FOREIGN MINISTER OF CUBA ADDRESSES COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
Press Release
HR/CN/825
FOREIGN MINISTER OF CUBA ADDRESSES COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
19980324 Debate Begins on Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance(Reissued as received.)
GENEVA, 20 March (UN Information Service) -- Cuba's Minister for Foreign Affairs told the Commission on Human Rights this afternoon that the most dangerous fundamentalism today stemmed from the attempts of the countries of the North to impose their own pattern of political, economic, and social development on the countries of the South.
According to Roberto Robaina Gonzalez, the countries of the North felt no qualms about resorting to claims, pressures, dirty machinations and blackmail in international forums. He said Cuba felt compelled to denounce, once again, the Government of the United States for its illegal economic, financial and commercial blockade of his country. Nevertheless, despite these harsh conditions, Cuba had undertaken a process of social change and had advanced its quality of life, he added.
Mr. Robaina's statement came as the Commission began its general debate on the question of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. Statements on this subject were made by representatives of Brazil, China, United Kingdom, Malta and Egypt, as well as by a member of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The following non-governmental organizations (NGOs) also spoke on the situation in Colombia, an issue considered during the examination of the organization of the work of the Commission: France-Libertés and Franciscans International.
Indonesia, Myanmar and Portugal exercised the right of reply.
Statement by Cuban Foreign Minister
ROBERTO ROBAINA GONZALEZ, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Cuba, said the most dangerous fundamentalism today stemmed from the attempts of the countries of the North to impose their own pattern of political, economic and social development on the countries of the South. They felt no qualms about
resorting to claims, pressures, dirty machinations and blackmail in international forums. But a certain approach to democracy or human rights was not and should not be a straightjacket used to remake the whole world in anyone's image, or to punish those who acted otherwise.
Double standards were second-hand news these days, and they had brought about a crisis of credibility for the United Nations, Mr. Robaina said. Impunity was guaranteed to the countries of the North and to the few "elected" in the South to receive as scraps the geopolitical indulgence of the "gods" of the North. The endeavours of many other countries to improve human rights in their own way had crashed against the political will of a handful of developed countries. The time was right to put a halt to this spiral of insanities jeopardizing the very existence of the human being.
The end of the cold war, for Cuba, had been colder than ever, he continued. But the South existed, too, and had the right to rational, sustainable development, to a safe environment, to its own histories and cultural identities; to respect for the rights of its people. What would happen if, with all due right, the people of the South attempted to certify the most blameworthy for the trafficking of drugs, the buyers and the consumers? If they threatened to attack those who posed a real threat to the security of the planet with their mammoth military and nuclear power?
He said Cuba felt compelled to denounce, once again, the Government of the United States for its illegal economic, financial and commercial blockade of Cuba, which had lasted four decades, had cost Cuba around $60 billion and had claimed many countless human victims. Nevertheless, despite these harsh conditions, Cuba had undertaken a process of social change and had advanced its quality of life. Cuba was proud of its democracy, and an increasing number of voices within the United States itself were advocating a change to a less preposterous policy against Cuba. In Cuban society, the state budget for 1998 allocated nearly 70 per cent of expenditure to public health, education, social security and welfare. To accomplish all this, Cuba had fought for almost 100 years to win its true independence; to preserve all this, it had fought and resisted for the last 38 years. For all of this, Cuba would continue to fight, resist and win, for as long as it took.
Statements in Debate
HECTOR TORRES, of France-Libertés, said joint operations carried out by Colombian Government troops and paramilitary groups indicated that there was a common counter-insurrection strategy despite official declarations to the contrary; that showed the lack of a firm will by the Government to dismantle the paramilitary groups. The actions of the paramilitary groups, the armed forces and guerillas had forced 200,000 people to be displaced in 1997 alone, thereby bringing the total number of the displaced to over 1 million.
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Moreover, many political activists had had to leave the country because of threats from paramilitary groups.
OMAR FERNANDEZ, of Franciscans International, said the human rights situation in Colombia was increasingly sensitive. Colombia had the most Governmental machinery to defend human rights, yet it continued to witness violations that included hundreds of extrajudicial deaths and enforced disappearances. Impunity still ran at 90 per cent and there was an increase of paramilitary activity around the country. The historic economic and social inequalities in Colombia were at the root of violations today. The Government had not implemented United Nations recommendations or brought to trial members of paramilitary groups. The Government had also failed to enact a law which would make enforced disappearances a crime. The organization suggested that the Commission appoint a special rapporteur for Colombia to look into the situation there.
CARLOS ALBERTO SIMAS (Brazil) said the situation of racism and racial discrimination around the world did not allow for optimism; it was regrettable that at the turn of the century the international community was confronted with the resurgence of false doctrines of racial superiority as well as the spreading of xenophobic tendencies. Brazil continued to believe that the diversity that prevailed among groups and peoples should be praised as a source of pluralism and innovation. The work of the Special Rapporteur on racism was fully supported by the Brazilian Government, and it agreed with his proposal to hold a world conference not later than 2001, and agreed that the Programme of Action of the Third Decade to Combat Racism should receive heightened support. The Brazilian Government had been working to fully implement its commitments and the Special Rapporteur's report reflected the fact that Brazilian society was fully aware of the ethnic diversity and cultural influences that characterized the nation, and were a source of pride to it.
LIU XINSHENG (China) said after the inception of the United Nations 50 years ago, what confronted the international community was the horrendous trauma left over from the war of aggression launched by the fascists. At that time, many developing countries were still in the shackles of colonialism. However, a half century of unremitting efforts by people all over the world had brought about a great and historic victory against racism and racial discrimination. But despite the efforts made by the international community, the struggle against racism was far from over. Racial discrimination, xenophobia, neo-Nazism and various forms of intolerance kept cropping up in some parts of the world. It was under this situation that the General Assembly had adopted a resolution last December calling for a world conference against racism and racial discrimination no later than the year 2001. The Chinese delegation wished that conference success and stood ready to work with other delegations for the smooth progress of the preparatory process.
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AUDREY GLOVER (United Kingdom), speaking on behalf of the European Union and Central and Eastern European countries associated with the Union, said the Union was committed to the struggle against racism, xenophobia and intolerance. Acceptance of diversity was fundamental to respect for others and to the wider respect for human rights in all societies. Governments must join together in the struggle against racism if ethnic and racist violence was to be avoided. At the Commission last year, there had been widespread support for a United Nations world conference on racism to be convened at the beginning of the next decade. The European Union believed that every effort should be made to make that conference as effective and action-oriented as possible. The Council of Europe planned to hold its preparatory European conference on racism in 1999 or the year 2000.
The European Union condemned all forms of racism and pledged itself to combat racial discrimination, she said. The Union was acutely aware that such intolerance existed in its own countries, and that it was marked by the scourge of racism. The European Union was determined to eradicate this scourge in its own countries through national policies and through action at Community level. The European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia was established in June 1997 and began its work in Vienna. It would help the Community and its Member States to take account of the effects of racism and xenophobia in the development of policy and practise. Governments had the obligation to ensure that racism was addressed by its societies as a crime, and to secure an environment where the dignity and worth of every human person was respected without discrimination.
IVAN GARVALOV, member of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, said the panel had just concluded a three-week session at which it had examined periodic and initial reports of some 12 States parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination. The Committee had spared no effort in tackling the problems of racial discrimination. The members of the Committee were positive that they were in a position to make a concrete contribution collectively and as individual members to the process of preparations for the world conference against racism and to the work of the Commission in this field. The Committee had been involved in serious efforts to assess the level of its effectiveness and to increase it; in that way it could suggest how to enhance the activities of the United Nations in the fields of combatting racism and racial discrimination. There was no doubt the cooperation of all bodies dealing with racial discrimination within the United Nations was a prerequisite not only for making the world conference a success, but for consistently combatting racism and racial discrimination.
EDOUARD DECAZES, of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, said the Order felt particular concern about the grave violations of human rights related to intolerance based on religion or belief. Everyone had the right to
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freedom of thought and expression. The Order contributed to the universal and peaceful application of these rights. The spiritual and humanitarian calling of the Order enabled it to help the weakest persons and to denounce violations against them. The Knights of Malta also believed that some scientific and political trends which encouraged euthanasia were abhorrent and must be condemned. The Order supported recent initiatives to ban anti-personnel landmines, and it welcomed the imminent establishment of an international criminal court. The spiritual inspiration which guided the Order was behind its support of peace and solidarity worldwide.
AMIR HAFEZ (Egypt) said the Commission and the international community had sent a very strong message last year that they were united in the fight against racism by calling for a world conference against racism by the year 2001; it was a concern that after three decades of United Nations efforts, racism continued to give rise to many regional conflicts. Parties to the International Convention must act to sanction members who passed legislation and carried out practices that were racist in intent. Israel, a party, carried out such illegal practices against Palestinians, among other things, through allowing torture. Abuse of migrant workers continued around the world, as many in host countries inaccurately blamed them as a cause of unemployment. One of the best ways of combatting racism was through education, and such efforts must be intensified. Further efforts also were needed to combat discrimination against Muslims; also, the Special Rapporteur's report of last year, which contained an inaccurate and insulting reference to Islam, sill had not been altered, although last year a decision of the Commission had called for it.
Right of Reply
SAODAH SYAHRUDDIN (Indonesia) said the delegation wished to respond to the right of reply of the Ambassador of Portugal yesterday. Indonesia was once again left with no alternative but to set the record straight. The United Nations Security Council had considered the situation of East Timor twice, leaving it in the hands of the General Assembly, which demonstrated it was a matter of secondary importance. It did not reject the claim that East Timor had been integrated into Indonesia, nor did it demand that Indonesia withdraw. In 1982, seven years after the United Nations began to consider the issue, a watered down resolution was adopted with a slim majority. This demonstrated the growing international recognition of the correctness and legitimacy of the decision of the people of East Timor when they exercised their right to self-determination and independence by choosing to integrate with Indonesia.
U AYE (Myanmar) said the Foreign Minister of Finland had requested information on one Leo Nichols, who some six years ago had acted as honorary consul for Finland and some other countries. The individual in question,
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James Leander Nichols, was a citizen of Myanmar; his status of honorary consul had been terminated following his trial and conviction in 1992 for contravention of the Foreign Currency Exchange Act. Hence, to state that Mr. Nichols was still an honorary consul was inaccurate and misleading. Furthermore, in 1996 he had been tried and convicted for violating the Wireless Telegraph Act. It was well-known that Mr. Nichols had had a history of health problems. Accordingly, he had been given proper medical treatment while serving his new sentence. He suffered a stroke, and died despite intensive medical care. He was buried according to his religion in the presence of family and friends. Myanmar trusted the matter was now closed and that it would not be subject to further misleading allegations.
SUSAN DIOGO (Portugal) said the Indonesian delegation did not contest that the Security Council and the General Assembly considered that the people of East Timor had not exercised their right to self-determination. In addition, the respect shown for the International Court of Justice explicitly recognized that situation. That indication might be a sign that the Indonesian Government was ready to accept the jurisdiction of the Court in the matter, which had not been the case until now.
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