SELF-DETERMINATION MAIN THEME AT THIRD COMMITTEE MEETING, INTOLERANCE AND XENOPHOBIA ALSO CITED

Press Release
GA/SHC/3536

SELF-DETERMINATION MAIN THEME AT THIRD COMMITTEE MEETING, INTOLERANCE AND XENOPHOBIA ALSO CITED

The right to self-determination must not be misinterpreted as it could lead to separatism, the representative of the Russian Federation told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) this afternoon as it concluded its consideration of issues related to the elimination of racism, racial discrimination and the right of people’s to self-determination.

Separatism undermined the territorial integrity and political unity of sovereign States and it allied itself with terrorism which was considered a threat to peace and security, he continued. For those reasons, organizing a firm rebuff to those violations was imperative, he added.

The Observer Mission of Palestine said it was inconceivable to recognize Palestinians as a people, while refusing to recognize their right to self- determination. The peace process could not reach its logical and successful conclusion without such recognition, she added.

Even though the Security Council had determined that the Kashmiri people would decide their own future through a free plebiscite, India had refused to implement that resolution, the representative of Pakistan said. The peace, security and development of the region were intrinsically linked to a solution to that problem.

Stating that the right to self-determination was fundamental for the preservation of peace and security, the representative of Iraq said the right of super powers to intervene in the affairs of others was a new form of colonialism. He warned that a dangerous setback was being established through direct military interventions conducted under different pretexts.

Smallness should not be used as an impediment to the right of self- determination, the representative of Saint Lucia said. Nations in the Caribbean, as well as in the Pacific, still had the task of exercising that right.

Addressing issues related to racism and racial discrimination, the representative of the Czech Republic said that even though domestic legislation protected the Roma people, it did not free them from elements of intolerance so typical for many countries coping with a totalitarian past.

Third Committee - 1a - Press Release GA/SHC/3536 22nd Meeting (PM) 25 October 1999

The representative of Iran warned against the new manifestations against Muslims in the form of Islamophobia, which were a serious concern to the Arab world.

In addition, statements were made by the representatives of Indonesia, Brazil, Norway, Sudan, Jordan, Iran, Eritrea, Slovenia, Egypt, Angola, Papua New Guinea and Haiti.

The Committee also heard the introduction of a draft resolution on issues related to social development entitled “Implementation of the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons: towards a society for all in the twenty-first century”.

Statements in exercise of the right of reply were made by the representatives of Ethiopia, Eritrea, Latvia and the Russian Federation.

The Committee will meet again on Wednesday, 27 October at 10 a.m. to begin its consideration of issues related to the promotion and protection of the rights of children.

Committee Work Programme

The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) met this morning to conclude its general discussion of issues related to the elimination of racism and racial discrimination, as well as to the right of peoples to self- determination. (For background information, see Press Release GA/SHC/3533 of 21 October.)

In addition, the Committee had before it a draft resolution slated for introduction.

By terms of a 16-Power draft resolution on implementation of the World Programme of Action concerning disabled persons (document A/C.3/54/L.9/Rev.1), the Assembly would call for a range of actions to reinforce activities on behalf of the disabled and involve them in policy-making. It would urge relevant bodies and organizations of the United Nations system to share experiences, findings and recommendations with the United Nations programme on persons with disabilities.

The draft would also have the Assembly urge governments to cooperate with the United Nations Statistics Division in continuing to develop global statistics and indicators on disability, encouraging them to avail themselves of the Division's technical assistance in building national capacities for data collection. It would encourage governments to give special attention to children with disabilities and their families in developing policies and programmes. Government's non-governmental organizations and the private sector would be encouraged to continue their support to the United Nations Voluntary Fund on Disability.

The draft is sponsored by Bangladesh, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Thailand and The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Introduction of Draft

The representative of the Philippines introduced the draft resolution on implementing the programme of action on disabled people (document A/C.3/54/L.9/Rev.1). Additional co-sponsors to the draft were announced. They were: Belgium, China, Costa Rica, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Fiji, Finland, Germany, India, Greece, Jamaica, Malta, Portugal, Norway and Sweden.

Revisions to the text were distributed at the meeting; the first was made in operative paragraph 2, so as to read that by the resolution “the Assembly would welcome the initiatives of governments to enhance the rights of persons with disabilities…and also welcomes the contribution of the United Nations system and non-governmental organizations, as appropriate, in this regard”. Another revision was made to operative paragraph 4, so that line two would read: “… take concrete measures to promote the implementation of relevant United Nations resolutions and agreed international standards concerning persons with disabilities, in particular the Standard Rules of the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities…”.

Statements

BALI MONIAGA (Indonesia) said a great victory against institutionalized racism had been won with the demise of apartheid but that racism and ethnic hatred continued in all corners of the world, as manifested recently in Kosovo. The 2001 world conference against racism would be important in the sustained effort to fight racism. South Africa had been generous in its offer to host it. Appropriate action should be taken during the current Assembly session to ensure that lack of resources would not be an obstacle to a successful conference.

However, he continued, the conference should focus on the issues of racism and intolerance, including xenophobia, as a global problem demanding a global response. No country could claim to be free of prejudice and racism. It would be counterproductive to target specific countries. Indonesia had responded promptly to exceptional manifestations of intolerance. It was determined to prevent a recurrence of such tragic events by reviewing its legislation to ensure all citizens received equal treatment. As a moral and pluralistic society, it was committed to promoting respect for human rights that took into account the cultural, ethnic and religious composition of the nation.

MARIA LUIZA VIOTTI (Brazil) said the world conference on racism should be action-oriented and produce a set of concrete commitments and measures to counteract racial discrimination and intolerance wherever they occurred. The conference should not only preach, but send a clear message which could be understood by the public at large.

Her Government had taken several initiatives, such as reviewing school books, in order to eliminate stereotyping based on colour, ethnicity, gender and national origin. Also, a working group had been established at the Labour Ministry to foster equal job opportunity. According to her country’s legislation, racism was a crime, for which there was no bail or statute of limitations. Any kind of racial discrimination was punishable by law.

Crown Prince HAAKON (Norway) said racism and discrimination were an assault on human dignity. They did not only manifest themselves in the form of disrespect of the individual and social exclusion, but also in systematic ethnic cleansing. “Most countries have a dark chapter in their history in which the members of one particular social group have suffered social exclusion, discrimination and oppression”, he said. Racism and discrimination were global problems. However, measures to combat them needed to be taken both at the local and national levels. “The challenge therefore begins at home, human rights begin at home”, he said.

His Government had recently ratified the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on the Protection of National Minorities. In addition, it had taken steps towards new legislation against ethnic discrimination. However, racism and discrimination could not be eliminated by legislative measures alone. Education and the promotion of understanding and respect for foreign cultures, religions and customs would gradually wear down the barriers of intolerance. His Government had introduced a plan of action against racism and discrimination, which included measures to secure equal opportunities in housing and labour. Also, a plan of action to recruit more people of immigrant origin for the public sector had also been introduced..

ABDEL RAOUF AMIR (Sudan) said that in recent years, alarming new forms of racism had arisen with the appearance of refugees and migrants in many areas of the world. Violent forms of racism and xenophobia were apparent and were spread by extreme rightist and neo-Nazi organizations using new methods, including the Internet.

He said Islam had been targeted in particular. Intimidation of foreigners and of other people due to group or tribal hatred, or actions of ethnic cleansing and genocide, were manifestations of a most alarming nature. Those manifestations should be identified and contained by incorporating appropriate measures into basic areas of society, including into school systems. He welcomed South Africa’s offer to host the conference on racism and called for adequate resources to be allocated for it. Actions should be taken at the national, regional and international levels to eradicate intolerance. Ethnic, religious and cultural diversity could be the basis for accord, instead of discord.

SOMAIA BARGHOUTI, of the Observer Mission of Palestine, said the Palestinian people were still being denied their basic and fundamental right to self-determination. In the 1993 Declaration of Principles, the two sides had recognized their mutual, legitimate and political rights. A genuine commitment to such recognition by necessity required recognition of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. It was hoped that the recognition had not been undertaken by the Israeli side for a tactical reason only, as the current peace process was hoped to result in full recognition and would be manifested in the existence of the Palestinian state.

Real engagement in the peace process required the recognition by Israel of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, she said. It was inconceivable to recognize an adversary as a people, while refusing to recognize their right to self-determination. The peace process could not reach its normal, logical and successful conclusion without such recognition. Further, the establishment of the independent state of Palestine could not be subject to veto. While negotiating a final settlement, issues would be decided, including exact borders and the relationship between the two states on the basis of international law and international legitimacy. In May, the decision had been made to postpone a decision regarding a declaration of the Palestinian state, as a result of an international consensus on the need to conclude the peace process within a year. Based on that, it was expected that Palestine would participate as a full Member of the United Nations in the Millennium Summit of the General Assembly.

ALEXANDRE ZMEEVSKI (Russian Federation) said the international community had not managed to create an effective vaccine against racism. The symptoms of such a disease manifested itself in different ways. A more comprehensive and updated approach, with a global perspective, was necessary since such problems were found in every region of the world. The situation of Gypsies, who Albanians viewed as allies of the Serbs and who were currently the victims of torturous actions, was of great concern to his Government.

The Latvian authorities needed to change their attitude towards ethnic minorities, he continued. They needed to comply strictly to international laws. Estonian authorities needed to do the same. The right to self- determination must not be misinterpreted. Any actions that undermined the territorial integrity and political unity of sovereign States could not be tolerated. Otherwise, separatism could manifest itself. Currently, separatism was one of the main reasons for conflict worldwide. Also, separatism had allied itself with terrorism, which was considered a threat to peace and security. Organizing a firm rebuff to those violations was imperative.

SABER ANTON NABER (Jordan) said his Government had implemented policies to help the least fortunate in society. It was critical to respect different cultures in order to preserve pluralism. Furthermore, societies needed to preach tolerance and reject cultural stereotypes.

He welcomed the coming world conference on racism and said the international community needed to encourage the participation of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in the preparations for that conference. It was necessary that the conference arrive at effective recommendations.

MOSTAFA ALAEE (Iran) said education and the promotion of values associated with cultural diversity, including through the media, were important mechanisms for combating racism. The Internet should be used for spreading tolerance, not hatred. Resources should be made available for the world conference in 2001.

He said the new manifestations of xenophobia and intolerance against Muslims in the form of Islamophobia were a serious concern within the Arab world. The subject and the problems caused by Islamophobia belonged within the mandates of both the Rapporteur on racism and the Special Rapporteur on religious tolerance. Promoting genuine dialogue, mutual understanding, a culture of tolerance and enhanced cooperation and interaction at the international level would bring about a global, civil society in which racism and xenophobia were doomed to eradication.

AMARE TEKLE (Eritrea) said the constitutional framework, as well as political, economic and social policies, legalized and sanctified discrimination at the social, political and economic levels against national and ethnic groups in Ethiopia. The State had been denounced by its intellectuals as being ethno-apartheid, undermining national unity, regional peace and economic development while promoting the material interests of only one ethnic group. Politically, the State was divided into kilils, or administrative zones that had been compared to apartheid South Africa’s Bantustans. Those kilils had made it possible for the Tigray, whose territory had expanded at the expense of annexed territories from other ethnic groups, to maintain complete hegemony and supremacy in the country.

Outlining the economic, military and foreign policy implications of that system in Ethiopia, he said it had been documented that mercenaries from Eastern European countries had been hired privately to improve the military effectiveness of government forces in Ethiopia. The Organization of African Unity (OAU) had condemned the use of mercenaries as a bane on African society. There was overwhelming evidence to indicate that the ethnic minority regime in Ethiopia had systematically violated all the norms of international law, the United Nations Charter and the norms of civilized international behaviour with its infernal ethnic policies. The Committee should condemn that war against humanity as a crime both against national and ethnic groups and as a crime, by virtue of reintroducing mercenaries into Africa.

MOHAMMED AL-HUMAIMIDI (Iraq) hoped that the embargo on his country would be lifted in order to improve the existing humanitarian situation. The increase in racism towards migrant workers was of great concern to his Government. He welcomed the convening of the conference on racism in the year 2001.

The right to self-determination and that to development were fundamental for the preservation of peace and security, he said. A dangerous setback was being established through the direct military interventions, which were conducted under different pretexts. Those interventions deprived countries of the right to choose their regimes. The right of super-Powers to intervene in the affairs of others was a new form of colonialism. Continuing, he said intrusion in the northern part of his country was unacceptable. The United States had attacked his country in 1992, 1993 and 1996 and had caused great losses. Many lives had been lost and houses and property destroyed. The maintenance of an embargo was a violation of his country’s constitution. Respect for the right to self-determination was essential in order to guarantee human rights. It was important to keep in mind that his country had freely selected its regime. The international community needed to assume its responsibility against the aggression to which his country was being exposed.

EVA TOMIC (Slovenia) said intolerance, which always stemmed out of ignorance and fear, ran counter to the well-being of society. Respect for equality needed to be enhanced, especially in today’s world of increased asylum-seekers, immigrant workers and refugee flows.

Her Government was pleased with the European regional preparations for the world conference on racism. “We shall continue to participate actively within the European preparatory process since we believe that the regional framework can be extremely useful for the comparison of experiences as well as for the exchange of best practices”, she said. Furthermore, she hoped for launching of the Web site devoted to the conference with a view to mobilizing a global campaign.

INAM UL HAQUE (Pakistan) said the revival of the peace process in the Middle East had given rise to a new optimism. Many oppressed people continued to be denied their inalienable right to self-determination. The hapless people of Jammu and Kashmir had been a major victim of such a denial for over five decades. The Security Council had determined that those people would decide their own future through a free plebiscite. India had rescinded its commitment and, to this day, had refused to implement the relevant Security Council resolutions allowing the Kashmiri people to exercise their right to self-determination.

In the last decade alone, he said, the Indian military campaign had bludgeoned Kashmiris into submission and had caused the murder of more than 65,000 innocent Kashmiri men, women and children. The entire Jammu and Kashmir state had been converted into a war zone. The Indian occupation forces numbered around 700,000 and constituted the heaviest concentration of troops anywhere in the world. The Kashmiri people, however, had withstood the onslaught. They remained steadfast in their demand for a free and impartial plebiscite under United Nations auspices to decide their destiny. The unresolved issue of Jammu and Kashmir had been the root cause of tension and conflict in South Asia. The peace, security and development of the region were intrinsically linked to a peaceful, honourable resolution of the problem.

AMR NOUR (Egypt) said he was particularly concerned by reports that hatred against Arabs and Muslims was being instigated by organizations whose existence was based on racism and xenophobia. Governments needed to stand up and take measures against all such groups without distinction as to the nature of the groups, to avoid the appearance of being guilty of racism and discrimination themselves.

World history showed that it was necessary to curtail organizations that advocated racial hatred and discrimination, he said. The international community should be united against such activities.

ANTONIO LEAL CORDEIRO (Angola) said his country attached great importance to the issue of racism and racial discrimination, not only because for 500 years its people had suffered under colonial rule, but because such actions were inhumane and a serious threat to harmony. Also, international efforts were necessary in order to curb emerging neo-Fascist and neo-Nazi movements in some countries.

There was a lack of strong commitment from the international community concerning the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, as well as on the preparatory process for the world conference on racism, he said. The latter was clear because insufficient financial resources had been allocated for such programmes. His Government strongly condemned mercenary practices and rejected the accusation made by the report on the use of mercenaries which stated that Angolan citizens were involved as mercenaries in the conflict in the Republic of the Congo. The cooperation between his country and the Congo was based on bilateral accords which included military cooperation.

JULIAN R. HUNTE (Saint Lucia) said it was far better to govern oneself than to be governed by anyone else. The exercise of self-determination by nations in the Caribbean, as well as in the Pacific, was still a task that was incomplete. “The principles of absolute and complete political equality must continue to be the acceptable standards that apply to the self-determination process of those small island territories to ensure that the international community does not inadvertently legitimize the present inequitable political arrangements”, he emphasized. Nothing short of that goal and subsequent political equality could be acceptable to the international community simply because many of the territories were small in size. “Smallness should not be used as an impediment to the right of self-determination”, he added.

JACKSON YUASISE (Papua New Guinea) said the issue of the right to self- determination was a broad one. It was an undeniable, inalienable and basic human right that no one should oppose.

In addition to racism, xenophobia and other intolerances of that nature, he said, there was discrimination in the area of employment. That was based not only on gender inequality but also on the operations of transnational corporations in developing countries. Those corporations were very influential, both politically and economically. They often preferred to employ foreign workers, who worked for lower wages, rather than local people in the semi-skilled and low-skilled categories. That was done in the name of efficiency and with the aim of maximizing profit, with little regard for the human resource needs and transfer of technology requirements for the host countries. The United Nations needed to address that issue.

JIRI MALENOVSKY (Czech Republic) said the Special Rapporteur on racism had not been balanced in his report on the Roma minority in his country and others. There was full awareness that the situation of the Roma community was not satisfactory. The Government paid attention to recommendations and it had become a contracting party to the framework convention for the protection of the Roma people. Still, it had not been possible to free interpersonal relations from elements of intolerance so typical for many countries coping with a totalitarian past.

Criticism had fallen on his country for the erection of a two-metre high concrete fence or wall in a city mentioned by the Special Rapporteur, he said. Construction of the wall had seriously damaged the Czech Republic. The intention had been to resolve a dispute, and while constructing a wall was an unacceptable solution to a social controversy at any time, in this particular case it had not been the outcome of a dialogue and agreement between the parties involved, but rather, a manifestation of bureaucratic stubbornness at the local level. The issue was being addressed, but the Roma faced invisible walls and indifference from the majority population wherever they lived. In many cases, they were excluded from full participation in civil society and deprived of education. The problem of the Roma had international and all- European dimensions. It had to be targeted in close cooperation at all those levels.

NICOLE ROMULUS (Haiti) said her country had always been in the vanguard of any anti-racist movement. International instruments were part of the domestic laws in her country. There were various skin types and colours in her country and terms that were being utilized to refer to them. In spite of that, there was no real colour prejudice since the whole country was racially black. There were probably some racist manifestations in private. The real social question was between the poor –- whatever colour they were -- and the rich, whatever colour they were. However, those differences were better understood through the saying: “The rich black is mulatto, the poor mulatto is black.”

Statements in Exercise of Right of Reply

The representative of Ethiopia said the representative of Eritrea had brought questions of conflict to the Committee. He reminded the Committee that there was no Eritrean constitution and there were no political groups. Issues of good governance existed in every State and were “not to be discussed in this Committee”. Eritrea had attempted to tarnish his country’s image. Eritreans in his country were very well treated. However, Ethiopians living in Eritrean territory were being discriminated against. Aggressive government in Eritrea had made thousands of Ethiopians jobless and homeless. Also, many crimes were being committed against Ethiopians living in Eritrea. In addition, Ethiopians there were not receiving medical treatment because of their nationality. Such discriminatory practices were forcing Ethiopians to leave Eritrea. Furthermore, Ethiopians were being forced to pay exorbitant emigration fees.

The representative of Latvia said his country had submitted documentation to show that its human rights record was admirable in light of its complex ethnic mix. It had been recognized that the country was committed to human rights for all ethnic people.

The representative of Eritrea cited further data he said was evidence of Tigray domination of Ethiopia. For example, the Government was dominated by the Tigray and those who were of other ethnic groups were fired or arrested from government jobs. The press had also been attacked and cleared of all non-Tigray members.

The representative of the Russian Federation said he reserved the right to go into the problems faced by Russian-speaking minorities in other countries.

The representative of Ethiopia said his was a constitutionally free country. The issue was not one of governance, but one of aggression, and that had been committed by another country against Ethiopia. All Ethiopians stood together after a long civil war. Eritrea had committed unprovoked aggression against Ethiopia.

The representative of Eritrea said the issue was that of human rights with regard to aggression. Ethiopia had told Eritrea to leave its own territory and that failure to do so would result in aggression. Ethiopia had the height of “cheek” to speak of Eritrea’s aggression when it was well known that Ethiopia was a source of great instability in the region, particularly in Somalia.

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