MINISTER TELLS HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION GOVERNMENT IS TAKING MEASURES TO IMPROVE SITUATION IN BURUNDI
Press Release
HR/CN/774
MINISTER TELLS HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION GOVERNMENT IS TAKING MEASURES TO IMPROVE SITUATION IN BURUNDI
19970331 (Reproduced as received; delayed in transmission.)GENEVA, 21 March (UN Information Service) -- The promotion of human rights was a matter of importance for the transitional institutions in Burundi, the country's Minister for Human Rights, Social Action and Promotion of Women told the Commission on Human Rights this morning.
The Minister, Christine Ruhanza, said the Government had taken measures to ensure the respect of internationally-recognized rights and that investigations into killings, massacres and genocide would be continued until the guilty were identified and brought to justice. She condemned a "campaign of disinformation" against Burundi by persons who "wanted to sabotage the Government's policy of reconciliation", and criticized the Commission's Special Rapporteur on the country for accusing the authorities of maintaining a "logic of war".
Ms. Ruhanza spoke as the Commission continued to discuss the realization of economic, social and cultural rights and the right to development. Participants in the debate pointed out that a decade since the adoption of the Declaration on the Right to Development, this right was not yet a reality for a large part of the world. Some speakers called for greater international cooperation to permit developing countries to realize this right, while others said individual countries also had to adopt measures and pursue policies that created conditions for the realization of economic, social and cultural rights, and not depend upon international conditions alone.
Also this morning the Commission heard from its Special Rapporteur on religious intolerance. Introducing his report, Abdelfattah Amor said that while there has been an increase in awareness of questions touching on freedom of religion and belief, instances of religious intolerance and violations of the freedom of belief were continuing.
Earlier in the morning, the Special Rapporteur on the adverse effect of illicit movement of toxic waste addressed the Commission to respond to comments on her report.
During the discussion on economic, social and cultural rights and the right to development, the following delegations took the floor: Bangladesh, El Salvador, Zimbabwe, Bhutan, South Africa, Nicaragua, Argentina, Malaysia, Angola and Indonesia. Norway was the only observer country to speak. The International Islamic Federation of Student Organizations, a non-governmental organization, also submitted a statement.
The Commission will reconvene today at 5 p.m. to take a discussion on religious intolerance and the rights of minorities and of migrant workers.
Statement by Minister for Human Rights of Burundi
CHRISTINE RUHAZA, Minister for Human Rights, Social Action and Promotion of Women of Burundi, said she would provide the Commission with further information "to make it better understand the situation" in Burundi. This would be an opportunity to show the outstanding efforts the Government had made to re-establish the rule of law.
The international community did not have a successful track record in helping Burundi, she said. The main reason for the fundamental political changes in 1996 in Burundi was to stop the chaos and destruction ravaging the country. The 1996 takeover was not an ordinary coup d'état: it was aimed at re-establishing the balance that the previous regime had failed to achieve. The new Government had proposed dialogue with the armed factions. Furthermore, the promotion of human rights occupied an important place in the agendas of the transitional institutions. Investigations into the killings, massacres and genocide were continuing so that the guilty would be identified and brought to justice. Some had already been found, tried and punished. There was also welcome progress in the police force, with fewer and fewer unfortunate incidents reported.
Ms. RUHANZA said the United Nations human rights mission sent to Burundi had been strengthened and was active in several areas in the country. Another government achievement was that political assassinations in cities had stopped; security in general had improved, although there were still occasional incidents caused by hard-line groups. Recent visits by senior international officials was evidence of the return of peace.
Ms. RUHANZA said there was a campaign of disinformation against Burundi by persons who wanted to sabotage the policy of reconciliation. They had launched that campaign after their plans for Burundi had been compromised by the return of security there. According to the campaign, the Government maintained a climate of insecurity through massacres perpetrated by the army against Hutus. Those detractors compared government "round-ups" to concentration camps. The policy of gathering up the population was meant to protect them from armed gangs.
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Ms. RUHANZA criticized the Commission's Special Rapporteur on the situation in Burundi for saying in his report that the authorities were maintaining a logic of war. She said "this error was a deliberate policy in producing a biased report". The President of Burundi had said he was fully determined to begin a frank dialogue with all armed factions, and invited the country's neighbours to trust Burundi and refrain from influencing the dialogue among Burundians. Economic sanctions against Burundi were totally unjustified -- they had led to an increase in child mortality and dangerously affected life expectancy. The blockade was not helping the peace process; rather, it was the main obstacle to establishing peace. Burundi thanked the Organization of African Unity for calling in their recent meeting in Tripoli, Libya, for a review on the sanctions on Burundi. Burundi called for sanctions to be lifted immediately
Statement by Special Rapporteur on Effects of Movement of Toxic Waste
FATMA KSENTINI, Special Rapporteur on the adverse effect of illicit movement of toxic waste, thanked the Commission and said she had been listening to comments and suggestions made on procedural and substantive aspects of her report (document E/CN.4/1997/19). She had already explained issue of the time limit afforded to countries for comment. As she had noted, she would draw no conclusions from allegations made in the report until responses were received.
Ms. KSENTINI said the logic behind the presentation of allegations in her report had apparently not been understood by some. The report first listed the country from where the waste originated, then the victim countries. She had sent communications to both groups of States -- it was always useful to reflect the point of view of the victims, but this was not always done by the United Nations machinery. As for the extent of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur, it did not exclude non-transboundary actions. And there was no justification for ignoring acts that had occurred before the establishment of the mandate in 1995.
Statement by Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance
ABDELFATTAH AMOR, Special Rapporteur on religious intolerance, making an oral presentation of his report on the Implementation on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination based on Religion or Belief (E/CN.4/1997/91) said he had examined incidents and situations, as well as legislation, regulations and decisions that did not conform or respect the 1981 Declaration. In the course of 1996, 53 communications containing 47 allegations and 6 urgent appeals had been addressed to 49 States. These communications highlighted numerous cases of violation of the rights of freedom of religion and belief; the right to dispose of religious goods; the right to life and physical integrity, and the right to health. He drew
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particular attention to the urgent appeals regarding such abuses which had been addressed to China, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Iran.
Mr. AMOR said that although he had concluded in the report that there was increased interest in and awareness of the freedom of religion and belief, instances of religious intolerance and violations of the freedom of belief were the visible tip of the iceberg. Religious extremism on the part of any group warranted particular attention; crimes committed under the cover of religion, especially those attributed to certain groups and sects, were used as pretexts for religious intolerance. Existing measures to identify and monitor cases of religious discrimination and intolerance did not adequately reflect the reality of these situations; such incidents tended to be managed rather than prevented.
The Special Rapporteur thanked the Governments of China, Pakistan, Iran, Greece, Sudan, India and Australia for their cooperation and said that Vietnam and Turkey had yet to respond to requests for visits to be made to investigate possible abuses.
Statements in Debate
MIJARUL QUAYES (Bangladesh) said the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted at the World Conference on Human Rights in 1993, stated that: "democracy, development and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms are mutually reinforcing". At the threshold of a new millennium, the challenge of implementing human rights was the obligation of protecting, promoting and fulfilling the full spectrum of human rights. In discovering the human rights dimension of development priorities, the international community had been able to establish the relevance of new parameters -- for sustainable development on the one hand and the right to development on the other. The right to development rested on a dove-tailed foundation of political and civil rights as much as economic, social and cultural rights. The obligation of the State was to ensure that the civil and political rights of individuals or groups were not violated. There was no corresponding sub-systemic context for economic, social and cultural rights, notwithstanding the fact that this set of rights was no less universal fundamental and inalienable. The cross-currents of transnational economic, financial and commercial forces, as well as elements of international politics that impacted on economic, social and cultural rights, created the context for such rights. Freedom, democracy, development and the market needed to co-exist.
ALEXANDER KRAVETZ (El Salvador) said the creation of an intergovernmental group of experts on the right to development was a step forward to establish that right. The full exercise of the right to development required the cooperation of all actors at the national and international levels. In El Salvador, the Government had since 1994 made the
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implementation of economic reforms to achieve high growth and spur economic activity its prime target. The Government wanted to make this increased economic growth sustainable and fair, putting into effect social policies aimed at contributing to the development of the person and her well-being. There was also an awareness that the education system had a crucial role to play in social equity and economic growth and hence it was undergoing deep reform. The Government was implementing a programme to modernize the state and establish a competitive market in the country. Investment in human beings was the mainstay of human development, which was in turn the way to pull people out of poverty.
T. J. B. JOKONYA (Zimbabwe) said that despite collective decisions by the world community, convergence on a common perception in the pursuit of human rights remained elusive. But some convergence of views was emerging from the Commission to the effect that the ever growing disparities caused by a lack of development was unleashing dangerous tensions that were incompatible with the concept of human rights. Developing countries did not accept that poverty was an aberration which merely required adjustment in international economic relations. Rich nations deliberately manipulated these international economic relations to their advantage. New and powerful economic, financial and commercial forces at the international level were imposing their will and interests in a manner that was hampering the development of society as a whole. There needed to be a renewal of efforts, both at the national and international levels, to ensure that all countries, especially the least developed, were assisted in capacity-building for economic uplifting. Putting as much emphasis on economic empowerment as on civil and political rights would restore the appropriate balance between concern for economic efficiency and the need for social justice and equity. Economic structural adjustment programmes should not merely address questions like public debt and privatization of public enterprises, but also focus on providing basic rights like health, education and employment.
KINGA SINGYE (Bhutan) said it was regrettable that more than a fifth of the world's population should find itself in a state of deprivation and life-threatening poverty. What was more disturbing was that this proportion could grow. Progress in the actual realization of economic, social and cultural rights had been far from satisfactory. Despite overall global economic growth, it would seem that the benefits were being reaped by a minority of countries at the cost of the further deterioration of the majority of nations. International cooperation was needed in realizing the right to development while ensuring an appropriate balance between concerns for economic efficiency and the needs for social justice and equity. Efforts to resolve the debt burden had to be comprehensive, and structural adjustment programmes should be reviewed in terms of their effects on development. Inequities and imbalances in international economic relations and structures had to be examined and appropriate measures to deal with them sought and
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defined. The realization of economic, social and cultural rights and the right to development were of the highest importance and of immediate concern to Bhutan.
JACOB SELEBI (South Africa) said the right to development transcended civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. It was an integral part of democracy and the rule of law. The international community had not found an adequate response to the crises and threats facing humanity, whether these were conflict and violence, or the gaps that existed in the world market between rich and poor countries. South Africa, which had initiated a number of internal development initiatives, supported the integrated and balanced development of the Southern African region. However, the debt burden and other obstacles to development that many of neighbouring countries experienced was a source of concern. Development was a common goal for both the international community and every society.
DANILO ROSALES DIAZ (Nicaragua) said it was crucial to reflect on how to make economic, social and cultural rights effective. The link between economic growth and human development might seem new, but in fact it was old. Industrialists and economists believed that increasing wealth would eliminate poverty. But from the start, any resulting benefits were concentrated in the hands of an elite minority in a few rich countries. Labour had become valuable only to the extent that it produced utilities and humans were just a way to increase productivity. Was economic growth an end in itself or was achieving human development the aim? In developing countries, growth was a way to reduce poverty, but it was difficult to say what kind of growth or at what price. The world had paid an exorbitant price as it moved away from the target of sustainable human development and now, the links between economic growth and social development needed to be strengthened. There should be a more fair distribution of the gross national product, among the things States could do. It was essential to channel a substantial part of the social income to basic social programmes like education and health. Offering women improved opportunities would also make an effective contribution to social development since investment in women was the safest way to economic growth.
HERNAN PLORUTTI (Argentina) said the right to development was a political process which sought the well-being of all, an integral component of all fundamental rights that could be achieved when all rights were enjoyed. But the uneven level of development between different countries and the increase of poverty around the world were matters of concern. Argentina had made considerable investments to ensure a fairer distribution of wealth among the people and between regions, as there could be no human rights without economic growth and social justice. He thanked the intergovernmental working group on the right to development for the work it had accomplished; the measures it had proposed were balanced and provided opportunities to move
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forward to the adoption of a strategy to implement the right to development at its next meeting in 1998.
DATO' HISHAMMUDIN (Malaysia) said some of the comments made in the Special Rapporteur's report on toxic wastes had not been verified nor received Government responses. Governments should be given ample opportunities and time to respond. His country had always maintained that the right to development must be promoted in tandem with the development of civil and political rights. The lack of progress made more than a decade after the adoption of the Declaration of the Right to Development was a matter of concern; he hoped that the unit within the Centre of Human Right dealing with this issue would be given sufficient resources and support to ensure the widespread dissemination, promotion and programmatic follow up of this right. The creation of the intergovernmental group of experts on the right to development was welcome; the panel should encourage the full participation of governmental representatives and NGOs in its proceedings and not replicate the work of previous working groups. If the right to development was to become a truly inalienable and fundamental human right, there could not be conditionalities, made under the guise of human rights and democracy, on international trade and economic cooperation.
ADRIANO PARREIRA (Angola) said his country attached great importance to the respect of human rights and adhered to numerous international human rights instruments. On an national level, Angola had expended great efforts to ensure that peace and national reconciliation became a reality for all the Angolan people. The Summit of African Leaders held in Yaoundé in June 1996 had decided, on the basis of Angola's proposal, to hold a conference to examine the human rights situation in Africa to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1998. He called on all States, the Commission and the Centre of Human Rights to provide political, moral and material support to ensure that the Conference was successful.
AGUS TARMIDZI (Indonesia) said the international community agreed that the right to development was a "human right", and thus it was bound to undertake the promotion and protection of the right to development in a fair and equitable manner. However, progress in the implementation of this right had been slow. More attention should be paid to the plight of the more than 1,3 billion people currently living below the poverty line. Any measure taken to combat poverty should be guided by the words contained in article 4 (2) of the Declaration on the Right to Development: "Sustained action is required to promote more rapid growth in developing countries. As a complement to the efforts of the developing countries, effective international cooperation is essential in providing these countries with appropriate means and facilities to foster their comprehensive development".
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PETTER F. WILLE (Norway) said Norway considered all human rights and fundamental freedoms to be indivisible and interrelated. There was no doubt that economic, social and cultural rights were part and parcel of international human rights law, alongside civil and political rights. There was interaction between the two sets of rights, an example being the right to work and the right to form trade unions, among others. The right to organize free trade unions and employers' organizations and the right to collective bargaining remained essential for a healthy and strong society. Freedom of association and peaceful assembly were essential human rights. Norway also believed that everyone had the right to adequate food, and it actively supported development assistance programmes to promote and protect human rights. Norway was also trying to assist in the building of democratic institutions and the rule of law. But individual countries also had to adopt measures and pursue policies that created conditions for the realization of economic, social and cultural rights, and not depend upon international conditions alone. Lack of development could not be accepted as an excuse from States for not pursuing obligations to implement these rights.
GHULAM MOHAMMAD SAFI, of the International Islamic Federation of Students Organizations, said many developing countries had not been able to ensure the right to enjoy an adequate standard of living because solutions had not yet been found to the complex problems of foreign debt, structural adjustment policies and their adverse impact on the full enjoyment of human rights and the right to development. Also, United Nation's legislation did not adequately address the economic, social and cultural rights of peoples under foreign occupation. And human rights instruments concerned themselves primarily with the political aspects of rights of people under foreign occupation, while largely ignoring the economic and social dimension of the problem. For example, the economic, social land cultural rights of the people of Indian-occupied Kashmir had been violated for the past 50 years. The 8 million people of Kashmir had the right to development, and this could not be neglected.
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