ordeal of racial segregation, including confiscation of their lands and the refusal of the authorities to grant them identification cards. This was a form of apartheid under another name. The organization called upon the Commission to give a mandate to the Special Rapporteur to investigate the situation in Mauritania.

GHENNET GIRMA, of the African Association of Education for Development, said he was more than ever convinced that new approaches were indispensable to combat racial discrimination and intolerance. Despite programmes of actions and various initiative at the international level, the old demons of racial discrimination and ethnic hatred were still rearing their heads. Racial hatred was on the rise and nothing seemed to hinder it. A world conference on racism and intolerance was not just an interesting idea, but was a necessity which could no longer be replaced by complementary efforts or international seminars. While there was recognition of the magnitude of the curse and even attribution of work to overcome it, the world was told there was disinterest in actually carrying out efforts. A world conference on racism and intolerance was indispensable. Even though this was already the third year of the Third Decade, nothing substantial had yet been done. All measures seemed to be inadequate; there was a need of brainstorming.

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