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COMMISSION HEARS FROM DIGNITARIES FROM MOZAMBIQUE, URUGUAY, UKRAINE, SRI LANKA, KAZAKHSTAN, MOROCCO AND ARGENTINA
15 March 2005
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Commission on Human Rights
MIDDAY
15 March 2005
The Commission on Human Rights held a midday meeting today during which it heard addresses from dignitaries from Mozambique, Uruguay, Ukraine, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, Morocco and Argentina.
Alcinda Antonio de Abreu, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Mozambique, said the promotion and protection of human rights in Mozambique was one of the main features outlined in the Government's programme. The international community was called upon to back these efforts with a view to ensuring the translation into deeds of these priorities which conformed with the basic requirements for the full enjoyment, promotion and protection of human rights in the country. The main areas of action were essentially based on the Millennium Development Goal.
Belela Herrera, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Uruguay, said the new Government of Uruguay intended to strengthen the protection of human rights at the national and international levels as one of its first priorities. The Government also intended to undertake a regional dialogue aimed at making real progress on human rights for all. All of the Commission’s thematic initiatives that contributed to real progress on human rights would be supported, and reform proposals contributing to such progress would also be supported.
Borys Tarasyuk, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, said after the Orange Revolution, the promotion and protection of human rights and basic freedoms had become the top priority for the Ukrainian Government both in its internal policies and external strategies. Neither national security nor economic prosperity could be achieved without the promotion of justice, the rule of law and human rights. The new democratic Ukraine as an integral part of the European Community of democracies could not leave unnoticed human rights violations in any particular country.
Lakshman Kadirgamar, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, said the policy of Sri Lanka was based on a national ethos derived from age-old traditions as well as its commitment to democracy and freedom. Sri Lanka had assiduously followed a tradition of close and constructive cooperation with the Commission in a spirit of openness. A positive result of the close interaction between the Commission and the Government was an indication of the clear recognition of human rights values, norms and standards by the judicial and legislative systems in the country.
Kassymzhomart Tokayev, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, said Kazakhstan had made positive developments in the protection of human rights and freedoms, which had become an irreversible part of political and social life. The country now had the necessary legal, political and institutional grounds to further strengthen democracy.
Mohamed Bouzoubaa, Minister of Justice of Morocco, said since the accession to the throne in 1999 of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, he had launched a democratic and modern societal project which notably focused on the entrenchment of a human rights culture, the valorization of the role of women and of the family unit and strengthening social solidarity. His Majesty had, to that end, initiated a significant reform process dedicated to improving the administrative and legal systems, both essential pillars to uphold the edification of a state of law.
Horacio Daniel Rosatti, Minister of Justice and Human Rights of Argentina, said human rights policies occupied a central place in the agenda of the Argentinean Government. There was no freedom, democracy or security without respect for human rights in the world. Some situations remained of concern at the highest political level in Argentina, for example concerning reports of torture and maltreatment of those detained in police stations and prisons. A fight was underway against impunity and for truth, justice and remedies.
As soon as the midday meeting concluded at 3 p.m., the Commission immediately started an afternoon meeting during which it will continue with its high-level segment and is expected to hear from the Minister and Special Secretary for Human Rights of Brazil, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nepal, the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Latvia, the Minister of Justice of South Africa, the Deputy prime Minister of Croatia, the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Italy and the Minister for the Promotion of Human Rights of Burkina Faso.
Statements
ALCINDA ANTONIO DE ABREU, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Mozambique, said commitment to the global agenda on human rights should be guided by the ethics which governed the code of conduct among sovereign States. The culture of peace and democracy was cherished as the sine qua non basic condition for the full enjoyment of human rights. Amid myriad serious development challenges denying the people of Mozambique their full enjoyment of their human rights, a set of priorities had been outlined which the Government had to address with immediate effect in the on-going five-year development programme. These priorities were essentially aimed at improving, first hand, the basic human conditions of the people. The Government was profoundly convinced that in the next five years it could strive to provide the minimum basic conditions for a decent life to its people if it succeeded in tackling various priorities.
The promotion and protection of human rights in Mozambique was one of the main features outlined in the Government's programme. The international community was called upon to back these efforts with a view to ensuring the translation into deeds of these priorities which conformed with the basic requirements for the full enjoyment, promotion and protection of human rights in the country. The broad main areas of action were essentially based on the Millennium Development Goals, and all were aware that the implementation of this programme was largely dependent upon the participation of the entire family of nations which had set up these Goals and were committed to working together for the materialisation of these Goals.
The task ahead was monumental, but Mozambique was determined and committed to continuing to work with the Office of the High Commissioner, not only in Mozambique but also in a global framework.
BELELA HERRERA, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Uruguay, said the new Government of Uruguay had, while still in the opposition, striven for the fullest enjoyment of human rights for all Uruguayans. Thus, the Government intended to strengthen the protection of human rights at the national and international levels as one of its first priorities. The Government also intended to undertake a regional dialogue aimed at making real progress on human rights for all. All of the Commission’s thematic initiatives that contributed to real progress on human rights would be supported, and reform proposals contributing to such progress would also be supported.
While new forms of human rights violations did indeed emerge, Ms. Herrera said, the majority of violations had roots deep in the past, and it was the responsibility of governments to redress them. Uruguayans in particular had to redress the legacy left by the Governments of the 1970s to ensure that their flagrant human rights violations were never repeated. The country thus reiterated total support for the Working Group drafting an international instrument to protect against enforced disappearances, and also intended to incorporate human rights training into all branches of the State so as to prevent torture and other abuses. To redress the history of racist and sexist discrimination, the Government intended to open a frank dialogue with all strata of society to seek remedies to violations that had occurred in the past. It was also understood that preventing their recurrence would require educational campaigns aimed at the establishment of an egalitarian society.
Ms. Herrera expressed appreciation for the special mechanisms of the Commission that had visited Uruguay. The new Government intended to establish an independent human rights mechanism at the national level, and would seek to elaborate a comprehensive, national human rights plan. It also attached maximum priority to gender equity, and to the promotion of the rights of the child, migrants and refugees. In addition to continued support for the Inter-American Institute for Support of the Child, based in Montevideo, Uruguay intended to adopt a new national law on the status of refugees, and to increase its active participation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Finally, she stressed that the right to development figured among the highest priorities for the Government, which remained convinced that advances on civil and political rights would not be sustainable without respect for the right to development, equality and social justice.
BORYS TARASYUK, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, said after the Orange Revolution, the promotion and protection of human rights and basic freedoms had become the top priority for the Ukrainian Government both in its internal policies and external strategies. There was no longer a distinction between principles and pragmatic approaches in pursuing Ukrainian interests and convictions. Neither national security nor economic prosperity could be achieved without the promotion of justice, the rule of law and human rights. The new democratic Ukraine as an integral part of the European Community of democracies could not leave unnoticed human rights violations in any particular country.
Recently, the international community had commemorated the memory of the victims of Auschwitz which served as a terrible symbol of the Holocaust. Two years ago, Ukraine paid tribute to the victims of another genocidal act committed by the totalitarian regime, Holodomor, which took the lives of 7 to 10 million Ukrainians. The Great Famine that engulfed Ukraine in 1932 and 1933 was the result of the deliberate policy of forced collectivization, accompanied by devastating purges of the Ukrainian intelligentsia, religious leaders and politicians. Breaking cycles of hatred in any community required acknowledging the past, promoting tolerance, dialogue and mutual respect, as well as developing educational and other programmes which would provide a tangible alternative. That was why Ukraine would continue its work to make the truth about Holodomor widely known around the world and to achieve recognition of Holodomor as a genocide against the Ukrainian people.
Finally, one should do everything to bar genocidal ideologies from ever being given a chance to take root again. The international community should ensure that perpetrators of genocide were brought to justice. It should be ensured that early warnings of genocidal acts were not ignored and were responded to accordingly by the United Nations and its Security Council.
LAKSHMAN KADIRGAMAR, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, said that since its establishment, the Commission had continued to heed the voices and sentiments of the countless numbers of the aggrieved as well as the representations of almost all Member and Observer States of the United Nations. This attention and focus had had its negative and positive repercussions. On the positive side, the goal of promotion and protection of human rights was now both a cross-cutting and integrated item on the United Nations agenda. No State could be oblivious to its widening ramifications and consequences. In turn, this wider focus and attention had resulted in greater calls for the Commission to deliver on its mandate in an equitable and fair manner. In fact, such criticism had reached a stage where the credibility of the Commission was now at stake. Any reform should be pursued in a comprehensive and balanced manner.
The policy of Sri Lanka was based on a national ethos derived from age-old traditions as well as its commitment to democracy and freedom. Sri Lanka had assiduously followed a tradition of close and constructive cooperation with the Commission in a spirit of openness. A positive result of the close interaction between the Commission and the Government was an indication of the clear recognition of human rights values, norms and standards by the judicial and legislative systems in the country.
International obligations when undertaken voluntarily served to create the necessary thrust and enabling environment for the strengthening of the capacity of national mechanisms. Extreme poverty was one of the central challenges faced today in ensuring that globalization became a positive force for all the world’s people, instead of leaving billions behind in squalor. The realisation of economic, social and cultural rights could provide a sustainable basis to address the root causes of poverty. The Government of Sri Lanka would continue to pursue its constructive engagement with the United Nations system and its human rights mechanisms, and would actively seek to engage with all members of the Commission to narrow differences, reach consensus and ensure that the current sessions would contribute to the common goal of promoting and protecting human rights.
KASSYMZHOMART TOKAYEV, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, said Kazakhstan had made positive developments in the protection of human rights and freedoms, which had become an irreversible part of the political and social life of the country. Kazakhstan now had the necessary legal, political and institutional grounds to further strengthen democracy. Recalling that the President had recently presented a package of concrete measures for political and economic modernization, he said the national programme represented an integrated approach to the transformation of political and public institutions. The major objectives of political reform included governmental decentralization, introduction of local self-government, improvements in electoral legislation, and large-scale reform of the judicial system in accordance with international standards.
Although the country’s organization as a presidential republic had helped in the pursuit of necessary economic reforms, Kazakhstan had engaged in a permanent search for a political model to suit it to face emerging challenges, he noted. The role of Parliament was expected to be further strengthened to ensure greater representation of the people in governance. Effective measures must be taken to reform the judiciary, and the assessment of the Special Rapporteur on the independence of the judiciary was welcomed. A Special Commission had been established to coordinate that reform. Furthermore, the powers of the national ombudsman had been expanded; the ombudsman now took part in court hearings, could request the review of court sentences, decisions or findings, and could request parliamentary hearings to investigate citizens’ complaints.
The key to modernization of society, he continued, lay in the maintenance of civil peace and in inter-ethnic and inter-religious tolerance. At present, 130 nationalities and ethnic groups coexisted peacefully in the country, which remained determined to meet all national standards for the protection of human rights and development of democracy. National efforts to promote inter-religious harmony had been recognized by the United Nations General Assembly last year, in its special resolution on the "promotion of inter-religious dialogue". Kazakhstan also intended to undertake radical improvement in the status of women and children, and to advance micro credit schemes for the most vulnerable. Finally, noting that international terrorism continued to pose a serious threat, he said his country remained concerned about related phenomena such as religious extremism, drug trafficking, illegal migration and the smuggling of conventional weapons.
MOHAMED BOUZOUBAA, Minister of Justice of Morocco, said since the accession to the throne in 1999 of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, he had launched a democratic and modern societal project which notably focused on the entrenchment of a human rights culture, the valorization of the role of women and of the family unit and strengthening social solidarity. His Majesty had, to that end, initiated a significant reform process dedicated to improving the administrative and legal systems, both essential pillars to uphold the edification of a state of law. Simultaneously, the Government of Morocco’s strategy, undertaken in conformity with the high directives of the King, had been to multiply its efforts aimed at the promotion, protection and defence of human rights within the normative and institutional realms. The concretisation of all those efforts had come through a series of reforms targeting civil, political, economic, and socio-cultural rights in view of harmonizing national legislation and ensuring its conformity with the relevant dispositions of the international human rights instruments ratified by the State.
The process of entrenching human rights and fundamental liberties in legal texts had been concerned with the sphere of public liberties. In order to adequately respond to the expectations and aspirations of civil society and of all the other actors within the Moroccan nation, the Code of Public Liberties of 1958 had recently been revised. In the course of this year, the new Code on Family Law had been effectively implemented. An institutional reform had also been undertaken in the context of the recognition of the Human Rights Consultative Council and the appointment of an Ombudsman – "Diwan Al Madhalim"—to act as a tool providing for a flexible and simplified conciliation, which could efficiently address the complaints of all Moroccans.
Morocco reiterated its full support for the United Nations Secretary-General and for his special representative in their efforts to reach a final and negotiated political solution to the artificial dispute concerning Morocco’s Saharan territory, in the framework of territorial integrity and Moroccan sovereignty. He reminded the international community of the situation of 408 Moroccan detainees who had been held for more than a quarter of a century in degrading and inhuman conditions.
HORACIO DANIEL ROSATTI, Minister of Justice and Human Rights of Argentina, said policies of human rights occupied a central place in the agenda of the Argentinean Government. There was no freedom, democracy or security without respect for human rights in the world. Unfortunately, violations of human rights in Argentina were not the exclusive sphere of the last military dictatorship. There continued to be violations of rights and freedoms under democracy, but these were not systematic as they had been under the dictatorship. The current Government had a policy of transparency, and did not hide its errors, rather starting from them to improve points that had not been resolved.
Some situations remained of concern in Argentina at the highest political level, for example concerning reports of torture and maltreatment of those detained in police stations and prisons. A fight was underway against impunity and for truth, justice and remedy. The Government’s activities were designed to consolidate a State dedicated to eliminating impunity and developing a coherent legal system where the prosecution of common crimes did not lose their legitimacy as crimes against humanity went unpunished. Work had been done to compensate victims of impunity. The Government listened to the victims of all types of abuses and had created human rights structures in areas where they did not exist before.
As Argentina adopted and adapted legislation to bring it in line with the human rights treaties it signed, many changes had been made at many levels in Argentinean society. Repressive and discriminatory legislation had been repealed. Argentina was taking a decisive human rights role in the region, and had promoted the mechanism of "friendly procedures" for institutional reform strengthening human rights. It had taken decisive steps in the field of humanitarian action, for example in Haiti. The Government was aware that its greatest challenges was to respond to violations of rights in consequence of the economic crisis, and had formulated policies with a view to reversing the effects of this crisis. Argentina would present a draft resolution on the right to truth, which was important for society as a whole, and not just victims of violations. Unconditional respect for human rights was the only proper way of ensuring full enjoyment of democratic human rights and contributing to international peace and security, and this could not be achieved by States alone, but required permanent vigilance by the international community and its institutions.
* *** *
For use of the information media; not an official record
MIDDAY
15 March 2005
The Commission on Human Rights held a midday meeting today during which it heard addresses from dignitaries from Mozambique, Uruguay, Ukraine, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, Morocco and Argentina.
Alcinda Antonio de Abreu, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Mozambique, said the promotion and protection of human rights in Mozambique was one of the main features outlined in the Government's programme. The international community was called upon to back these efforts with a view to ensuring the translation into deeds of these priorities which conformed with the basic requirements for the full enjoyment, promotion and protection of human rights in the country. The main areas of action were essentially based on the Millennium Development Goal.
Belela Herrera, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Uruguay, said the new Government of Uruguay intended to strengthen the protection of human rights at the national and international levels as one of its first priorities. The Government also intended to undertake a regional dialogue aimed at making real progress on human rights for all. All of the Commission’s thematic initiatives that contributed to real progress on human rights would be supported, and reform proposals contributing to such progress would also be supported.
Borys Tarasyuk, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, said after the Orange Revolution, the promotion and protection of human rights and basic freedoms had become the top priority for the Ukrainian Government both in its internal policies and external strategies. Neither national security nor economic prosperity could be achieved without the promotion of justice, the rule of law and human rights. The new democratic Ukraine as an integral part of the European Community of democracies could not leave unnoticed human rights violations in any particular country.
Lakshman Kadirgamar, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, said the policy of Sri Lanka was based on a national ethos derived from age-old traditions as well as its commitment to democracy and freedom. Sri Lanka had assiduously followed a tradition of close and constructive cooperation with the Commission in a spirit of openness. A positive result of the close interaction between the Commission and the Government was an indication of the clear recognition of human rights values, norms and standards by the judicial and legislative systems in the country.
Kassymzhomart Tokayev, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, said Kazakhstan had made positive developments in the protection of human rights and freedoms, which had become an irreversible part of political and social life. The country now had the necessary legal, political and institutional grounds to further strengthen democracy.
Mohamed Bouzoubaa, Minister of Justice of Morocco, said since the accession to the throne in 1999 of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, he had launched a democratic and modern societal project which notably focused on the entrenchment of a human rights culture, the valorization of the role of women and of the family unit and strengthening social solidarity. His Majesty had, to that end, initiated a significant reform process dedicated to improving the administrative and legal systems, both essential pillars to uphold the edification of a state of law.
Horacio Daniel Rosatti, Minister of Justice and Human Rights of Argentina, said human rights policies occupied a central place in the agenda of the Argentinean Government. There was no freedom, democracy or security without respect for human rights in the world. Some situations remained of concern at the highest political level in Argentina, for example concerning reports of torture and maltreatment of those detained in police stations and prisons. A fight was underway against impunity and for truth, justice and remedies.
As soon as the midday meeting concluded at 3 p.m., the Commission immediately started an afternoon meeting during which it will continue with its high-level segment and is expected to hear from the Minister and Special Secretary for Human Rights of Brazil, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nepal, the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Latvia, the Minister of Justice of South Africa, the Deputy prime Minister of Croatia, the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Italy and the Minister for the Promotion of Human Rights of Burkina Faso.
Statements
ALCINDA ANTONIO DE ABREU, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Mozambique, said commitment to the global agenda on human rights should be guided by the ethics which governed the code of conduct among sovereign States. The culture of peace and democracy was cherished as the sine qua non basic condition for the full enjoyment of human rights. Amid myriad serious development challenges denying the people of Mozambique their full enjoyment of their human rights, a set of priorities had been outlined which the Government had to address with immediate effect in the on-going five-year development programme. These priorities were essentially aimed at improving, first hand, the basic human conditions of the people. The Government was profoundly convinced that in the next five years it could strive to provide the minimum basic conditions for a decent life to its people if it succeeded in tackling various priorities.
The promotion and protection of human rights in Mozambique was one of the main features outlined in the Government's programme. The international community was called upon to back these efforts with a view to ensuring the translation into deeds of these priorities which conformed with the basic requirements for the full enjoyment, promotion and protection of human rights in the country. The broad main areas of action were essentially based on the Millennium Development Goals, and all were aware that the implementation of this programme was largely dependent upon the participation of the entire family of nations which had set up these Goals and were committed to working together for the materialisation of these Goals.
The task ahead was monumental, but Mozambique was determined and committed to continuing to work with the Office of the High Commissioner, not only in Mozambique but also in a global framework.
BELELA HERRERA, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Uruguay, said the new Government of Uruguay had, while still in the opposition, striven for the fullest enjoyment of human rights for all Uruguayans. Thus, the Government intended to strengthen the protection of human rights at the national and international levels as one of its first priorities. The Government also intended to undertake a regional dialogue aimed at making real progress on human rights for all. All of the Commission’s thematic initiatives that contributed to real progress on human rights would be supported, and reform proposals contributing to such progress would also be supported.
While new forms of human rights violations did indeed emerge, Ms. Herrera said, the majority of violations had roots deep in the past, and it was the responsibility of governments to redress them. Uruguayans in particular had to redress the legacy left by the Governments of the 1970s to ensure that their flagrant human rights violations were never repeated. The country thus reiterated total support for the Working Group drafting an international instrument to protect against enforced disappearances, and also intended to incorporate human rights training into all branches of the State so as to prevent torture and other abuses. To redress the history of racist and sexist discrimination, the Government intended to open a frank dialogue with all strata of society to seek remedies to violations that had occurred in the past. It was also understood that preventing their recurrence would require educational campaigns aimed at the establishment of an egalitarian society.
Ms. Herrera expressed appreciation for the special mechanisms of the Commission that had visited Uruguay. The new Government intended to establish an independent human rights mechanism at the national level, and would seek to elaborate a comprehensive, national human rights plan. It also attached maximum priority to gender equity, and to the promotion of the rights of the child, migrants and refugees. In addition to continued support for the Inter-American Institute for Support of the Child, based in Montevideo, Uruguay intended to adopt a new national law on the status of refugees, and to increase its active participation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Finally, she stressed that the right to development figured among the highest priorities for the Government, which remained convinced that advances on civil and political rights would not be sustainable without respect for the right to development, equality and social justice.
BORYS TARASYUK, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, said after the Orange Revolution, the promotion and protection of human rights and basic freedoms had become the top priority for the Ukrainian Government both in its internal policies and external strategies. There was no longer a distinction between principles and pragmatic approaches in pursuing Ukrainian interests and convictions. Neither national security nor economic prosperity could be achieved without the promotion of justice, the rule of law and human rights. The new democratic Ukraine as an integral part of the European Community of democracies could not leave unnoticed human rights violations in any particular country.
Recently, the international community had commemorated the memory of the victims of Auschwitz which served as a terrible symbol of the Holocaust. Two years ago, Ukraine paid tribute to the victims of another genocidal act committed by the totalitarian regime, Holodomor, which took the lives of 7 to 10 million Ukrainians. The Great Famine that engulfed Ukraine in 1932 and 1933 was the result of the deliberate policy of forced collectivization, accompanied by devastating purges of the Ukrainian intelligentsia, religious leaders and politicians. Breaking cycles of hatred in any community required acknowledging the past, promoting tolerance, dialogue and mutual respect, as well as developing educational and other programmes which would provide a tangible alternative. That was why Ukraine would continue its work to make the truth about Holodomor widely known around the world and to achieve recognition of Holodomor as a genocide against the Ukrainian people.
Finally, one should do everything to bar genocidal ideologies from ever being given a chance to take root again. The international community should ensure that perpetrators of genocide were brought to justice. It should be ensured that early warnings of genocidal acts were not ignored and were responded to accordingly by the United Nations and its Security Council.
LAKSHMAN KADIRGAMAR, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, said that since its establishment, the Commission had continued to heed the voices and sentiments of the countless numbers of the aggrieved as well as the representations of almost all Member and Observer States of the United Nations. This attention and focus had had its negative and positive repercussions. On the positive side, the goal of promotion and protection of human rights was now both a cross-cutting and integrated item on the United Nations agenda. No State could be oblivious to its widening ramifications and consequences. In turn, this wider focus and attention had resulted in greater calls for the Commission to deliver on its mandate in an equitable and fair manner. In fact, such criticism had reached a stage where the credibility of the Commission was now at stake. Any reform should be pursued in a comprehensive and balanced manner.
The policy of Sri Lanka was based on a national ethos derived from age-old traditions as well as its commitment to democracy and freedom. Sri Lanka had assiduously followed a tradition of close and constructive cooperation with the Commission in a spirit of openness. A positive result of the close interaction between the Commission and the Government was an indication of the clear recognition of human rights values, norms and standards by the judicial and legislative systems in the country.
International obligations when undertaken voluntarily served to create the necessary thrust and enabling environment for the strengthening of the capacity of national mechanisms. Extreme poverty was one of the central challenges faced today in ensuring that globalization became a positive force for all the world’s people, instead of leaving billions behind in squalor. The realisation of economic, social and cultural rights could provide a sustainable basis to address the root causes of poverty. The Government of Sri Lanka would continue to pursue its constructive engagement with the United Nations system and its human rights mechanisms, and would actively seek to engage with all members of the Commission to narrow differences, reach consensus and ensure that the current sessions would contribute to the common goal of promoting and protecting human rights.
KASSYMZHOMART TOKAYEV, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, said Kazakhstan had made positive developments in the protection of human rights and freedoms, which had become an irreversible part of the political and social life of the country. Kazakhstan now had the necessary legal, political and institutional grounds to further strengthen democracy. Recalling that the President had recently presented a package of concrete measures for political and economic modernization, he said the national programme represented an integrated approach to the transformation of political and public institutions. The major objectives of political reform included governmental decentralization, introduction of local self-government, improvements in electoral legislation, and large-scale reform of the judicial system in accordance with international standards.
Although the country’s organization as a presidential republic had helped in the pursuit of necessary economic reforms, Kazakhstan had engaged in a permanent search for a political model to suit it to face emerging challenges, he noted. The role of Parliament was expected to be further strengthened to ensure greater representation of the people in governance. Effective measures must be taken to reform the judiciary, and the assessment of the Special Rapporteur on the independence of the judiciary was welcomed. A Special Commission had been established to coordinate that reform. Furthermore, the powers of the national ombudsman had been expanded; the ombudsman now took part in court hearings, could request the review of court sentences, decisions or findings, and could request parliamentary hearings to investigate citizens’ complaints.
The key to modernization of society, he continued, lay in the maintenance of civil peace and in inter-ethnic and inter-religious tolerance. At present, 130 nationalities and ethnic groups coexisted peacefully in the country, which remained determined to meet all national standards for the protection of human rights and development of democracy. National efforts to promote inter-religious harmony had been recognized by the United Nations General Assembly last year, in its special resolution on the "promotion of inter-religious dialogue". Kazakhstan also intended to undertake radical improvement in the status of women and children, and to advance micro credit schemes for the most vulnerable. Finally, noting that international terrorism continued to pose a serious threat, he said his country remained concerned about related phenomena such as religious extremism, drug trafficking, illegal migration and the smuggling of conventional weapons.
MOHAMED BOUZOUBAA, Minister of Justice of Morocco, said since the accession to the throne in 1999 of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, he had launched a democratic and modern societal project which notably focused on the entrenchment of a human rights culture, the valorization of the role of women and of the family unit and strengthening social solidarity. His Majesty had, to that end, initiated a significant reform process dedicated to improving the administrative and legal systems, both essential pillars to uphold the edification of a state of law. Simultaneously, the Government of Morocco’s strategy, undertaken in conformity with the high directives of the King, had been to multiply its efforts aimed at the promotion, protection and defence of human rights within the normative and institutional realms. The concretisation of all those efforts had come through a series of reforms targeting civil, political, economic, and socio-cultural rights in view of harmonizing national legislation and ensuring its conformity with the relevant dispositions of the international human rights instruments ratified by the State.
The process of entrenching human rights and fundamental liberties in legal texts had been concerned with the sphere of public liberties. In order to adequately respond to the expectations and aspirations of civil society and of all the other actors within the Moroccan nation, the Code of Public Liberties of 1958 had recently been revised. In the course of this year, the new Code on Family Law had been effectively implemented. An institutional reform had also been undertaken in the context of the recognition of the Human Rights Consultative Council and the appointment of an Ombudsman – "Diwan Al Madhalim"—to act as a tool providing for a flexible and simplified conciliation, which could efficiently address the complaints of all Moroccans.
Morocco reiterated its full support for the United Nations Secretary-General and for his special representative in their efforts to reach a final and negotiated political solution to the artificial dispute concerning Morocco’s Saharan territory, in the framework of territorial integrity and Moroccan sovereignty. He reminded the international community of the situation of 408 Moroccan detainees who had been held for more than a quarter of a century in degrading and inhuman conditions.
HORACIO DANIEL ROSATTI, Minister of Justice and Human Rights of Argentina, said policies of human rights occupied a central place in the agenda of the Argentinean Government. There was no freedom, democracy or security without respect for human rights in the world. Unfortunately, violations of human rights in Argentina were not the exclusive sphere of the last military dictatorship. There continued to be violations of rights and freedoms under democracy, but these were not systematic as they had been under the dictatorship. The current Government had a policy of transparency, and did not hide its errors, rather starting from them to improve points that had not been resolved.
Some situations remained of concern in Argentina at the highest political level, for example concerning reports of torture and maltreatment of those detained in police stations and prisons. A fight was underway against impunity and for truth, justice and remedy. The Government’s activities were designed to consolidate a State dedicated to eliminating impunity and developing a coherent legal system where the prosecution of common crimes did not lose their legitimacy as crimes against humanity went unpunished. Work had been done to compensate victims of impunity. The Government listened to the victims of all types of abuses and had created human rights structures in areas where they did not exist before.
As Argentina adopted and adapted legislation to bring it in line with the human rights treaties it signed, many changes had been made at many levels in Argentinean society. Repressive and discriminatory legislation had been repealed. Argentina was taking a decisive human rights role in the region, and had promoted the mechanism of "friendly procedures" for institutional reform strengthening human rights. It had taken decisive steps in the field of humanitarian action, for example in Haiti. The Government was aware that its greatest challenges was to respond to violations of rights in consequence of the economic crisis, and had formulated policies with a view to reversing the effects of this crisis. Argentina would present a draft resolution on the right to truth, which was important for society as a whole, and not just victims of violations. Unconditional respect for human rights was the only proper way of ensuring full enjoyment of democratic human rights and contributing to international peace and security, and this could not be achieved by States alone, but required permanent vigilance by the international community and its institutions.
* *** *
For use of the information media; not an official record