ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT SAYS UNIVERSAL CULTURE OF HUMAN RIGHTS, DESPITE CONTINUING VIOLATIONS, IS AMONG MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS OF CENTURY

Press Release
GA/SM/138
HR/4447

ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT SAYS UNIVERSAL CULTURE OF HUMAN RIGHTS, DESPITE CONTINUING VIOLATIONS, IS AMONG MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS OF CENTURY

Rights Day Message Lauds Near-Total Acceptance of Basic Principles, Urges Renewed Efforts to Secure Universal Application

This is the text of a message by the President of the General Assembly, Theo- Ben Gurirab (Namibia), on the occasion of Human Rights Day, 10 December 1999:

This Human Rights Day comes at the end of the century and the end of the millennium. It is therefore a particular honour and privilege for me to address this message to the nations and citizens of the world. My main message is that, during the century that is coming to a close, we have together fought a great fight for human dignity, equality and rights. We have made remarkable progress in spreading a universal culture of human rights across the globe. I applaud the human rights movements, at the grassroots, and at national and international levels for their role in this noble effort.

I recall with particular pride that our century launched the first world organization committed to freedom, peace, justice, economic and social progress, respect for the rules of international law, settlement of disputes among states by peaceful means, respect for the ideals of self-determination and of the equal rights of men and women. These are the sacred objectives enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and defended by international law.

The twentieth century ends with the near-universal vindication of the principle of self-determination, achievement of decolonization, codification and adoption of the rules of international law and of human rights conventions that are applicable to all human beings everywhere. Our century ends with the world ’s total commitment to the rule of law, principles of equality, economic and people’s rights, children’s rights, women’s rights, rights of the physically challenged and rights attached to environmental protection.

Our century ends with the principle firmly entrenched that the way a state treats its citizens is a matter of legitimate international concern. This century ends with a variety of initiatives and mechanisms in place to help combat, investigate and condemn gross

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violations of human rights and, following the establishment of the International Criminal Court, to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The last century of this millennium has made it abundantly clear that impunity for gross violations of human rights will not be tolerated. There is today a worldwide campaign to defend at all costs human rights and dignity of the human person throughout the world.

The pursuit of human rights has for a long time now become a centrepiece of United Nations activities. The United Nations sees economic, social and cultural rights in an interdependent and indivisible relationship with civil and political rights. The right to development, the right to peace, the right to clean drinking water and the right to safe environment have all been proclaimed as basic human rights without which full and unfettered enjoyment of fundamental freedoms would be limited.

As we close the twentieth century, the necessary institutions and the norms have been established. Our task, in the coming century, must be to work harder for their universal acceptance and compliance by all States.

Sadly, gross violations of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights are still far too prevalent in the world. Let us join hands in a global demonstration of our rededication and solidarity to root out these violations of human rights, once and for all. Let us combat racial, gender and generational discrimination with all the means at our disposal. We must also ensure that every society give priority to advancing respect for the Rights of the Child. By building upon such a strong foundation, we can secure the future for the generations to come.

Let there be no mistake about it: Respect for human rights is the key to international and national security; the content of peace and development is defined by respect for human rights. United Nations peacemaking, peacekeeping and peace- building must be based on the foundations of respect for human rights, ideals of participatory democracy and human security.

On this Human Rights Day, I congratulate the States and Peoples of the United Nations on a remarkable record of achievements in the promotion and defence of human rights. Let us make the next century one of tangible and universal realization of human rights. Let a culture of human rights take roots, spread and flourish all over the globe.

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