DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER OF SLOVAKIA TO COMMISSION : FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM SHOULD NOT VIOLATE HUMAN RIGHTS

18.03.2004

Officials from Belarus, Venezuela, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola,
Belgium, Romania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Iran, Equatorial Guinea,
Kazakhstan also Address Commission




The Commission on Human Rights today heard addresses from the Deputy Prime Minister of Slovakia and senior officials from Belarus, Venezuela, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Belgium, Romania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Iran, Equatorial Guinea and Kazakhstan on the last day of its high-level segment.

Pal Csaky, Deputy Prime Minister for Human and Minority Rights and European Integration for Slovakia, said international terrorism was openly undermining the fundamental aims of the United Nations, striking against international peace and security, the development of friendly relations among nations, and against the status of the United Nations as a centre for addressing major political, economic, social and cultural problems in the world. It weakened support for, protection of, and the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms. At the same time, the fight against terrorism should not entail other violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

The issue of terrorism and the need to combat it was also addressed by a number of other speakers. Alyaksandr Sychov, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belarus, said the number of human rights infringements as a result of terrorist activities had been on the increase. That trend was increasingly causing public concern worldwide. Terrorism on its own was a violation of human rights.

George Rebelo Pinto Chikoti, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Angola, said terrorism meant destruction, death and disrespect for human rights, and caused the failure of attempts to solve problems peacefully. However, the international community, under the auspices of the United Nations, could overcome this scourge.

G. Ali Khoshroo, Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran, said that numerous terrorist attacks from Madrid to Karbala and Nadjaf had made the world all the more insecure. The lack of security and the anxiety that this had created represented a major concern for the general public around the world. Dealing with such a major menace required collective action and closer cooperation with a balanced and comprehensive approach. That frightening new reality called for synergy at all levels. The root causes of terrorism should be examined and dealt with.

And Kassymjomart Tokaev, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, said that today, the news was dominated by violence and conflicts that seriously challenged the promotion and protection of human rights. The international community had to respond effectively to this challenge, and admit that the perception of the terrorist network and the nature of terrorism itself appeared to be outdated and out of touch with reality. Terrorism had become an ideology of predominantly young people, marginalized and frustrated by the injustice, inequality, poverty and hypocrisy that unfortunately existed in the contemporary world. There was a need to admit that violations of human rights had become one of the most dangerous sources of instability in the world today.

Several officials also spoke about the promotion and protection of human rights in their countries. Arevalo Mendez, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Venezuela, said his country was building a democratic society with justice, freedom and respect of human rights. The Government had made the fight against poverty the main objective. Venezuela asked the international community to continue to endorse the Government and the Venezuelan population in their fight to preserve, consolidate and develop their democracy.

Marie-Madeleine Kalala, Minister of Human Rights of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, said the promotion and protection of human rights, as well as the promotion of the culture of peace occupied an important place in the programme of action of the Government. The efforts of the Government to ameliorate the human rights situation took into consideration the priorities provided by the National Plan of Action on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, adopted by the National Conference on Human Rights in June 2001.

Frederique Ries, State Secretary for European Affairs and Foreign Affairs of Belgium, said vigilance with regard to all manifestations of mass violations of human rights should be increased, since these carried within them the seed of a grave crisis. The fight against terrorism should also be integrated into the culture of prevention of conflicts. This was why the common action of the Commission should be to fight the root causes of this evil. However, individual States also had the responsibility to fight this scourge, and the Commission should help them to do this.

Ion Diaconu, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania, said the Romanian Constitution, which was amended recently, had improved the legal context for the defence of human rights. Further guarantees were provided for the protection of personal security and freedom, fair trial, the rights of persons belonging to minorities concerning the use of their mother tongue, and the right to property, among other things. The democratic elements and the rule of law were reinforced through the application of the principle of separation of State powers.

Frances Rodrigues, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Mozambique, said that amid a myriad of serious challenges, headway was being made in promoting democracy and good governance in Africa today. However, it was the view that African development, political and social experiences should be taken into account in the democratisation process of the continent. In order to attain the noble objective of human rights for all, rich and poor nations, small and large countries needed to work together.

Patrick Anthony Chinamasa, Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs of Zimbabwe, said that racism remained a preoccupation for Zimbabwe, especially racism as practiced by Western countries. Again, as with the right to development, developed countries refused to participate in any meaningful way in the discussions aimed at eliminating racist practices. But human rights were not the preserve of developed countries, and Zimbabwe remained committed to the goal of full enjoyment of human rights by all its people without regard to their station in life.

And Ruben Maye Nsue Mangue, Minister of Justice and Religious Affairs of Equatorial Guinea, said the efforts and progress of the Government to enhance and bolster human rights in the country had been significant. The people of Equatorial Guinea were currently preparing to hold pluralist municipal elections. The dialogue with the opposition was ongoing, and there was commitment to the concept of democratic development.

The Commission will conclude this afternoon its high-level segment and will meet today from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The morning meeting was closed at 1 p.m., and the midday meeting from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. immediately started.

Statements

ALYAKSANDR SYCHOV, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belarus, affirmed that the principled position of his country in the field of human rights remained unchanged: human rights were universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated, and their protection was one of the most important functions of the State. Regrettably, nowadays, one had to state that there was no country around the globe where the situation of human rights was ideal. An increase in intolerance and xenophobia, disparity in the implementation of economic and social rights, manifestations of discrimination and racism, and growth in ultra-rightwing demonstrations were only some of the problems that today triggered anxiety in the international community. The number of human rights infringements as a result of terrorist activities had been on the increase, and that trend was increasingly causing public concern worldwide. Hundreds, even thousands of innocent people were becoming victims of terrorists' attacks. Terrorism on its own was a violation of human rights.

Modern slave trade was also one of the most dangerous threats. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people became victims of trafficking in human beings. That criminal activity violated human rights in many parts of the world. Belarus was a country of origin and in some cases its territory was used for transit of victims of trafficking in human beings. The Government had made considerable efforts in order to prevent and fight those crimes. Trafficking in human beings was a well-organized criminal business supported by a developed network of criminal organizations. Efforts by all members of the international community should be consolidated if one was to be successful in combating that crime. Actions carried out by the international community in that regard might substantially contribute to human rights respect both nationally and globally.

Belarus opposed any attempts of politicisation of human rights issues, as well as using them as a pretext to interfere in the domestic affairs of some countries. It also opposed selectivity and double standards in assessing the situation of human rights in any country. Unilateral actions undertaken by individual countries as well as groups of countries against sovereign States might compromise the ability of the international community to secure respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights. Belarus had been constantly supporting the improvement of the current system of human rights protection.

AREVALO MENDEZ, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Venezuela, said his country reiterated its irrevocable position in favour of respect for human rights and democratic liberties, and gave these principles capital importance. This came from a well-known determination to change and take an irreversible course towards authentic, participatory, and involved democracy. The process was looking for the effective accomplishment of enjoyment and exercise of the inalienable and indivisible human rights for all Venezuelan citizens, without discrimination or exclusion of any type.

Venezuela abetted democracy in the American hemisphere, as well as in the rest of the world. It was building a democratic society with justice, freedom and respect of human rights. The injustices and inequalities that still characterized Venezuelan society could be surpassed. The Government had made the fight against poverty the main objective. It was not accidental that the poorest and most excluded sectors of Venezuelan society offered such decisive endorsement of the Government’s policies. Venezuela wished to put on the record once again the absolute and complete attachment of its Government to the universal principles that governed the promotion and protection of human rights, and asked the international community to continue to endorse the Government and the Venezuelan population in their fight to preserve, consolidate and develop their democracy.

Finally, Venezuela wished that the right aspiration of the developing world to human rights could be treated in a scope of cooperation, under a multilateral framework that took into account and respected the principle of transparency. Improper pressure and minor intentions did not provide added value to the debate.

MARIE-MADELEINE KALALA, Minister of Human Rights of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, recalled that the inter-Congolese political negotiations held in Sun City and Pretoria in South Africa had led to the signing of a global agreement on the transition in the country and setting of new institutions of the Republic. With the aim of putting in place the rule of law, institutions such as the Independent Electoral Commission, the National Observatory on Human Rights, the High Authority for the Media, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and the Ethic Commission for combating corruption had been created. The Government was now working towards the realization of the objectives, which were attributed to it by the Accord. Despite the difficulties of all sorts resulting from the destruction caused by the conflict, the Government was endeavouring to the effective holding of free and transparent democratic elections, which were required by the same Accord.

The promotion and protection of human rights, as well as the promotion of the culture of peace occupied an important place in the programme of action of the Government. The efforts of the Government to ameliorate the human rights situation took into consideration the priorities provided by the National Plan of Action on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, adopted by the National Conference on Human Rights in June 2001. At present, a vast programme was being carried out in order to adapt the great changes that had taken place recently in the country. With the view to reiterate its attachment to the international instruments pertaining to human rights, the Government had launched, since December 2003, a national educational campaign on human rights. That campaign, which would be closed on 10 December 2004, was aimed at disseminating the culture of human rights and the international humanitarian laws during the post-war period.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo was determined to actively participate in the International Conference on Peace, Security, Democracy and Development in the Great Lakes, which would take place in November 2004. The Conference would have as its principal objective the need to strengthen the stability of the region and to search for conditions, which would give rights to each citizen to live within the national boundaries.

GEORGE REBELO PINTO CHIKOTI, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Angola, said terrorism meant destruction, death and disrespect for human rights, and caused the failure of attempts to solve problems peacefully. The international community, under the auspices of the United Nations, could overcome this scourge. Significant changes of hope had been taking place in Angola in the last 24 months. After the signing of the peace agreement in April 2002, the certainty that peace was consolidated all over the country was firmly established. Peace was the first and foremost requirement for building a nation, and the challenges were enormous, given the destruction of the country’s infrastructures, the breakdown of families and the social tissue, problems of health and malnutrition and others. The Government was conscious of the difficulties it had to face during this phase of reconstruction.

Reconstruction implied the consolidation of peace, and above all its irreversibility. It required social justice and respect for human rights. Thus, in planning and implementing its policies, the Government based all its actions on tolerance, fraternity and solidarity, which would banish forever any feelings of hate and revenge among the population. National unity and solidarity was essential for full implementation of the Government’s programme. This presupposed freedom of expression, free debate of ideas and opinions, and the convergence of all Angolans with all their differences towards the broader goal - the building of a great democratic nation and the well-being of the people.

Angola had always defended the unity, the interrelation and the complementarity between political, civil, economic, social and cultural rights. The State had adopted measures for the defense, protection and promotion of these rights, but recognized that there was still a lot to be done in this field. The democratic process was going through an important strengthening stage, in which the various parties and civil society, including non-governmental organizations were playing an important role. Angola was aware that once again the international community would help it to carry out its tasks, which would create favourable conditions for the rapid recovery of the Angolan economy, with results that would surely benefit all aspects of life, including the defense, protection and promotion of human rights.

FREDERIQUE RIES, State Secretary for European Affairs and Foreign Affairs, Deputy to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, said it was impossible to repeat too many times that the Commission was the essential instrument of promotion and protection of human rights at the universal level. It was one of the first mechanisms set up by the United Nations in order to ensure peace and stability in the world, and to allow for a harmonious development of nations and individuals. The respect of democratic values, justice and fundamental freedoms were among many indispensable factors that created an environment of stability and social and economic progress, which, in their turn, allowed for a greater expansion of human rights. The Commission was thus the guardian of an intangible patrimony common to all individuals and peoples, the human rights that every State had the duty and responsibility to protect and apply to their greatest extent.

Therefore, there was a need to identify ways and means that favoured dialogue and reduced confrontation in a way that would always place human rights at the heart of the work that should constitute for the world a message of hope by taking into account aspirations for a more dignified and just way of life. Together, a critical eye should therefore be placed upon the role and the action of the Commission. The Commission could reinforce the preventive element of its action, could privilege consensual decisions, and should continue to develop mechanisms that allowed the international community to take further into consideration the human rights dimension when solving crises.

Vigilance with regard to all manifestations of mass violations of human rights should be increased, since these carried within them the seed of a grave crisis. These mass violations in particular took the form of intolerance, racism and anti-Semitism, all forms of tyranny and oppression, as well as all forms of discrimination practiced against those who were most vulnerable. The fight against terrorism should also be integrated into the culture of prevention of conflicts. This was why the common action of the Commission should be to fight the root causes of this evil. However, individual States also had the responsibility to fight this scourge, and the Commission should help them to do this.

ION DIACONU, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania and Special Envoy to the Commission on Human Rights, said his country was traversing an extremely important stage in its history, which was the integration into the European and Atlantic organizations. At the same time, during this period of transition, the State was acting in a more coherent manner to ensure the respect for human rights in their totality. The Romanian Constitution, which was amended recently, had improved the legal context for the defence of human rights. Further guarantees were provided for the protection of personal security and freedom, fair trial, the rights of persons belonging to minorities concerning the use of their mother tongue, and the right to property, among other things. The democratic elements and the rule of law were reinforced through the application of the principle of separation of State powers.

The protection of national minorities, and the creation of a climate of tolerance and respect of diversity were among the constant concerns of the Romanian authorities. The revised Constitution provided for the State to recognize and guarantee the rights of persons to belong to minorities; to preserve, express and develop their ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious identities; and to assist them in attaining those objectives. In the political area, minorities were represented in the country's legislative body. In the administrative territories where a sufficient number of national minorities lived, they had the right to use their mother tongue in their relations with the local public administrative authorities. They also had the right to express themselves in their mother tongue before the judicial authorities and the right to education in their own language. The situation of the Roma represented a priority for the Romanian authorities. In 2001, the Government had adopted a strategy at the national level with the view to improving the Roma situation for the coming 10 years.

A government strategy in the field of protection of children in difficulties had been adopted, and a national authority for the protection of children and adoption had also been put in place. The authority was a special organ of the Government in charge of the systematic coordination of child protection and the elaboration, coordination and monitoring of policies in that area. The reduction of the number of children living in institutions and the closing of those institutions had contributed to reducing the cases of abandonment and ensured a better future for a great number of children. The socio-professional integration of youth who left the system of child protection also represented an important step in the child protection mechanisms.

FRANCES RODRIGUES, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Mozambique, said the Commission was once again called upon during this session to engage in a common reflection in search for the best options for peoples to attain rightfully the prerogatives enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The task to meet this goal was rather monumental, but there was commitment to continue to explore all avenues which would ultimately lead to the happiness and well-being of peoples, a long-lived dream of peoples and nations living in peace and harmony with each other. The Commission was meeting at the crossroads of an international agenda characterized by unfinished business in a number of major areas of concern.

The quest of developing countries to attain the full enjoyment of human rights was marred by a plethora of handicaps which the gathering was invited to bear in mind. The right to development was a cornerstone objective leading to the full enjoyment of all fundamental rights, and it was believed that the realization of overall economic, social and cultural rights, an important dimension of human rights, including the right to development, required a strong determination and commitment, as this remained the core issue of all problems. By working together, there was a real chance to achieve these goals, as soon as all could start to look at the real world from the same perspective.

Amid a myriad of serious challenges, headway was being made in promoting democracy and good governance in Africa today. However, it was the view that African development, political and social experiences should be taken into account in the democratisation process of the continent. Of course, whilst democracy and good governance remained a serious challenge, progress was also needed in the domain of economic and social development. In order to attain the noble objective of human rights for all, rich and poor nations, small and large countries needed to work together. There was hope for a world free of war and poverty, a peaceful, stable and prosperous world, where firearms were replaced by tools to produce goods and services.

PATRICK ANTHONY CHINAMASA, Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs of Zimbabwe, said that on 18 April, Zimbabweans from all walks of life would celebrate the twenty-fourth anniversary of their independence, on which day they would have occasion to remember that their most precious possession, namely their independence, the sovereignty of their country, the entire gamut of human rights they enjoyed today be they the right to vote, the freedom of assembly and association, the freedom of speech and expression, the right to education, to health, to reside in an area of their choice, to self-determination, to their dignity and personality as a people, did not come on a silver platter but through the precious blood of those who died in a protracted armed struggle. This was recalled in order to expose the hypocrisy and double standards that characterized the attitude of the British and their Western Allies over issues of human rights. They proclaimed themselves paragons of virtue, champions and practitioners of human rights, and yet they were the worst violators against people of colour.

Zimbabwe was no stranger to the double standards practiced by western countries. The western world was all too ready to tell all those who cared to listen about Zimbabwe’s economic problems, without disclosing the fact that a once vibrant economy had been destroyed by the illegal economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by Britain, the United States, and their allies. All developing countries knew how developed countries continued to refuse to participate in any meaningful way in the discussions of the Working Group on the right to development.

Racism remained a preoccupation for Zimbabwe, especially racism as practiced by Western countries. Again, as with the right to development, developed countries refused to participate in any meaningful way in the discussions aimed at eliminating racist practices. Further, the human rights of a whole country had been sullied by one presentation of falsehoods by masters of propaganda. But human rights were not the preserve of developed countries, and Zimbabwe remained committed to the goal of full enjoyment of human rights by all its people without regard to their station in life.

PAL CSAKY, Deputy Prime Minister for Human and Minority Rights and European Integration for Slovakia, said international terrorism was openly undermining the fundamental aims of the United Nations, striking against international peace and security, the development of friendly relations among nations, and against the status of the United Nations as a centre for addressing major political, economic, social and cultural problems in the world. It weakened support for, protection of, and the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms. At the same time, the fight against terrorism should not entail other violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Although Slovakia as a sovereign democratic State had existed for only 11 years, it had for centuries been on the crossroads of different nations, cultures, traditions and religions. Coexistence had taught it many things, namely why racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and all expressions of religious and other intolerance should be so vigorously condemned. There was therefore concern for the resurgence of anti-Semitism in many parts of the world, and the issue of preventing anti-Semitism was extremely important, as was that of suppressing any form of religious intolerance, including Islamophobia.

In a few weeks, Slovakia would join both the European Union and NATO, and this would even further stress the human rights dimension of its foreign policy. In evaluating the situation of human rights in other countries, one should take into account the distinctive features and different traditions formed as a result of special cultural development in these countries, but always stressing the fact that human rights were universal, indivisible, interdependent and inter-related. The Commission was the forum for cooperation in the attainment of United Nations objectives in the field of human rights, and at the same time for dealing with the human rights situation in individual countries. Both these functions were irreplaceable.

G. ALI KHOSHROO, Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran, said that numerous terrorist attacks from Madrid to Karbala and Nadjaf had made the world all the more insecure. Lack of security and the anxiety it created represented a major concern for the general public around the world. Dealing with such a major menace required collective action and closer cooperation with a balanced and comprehensive approach. The most basic human right of all was that to life, which was severely threatened by terrorist attacks. That frightening new reality called for synergy at all levels. It was only in working together that one would control those terrible malevolent acts. The root causes of terrorism should be examined and dealt with. Preventing and combating terrorism were two sides of the same coin and both were necessary. It was his Government's view that the promotion and protection of all human rights worldwide would help the fight against that particular modern evil.

The concept of human rights as defined in the universally accepted instruments was clearly a legitimate concern of the international community. Experts and prominent figures within and outside the United Nations had voiced new assertions on the notion of human security, human rights, and the role of different actors in shaping global structures. They had explicitly centred their thoughts on the accountability and responsibility of the global actors at the international level. Based on those assertions, it was widely accepted that the observance of human rights was interlinked with such compelling issues as lack of social and economic development, extreme poverty, political instability and insecurity of people. All of those presented serious threats to human rights in the affected regions.

During the course of the last year, the Government had taken numerous measures to protect and promote human rights. It had extended an open invitation to all special procedures, making Iran the first and still the only country in Asia to do so. The programme for technical cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in the area of human rights education in schools had been launched and was currently under way. A Human Rights Committee had been established in Parliament; a moratorium had been announced and implemented on stoning and other forms of corporal punishment were under serious consideration; a national plan of action to combat violence against women and to protect those women who were victims of violence had been drafted, among other things.

RUBEN MAYE NSUE MANGUE, Minister of Justice and Religious Affairs of Equatorial Guinea, said the efforts and progress of the Government to enhance and bolster human rights in the country had been significant. The people of Equatorial Guinea were currently preparing to hold pluralist municipal elections. The dialogue with the opposition was ongoing, and there was commitment to the concept of democratic development. Over the last year, the Government had funded the first national conference on justice for the consolidation of the rule of law, and this had been done through consensus. Five years ago, Equatorial Guinea had celebrated its first national economic conference where all political parties and representatives of civil society, religions and non-governmental organizations met to formulate economic and social development plans. The outcome of the conference was published, and the adoption of a programme of economic development formulated from its results.

Currently, the Government had established a programme of priorities to be followed over the next few years. Despite the advances made, notably in the political consensus and the furthering of the democratic process, there were organizations that had a secret plan to destabilize that country, as evidenced in the recent mercenary attempt at assassination, with the intent of destabilizing the country and installing a different Government. One of the most fundamental human rights that existed was the right to exist as a nation and the right to life itself, and this plot negated those rights.

All the nations of the world that condemned terrorism and mercenary actions should not adopt double standards of behaviour, and Equatorial Guinea was committed to the road of peaceful and democratic change in the world and not the road of terrorism, war, and destruction. The Government of Equatorial Guinea did not think it was too much to ask of Member States and the international community to help in restraining the greed and personal ambitions of other countries, companies and individuals from disrupting new democracies.

KASSYMJOMART TOKAEV, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, said that today, the news was dominated by violence and conflicts that seriously challenged the promotion and protection of human rights. The international community had to respond effectively to this challenge, and admit that the perception of the terrorist network and the nature of terrorism itself appeared to be outdated and out of touch with reality. Terrorism had become an ideology of predominantly young people, marginalized and frustrated by the injustice, inequality, poverty and hypocrisy that unfortunately existed in the contemporary world. There was a need to admit that violations of human rights had become one of the most dangerous sources of instability in the world today.

The international community needed to realize that although active efforts to strengthen security were very important, even necessary, it was no less important to create a global atmosphere, a comprehensive system of intolerance to terrorism; otherwise there would be an endless war with numerous innocent victims whose basic right to live peacefully would be constantly in jeopardy. Almost nothing had been done to demolish the ideological and material background of terrorism; almost nothing had been done to reduce poverty and disease all over the world; the efforts of the international community to curb illegal drug trafficking were still inefficient; human trafficking and slavery were common practices in many regions and countries. The international community, while addressing the issue of human rights, had to be more comprehensive in its assessment of the present challenges and threats to the security and safety of all people. This was the most important issue on the agenda for human rights. The struggle to preserve human rights was not only about combating violence and conflicts, it was also about securing civil, cultural, economic and social rights for all citizens.

The Commission needed to become more comprehensive when assessing human rights abuses in different regions and countries. International dimensions should prevail over national goals and interests. With regard to those States that were making efforts to improve their human rights situations, they should be encouraged for their efforts, rather than being condemned for any shortcomings.