SUBCOMMISSION ON PREVENTION OF DISCRIMINATION AND PROTECTION OF MINORITIES BEGINS FORT-NINTH SESSION
Press Release
HR/CN/811
SUBCOMMISSION ON PREVENTION OF DISCRIMINATION AND PROTECTION OF MINORITIES BEGINS FORT-NINTH SESSION
19970804 GENEVA, 4 August (UN Information Service) -- The Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities began its forty- ninth session this morning in Geneva, with its Chairman declaring that the Subcommission had to continue efforts to reform its methods of work and adjust its focus in response to a complex and changing world following the end of the cold war.In introductory remarks, Subcommission Chairman José Bengoa of Chile, said in the past the Subcommission had shown an ability to face new challenges and new issues in the human rights field. It must do so again, and it must look beyond the United Nations human rights system in its work.
In addition to Mr. Bengoa, the Subcommission elected as Vice-Chairmen Sang Yong Park, expert from the Republic of Korea; Halima Embarek Warzazi, expert from Morocco; and Ioan Maxim, expert from Romania. Marc Bossuyt, expert from Belgium, was appointed Rapporteur.
The meeting also was addressed by Ralph Zacklin, Officer-in-Charge of the High Commissioner/Centre for Human Rights, who said the Subcommission played an important and unique role as a "think-tank" for the United Nations human rights programme. He went on to review thorough-going reforms being carried out at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Asbjorn Eide of Norway, outgoing Chairman, told the meeting of actions of the Commission on Human Rights related to the Subcommission's activities, suggesting that at the current session, the Subcommission should develop a plan for its future study programme, as it was in the unique situation of having nearly all its current studies completed.
Statements
Mr. EIDE, outgoing Chairman and expert from Norway, reported on his interactions with the Commission on Human Rights at its annual meeting in the spring, saying that the Subcommission had acted on the Commission's requests in a number of areas, including thorough review of its methods of work. In addressing the Commission, he said, he had pointed out that the Subcommission
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had reviewed methods used in public discussion and examination of alleged violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms. It also had reduced significantly its agenda items -- from 23 to 13 -- in order to operate more efficiently. However, it had not acted on a request that it prepare a comprehensive report containing information on violations of human rights from all available sources; there had been divided opinions on the issue and no decision had been taken. It had acted on the Commission's request to bring to its attention particular situations which, it had reasonable cause to believe, revealed a consistent pattern of gross violations of human rights.
The Subcommission had also decided not to propose any new studies or reports except for those specifically recommended by other competent bodies Mr. Eide said. At the current session, the Subcommission should develop a plan for its future study programme, as it was in the unique situation of having nearly all its current studies completed.
Mr. ZACKLIN, Officer-in-Charge of the High Commissioner/Centre for Human Rights, paid tribute to the victims of the "senseless acts of terrorism" committed recently in Israel. Such acts had no justification and only debased those who committed them. The constant violence in Algeria was also appalling; all ideologies which encouraged hatred and violence and led to the denial of the most fundamental human right, the right to life, were to be condemned.
Mr. ZACKLIN said the United Nations was undergoing a profound process of reform in which human rights occupied a prominent place. The Secretary- General had already announced that under the new High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Office of the High Commissioner and the Centre for Human Rights would be consolidated into a single unit called the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights; the Deputy High Commissioner would assist and provide management support to the High Commissioner. That would finalize the process of establishing the new structure of that part of the Secretariat which was responsible for human rights, but it did not mean that reforms in the human rights area were completed. At the Subcommission itself Last year, there had been a successful effort aimed at rationalizing and streamlining the agenda. That exercise had resulted in, among other things, a 13-item draft provisional agenda in place of the 23-item agenda of previous years.
Mr. BENGOA, Chairman and expert from Chile, said he was honoured to assume the chairmanship, especially as the Subcommission had played a decisive role in the past in dealing with the human rights situation in Chile; there had been much suffering among the Chilean people and numerous human rights violations, and the actions of the Subcommission had helped greatly to ease that suffering. Now the situation had changed dramatically for the better, although the question of impunity for past violations remained to be resolved, which meant that "many wounds continued to bleed in silence". In a sense, Chile, in its efforts to continue its progress, represented many of the human rights issues common to the 1990s.
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The Subcommission had to continue its efforts to reform its methods of work and adjust its focus in response to a complex and changing world following the end of the cold war, Mr. Bengoa said. In the past, it had shown an ability to face new challenges and new issues in the human rights field; it must do so again and must look beyond the United Nations human rights system in its work; it also was obligated to ask itself if the standards set in the field of human rights continued to be adequate to deal with the situation on the ground. In addition, it was necessary to establish a style based on dialogue and cooperation and to recognize that no one held the magic wand of the truth.
Great progress had been made in recent years by the Subcommission's working groups on such topics as minorities and indigenous populations, the Chairman said. Renewed commitment and attention was needed to these subjects and to the efforts of these committees.
Mr. Bengoa also reviewed the status of the Subcommission's confidential procedure, the range of reforms undertaken in response to requests of the Commission on Human Rights, and the need for constant efforts to preserve the independence and impartiality of the Subcommission's Experts.
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