Human Rights Council
AFTERNOON 1st March 2012

The Human Rights Council this afternoon concluded its High-level Segment and then held a debate under its general segment to give delegations that were not represented during the High-level Segment an opportunity to take the floor.  Under this segment, the Council heard statements from 19 countries as well as 5 civil society representatives on a range of issues affecting the promotion and protection of human rights.

Addressing the Council in the High-Level Segment were Patrick Chinamasa, Minster of Justice and Legal Affairs of Zimbabwe; Dunya Maumoon, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Maldives; Mohamed Abdallahi Ould Khattra, Commissioner for Human Rights, Humanitarian Action and Relations with Civil Society of Mauritania: Mohamed Bushara Dousa, Minister of Justice and Chairman of the Advisory Council on Human Rights of Sudan; Abelardo Moreno, Deputy Foreign Minister of Cuba; Didier Reynders, Vice-Prime Minisiter and Minsiter for Foreign Affairs of Belgium; Zsolt Nemeth, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Hungary; Grazyna Bernatowicz, Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Poland; and Erika Feller, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.  

During the High-Level Segment, a number of speakers outlined national efforts to promote and protect human rights.  One speaker pointed out that several factors threatened international peace and security, such as poverty, the food crisis and climate change. Speakers said the issue of refugees involved rights denied and rights to be redeemed.  Speakers said for over a year, the people of the Arab world had been fighting for their freedom.  These populations could not be indefinitely deprived of their civil and political rights.  The great optimism that initially accompanied these uprisings could be put in peril by socio-economic challenges.  Speakers said that the importance of internet freedom and the role of social media in advancing freedom of expression had been clearly demonstrated during recent and ongoing social revolutions in the Middle East and North Africa.  

Some speakers said that it was disappointing that the Human Rights Council had not been transparent or even-handed.  It had regrettably fallen into the trap of selective targeting and politicization in some of its sessions.  The unfortunate consequence of the inordinate emphasis on civil and political rights was that the right to development and the eradication of racism and related intolerance got buried at the bottom of the pile of priorities.  Others condemned biased special sessions by the select club of the United Nations in the obvious interest of the manipulation of humanitarian mechanisms to justify interventionist intentions.  Speakers said they were greatly concerned about the occurring violent attacks against persons belonging to religious minorities in many parts of the world.  

Representatives of a number of countries who did not send high-level dignitaries to the segment also addressed the afternoon meeting under the general segment.  Nineteen countries and five civil society representatives took the floor, mentioning issues such as the Millennium Development Goals, climate change and the environment, food security, the scope of work of the Council, and national reform efforts, among a number of issues.  Speakers said diverse methods of respecting human rights should be respected.  Governments and people had the right to promote and protect human rights according to their specific conditions.  Some speakers expressed opposition to the manipulation of the Council for geo-political purposes and the use of the promotion and protection of human rights as a pretext for military intervention.  Others expressed concern about the recent trend and spate of country specific resolutions which could well end up weakening the constructive dialogue and cooperative approach which had prevailed so far in the Council.  There should be a streamlining of the number of resolutions tabled in each session.  The Council should not detract from its responsibility to closely monitor and ensure respect for human rights in all occupied territories.

Speaking in the general segment debate were China, Romania, Ecuador, India, Oman, Belarus, Luxembourg, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Albania, Honduras, Nepal, Argentina, Nicaragua, Barbados, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Pakistan.  The Holy See also took the floor as did the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and representatives of civil society from Egypt, Bahrain, Chile, and Iraq.

Speaking in right of reply were Azerbaijan, Belarus, Ecuador, Cuba, Venezuela, Uzbekistan, China, Republic of Korea, Japan and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.  


The Council will resume its work at 10 a.m. on Friday, 2 March to adopt its programme of work and then hear High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay introduce her annual report.  This will be followed by an interactive dialogue with the High Commissioner.  At 10:20 a.m., the Council will be addressed by Maria Otero, United States Under-Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs.


High-level Segment

PATRICK CHINAMASA, Minster of Justice and Legal Affairs of Zimbabwe, said it was disappointing that the Human Rights Council had not been transparent or even-handed.  It had regrettably fallen into the trap of selective targeting and politicization in some of its sessions.  The unfortunate consequence of the inordinate emphasis on civil and political rights was that the right to development and the eradication of racism and related intolerance got buried at the bottom of the pile of priorities.  Clearance by the Kimberly Processing Certification Scheme allowing Zimbabwe to sell its diamonds was the beginning of a long journey towards empowerment.  Zimbabwe’s acceptance of most of the valuable Universal Periodic Review recommendations would not doubt further promote and protect human rights.  Zimbabwe’s honest efforts had been impeded by illegal sanctions and Zimbabwe called for the unconditional removal of these illegal sanctions as well as the removal of the illegal embargoes against Cuba and Iran.  The International Criminal Court remained, in Zimbabwe’s view, a glorified kangaroo court lacking impartiality.  For those who talked of internet freedom, it was internet freedom as long as it aimed to destabilize legitimate governments, whereas in their respective environments, vital information of a security nature was blocked.  

DUNYA MAUMOON, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Maldives, said that the achievements of the Maldives’ transition to democracy would not be lost despite the fact that the strengthening of independent institutions and key legislation to implement fundamental rights and freedoms as laid out in the Constitution had not been implemented.  A roadmap had set the new Government four goals; a National Inquiry Commission around the events that culminated in the transition of power to the new government; to strengthen and modernise the judicial sector and a national round table on the future of the judiciary; a commitment to strengthen the country’s independent oversight bodies and finally secure consensus to expedite legislative bills around penal reform, legal aid, justice and the judiciary.  The rights of vulnerable groups such as women and children were also important, covering domestic violence, harassment, trafficking, equality and mental health.  This was an ambitious agenda which required the support of all parties, domestic and international stakeholders to ensure that the next government came to power with the benefit of robust and independent institutions that worked in the national interest.  The Maldives was committed to human rights and it was to table resolutions on supporting the participation of small island states and least developed countries, and on establishing an Independent Expert on human rights and the environment.  

MOHAMED ABDALLAHI OULD KHATTRA, Commissioner for Human Rights, Humanitarian Action and Relations with Civil Society of Mauritania, said that several factors threatened international peace and security, such as poverty, food crisis and climate change, which was particularly important for Mauritania as a Sub-Saharan country.  Despite the challenges and very serious obstacles, Mauritania chose the path of constructive change and the Government had put in place a cross-cutting development plan aimed at the promotion and protection of human rights primacy of rule of law, fundamental freedoms and development of basic services.  Progress had been made in addressing slavery, the improvement of the status of women, the situation of persons with disabilities, and in the fight against corruption.  Internationally, Mauritania had acceded to a number of human rights international instruments and had promoted dialogue and cooperation.  

MOHAMED BUSHARA DOUSA, Minister of Justice and Chairman of the Advisory Council on Human Rights of Sudan, said that Sudan had taken steps to implement recommendations made during its Universal Periodic Review, including the creation of an independent national human rights commission in compliance with the Paris Principles.  Wide-ranging consultations were on-going with the assistance of the Human Rights Advisory Council in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme office in Sudan to involve all political parties and civil society groups in the constitution making process; to date consultations had occurred in 14 out of 15 states.  In South Kordofan, the Government had conducted a joint survey with international and national humanitarian aid workers in early 2012 to assess health, nutrition, food security, water, sanitation, and education which resulted in a plan of action to improve living conditions.  The Sudanese Humanitarian Aid Commission had fully coordinated with United Nations agencies to provide aid to the affected population including those within the rebel controlled areas.  Implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur was proceeding and the Regional Authority for Darfur, the mechanism established to enforce the agreement, had started work on repatriating refugees and resettling internally displaced persons.  An office of the General Prosecutor on crimes committed in Darfur was established to undertake investigations into the crimes that took place in the region since 2003.

ABELARDO MORENO, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Cuba, said little had been done to turn conceptual ideas of human rights into their genuine exercise, and it was an area which had paid the greatest costs due to ideological manipulation where biased special sessions were convened by the select club of the United Nations in the obvious interest of the manipulation of humanitarian mechanisms to justify interventionist intentions.  The dissemination of fragmented information by media empires subordinated to the great powers constituted an unfortunate pattern that led to military aggression, while the objective of these powers was to insure access to reserves and assets.  The protection of civilians was given as the reason for these actions, though events in North Africa and the Middle East provided a better understanding of the responsibility to protect, which had been imposed to justify military intervention in favour of spurious interests.  Cuba rejected the death of innocent people, though the responsibility to protect would never be used against the most powerful nations, prevent the deaths of children from preventable diseases, and fight world hunger.  A better world required equitable use of resources, and non-interference in internal affairs and threat or use of force in international relations.  In the face of rising unemployment, social inequality and exclusion to debate human rights, the world should analyse what it was doing to promote the right to life of citizens.  In this context Cuba continued to develop its social systems, with respect for human rights, though the United States continued to manipulate public opinion against the country but would not be successful as the ideals of justice, independence and freedom could not be defeated.

DIDIER REYNERS, Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, said for over a year, the people of the Arab world had been fighting for their freedom.  These populations could not be indefinitely deprived of their civil and political rights.  The great optimism that initially accompanied these uprisings could be put in peril by socio-economic challenges.  The restrictions on non-governmental organizations in Egypt were worrying.  Belgium had supported all initiatives by the United Nations and the Arab League to find a peaceful solution for the crisis in Syria.  The attitude of the Syrian authorities was regrettable, particularly because other countries had proved, by their dialogue and cooperation with the international community, the beneficial effects of a multilateral approach.  That had been the case in Myanmar and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for example.  Belgium’s commitment to human rights was shown by its fight to abolish the death penalty and support for the rights of children and women.  Belgium attached great importance to the fight against all forms of discrimination and was particularly concerned about the tendency in certain countries to criminalize sexual orientation.  Belgium announced its candidacy for the Human Rights Council for the period 2016 to 2018.    

ZSOLT NEMETH, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Hungary, said that the importance of internet freedom and the role of social media in advancing freedom of expression had been clearly demonstrated during recent and ongoing social revolutions in the Middle East and North Africa.  Hungary strongly supported the Universal Periodic Review mechanism and said a newly established inter-ministerial body would monitor Hungary’s international obligations and coordinate human rights policy and its implementation.  Hungary fully supported the importance of early warning and the responsibility to protect, as evidenced by the Government’s decision to create the Centre for the International Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities in Budapest.  Concerning recently adopted legislative reforms and the criticism they had elicited from the international community, the Government had requested the opinion of the Venice Commission to ensure that Hungary engaged itself with values embedded in the European constitutional heritage.  Hungary called for an extension of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran.  With regard to Belarus, the Lukashenka Government should immediately stop human rights violations and release all political prisoners including Ales Beliatski.  The Government was concerned about the gross and systematic violations of basic human rights by the Syrian authorities.

GRA¯YNA BERNATOWICZ, Under Secretary of State at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Poland, said Poland had positively assessed the functioning of the Human Rights Council in recent months, especially with regard to country situations and in addressing thematic issues.  Poland was greatly concerned about the occurring violent attacks against persons belonging to religious minorities in many parts of the world.  Poland welcomed the developments of the Arab Spring as the result of the legitimate aspirations and demands of the societies of the region and said that those constituted a clear message that oppressed people would claim their personal freedoms sooner or later.  Crucial challenges that countries in transition faced included strengthening the rule of law and the principle of good governance, particularly through building a professional public service.  This was a basis for stability and democratic change.  A professional, effective, politically neutral, socially sensitive and accountable civil service was indispensable if democratization and modernization should succeed and bring lasting results, Poland concluded.

ERIKA FELLER, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said the issue of refugees involved rights denied and rights to be redeemed.  The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees remained seriously concerned about the deteriorating situation in countries across the globe, from Somalia to Mali.  Sustainable political solutions were rare.  Forced displacement had been compounded by problems related to the environment, increasingly larger populations and food and water scarcities, among other issues.  Humanitarian action was more and more needed but humanitarian organizations were increasingly confronted by a shrinking amount of humanitarian space.  Meeting these challenges meant re-affirming the international community’s commitment to protection.  The Human Rights Council had a leading role to play in galvanizing this commitment and was an important partner for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.  The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees encouraged the Council to measure Universal Periodic Review commitments against commitments in other fora.  Forced displacement, statelessness and mixed migratory problems would remain global issues.  

Right of Reply

Azerbaijan, speaking in a right of reply, said that what the Armenian side considered the exercise of the right to self-determination by a minority group in Azerbaijan was in fact the illegal use of force against the sovereignty of Azerbaijan.  Azerbaijan demanded the withdrawal of occupying Armenian forces from Nagorno-Karabakh.

Belarus, speaking in a right of reply, said that it wanted to remind delegations that statements in the High-level Segment were supposed to be constructive and productive and the statement by the Czech Republic was not.  The Czech Republic secret services had secret prisons where torture was carried out.  The Special Rapporteur on torture should duly react and undertake a country visit to the Czech Republic.

Ecuador, speaking in a right of reply, said that the claims about withdrawal of television were far from truth.  Ecuador had been a democracy for many years in which the guarantee and respect for the rights of all could be found not only in its Constitution, but also among its people.  The Government was deeply committed to freedom of expression and guaranteed space for participation not only for business press, but to community based communication too.

Cuba, speaking in a right of reply, said that the Czech Republic had made false allegations during its speech and had criticized 10 countries.  The Government of the Czech Republic had neglected to mention its complicity in the illegal flights of rendition or its complicity with the Central Intelligence Agency in detaining individuals.  Furthermore, there were cases of forced sterilization of Roma women in detention centers in the Czech Republic.  

Venezuela, speaking in a right of reply, said that the statement made by the Czech Republic had demonstrated a total unawareness of freedom of the press in Venezuela and suggested that perhaps the State party had been swayed by imperial authorities.  The Council was a place for upholding and protecting human rights and Venezuela suggested that the Czech Republic read the press in Venezuela where they would see for themselves the degree to which there was a respect for the freedom of the press

Uzbekistan, speaking in a right of reply, said that allegations of torture in Uzbekistan made by the Czech Republic were irresponsible and unsubstantiated.  The Government of Uzbekistan had fulfilled almost all of the recommendations by the Special Rapporteur on torture and was implementing a national plan of action on the prevention of torture in places of detention.  Treaty bodies had expressed concern on the inhumane treatment and violence against minorities, including women that had occurred by the police in the Czech Republic.  

China, speaking in a right of reply, said China condemned the statements by the delegations of Sweden and the Czech Republic.  The Government of China protected liberty and the freedom of religion and belief.  Religious groups located outside of China, which called for sedition, would be subject to the Chinese penal code.  Concerning problems of racial discrimination and intolerance towards minorities, these same problems existed in Sweden and the Czech Republic and China noted that these Governments should first resolve their own problems.  

Egypt, speaking in a right of reply, said regarding comments by a number of speakers about the situation of civil society organizations in Egypt, the Egyptian society considered civil society as a main pillar of law and democracy.  The activities of civil society in Egypt were governed by laws which all had to abide by.  With regard to this, Egypt’s examination of certain civil society organizations was in concert with Egyptian law and was the responsibility of the judiciary.

Armenia, speaking in a right of reply, reminded the Council of the violence and massacre committed in Nagorny Karabakh.  Azerbaijan had started the military aggression.  Armenia regretted the fact that the statement of Azerbaijan did not note the most important part in the statement by Armenia’s Vice-Minister.  The universality of human rights meant it should be applicable to all, including those in Nagorny Karabakh. This was again an attempt to confuse things in the international community.

Azerbaijan, speaking in a second right of reply, reserved the right to use the right of reply and the remarks concerning the genocide should be maintained in the record.  The Armenia delegation passed over the human rights of the Azerbaijani people who were evicted, killed, and tortured, and suffered from enforced disappearances and seizures of land and property.  There were more than 1 million refugees and displaced persons.      

Armenia, said in a second right of reply that the people of Nagorny Karabakh had realized their right to self-determination and that was a fait accompli, regardless of who recognized it and who did not.  It was now an established community, with stability and rule of law.  


Debate Under General Segment

China said that the world was becoming increasingly interconnected, but there was greater instability in international relations.  Climate change, food security and terrorism and other non-traditional threats brought new challenges to peace, stability and development.  China believed that the international community should focus on the right of all people to survival and greater efforts needed to be put in overcoming the economic and financial crisis and in achieving the Millennium Development Goals.  Diverse methods of respecting human rights should be respected.  Governments and people had the right to promote and protect human rights according to their specific conditions.  Dialogue and open approach were essential and the international community in the area of human rights must be guided by the principles of the United Nations Charter and respect for national sovereignty.

Romania said that the Human Rights Council had discharged its mandate well in the challenging year 2011; it called for accountability when human rights violations occurred and took a firm stance.  Sadly, human rights violations were still ongoing; in Syria, people were looking at the international community for support and assistance.  On the process of sometimes painful transition, Romania said that upholding human rights was essential to provide peace and justice for all.  The main goal of transition should be installation of democracy and rule of law where all were accountable for their acts.  The Human Rights Council had to find a way to foster mainstreaming of democracy and human rights into political transitions.  Turning to the Universal Periodic Review, Romania said that the second cycle would put to test the real determination of States not only to identify challenges in their human rights system but also to implement commitments and recommendations resulting from this exercise.  
 
Ecuador said the last five years had shown the decisive commitment of the Government to protecting and defending human rights in the work of the Human Rights Council.  Ecuador opposed the manipulation of the Council for geo-political purposes and the use of the promotion and protection of human rights as a pretext for military intervention.  Past neo-liberal policies had led to a great period of instability and uncertainty in the country but the current Government had developed a new approach in 2007 with the adoption of a new constitution.  In order to invest and improve the quality of life and do away with poverty, the Government had restructured its debt by repurchasing the debt at 30 per cent of its nominal value.  Ecuador now had the lowest debt in Latin America and had been able to invest considerable resources into energy production and poverty reduction strategies.  

India said that India’s democratic polity, together with an independent and impartial judiciary, free and independent press, a vibrant civil society and a powerful and independent national human rights commission, had provided the basis for nurturing a culture of respect for human rights.  The promotion and protection of human rights could best be achieved through dialogue and cooperation.  The strength of the Human Rights Council was in its adherence to the principles of objectivity, transparency, non-selectivity, non-politicization and non-confrontation.  India was concerned that the recent trend and spate of country specific resolutions could well end up weakening the constructive dialogue and cooperative approach which had prevailed so far in the Council.  There should be a streamlining of the number of resolutions tabled in each session and the work of the Council should be rationalized to avoid duplication and overlap.

Oman said that the Government of Oman had placed citizens at the centre of all development plans since the 1970s.  Oman had established a national commission on human rights and had positively engaged with treaty monitoring bodies.  The second Gulf Forum on Human Rights would be hosted in Oman in 2012.  Oman called on the international community to support the Palestinian people and their desire to achieve statehood and to live in peace.  

Belarus agreed that the Universal Periodic Review provided monitoring on an equal footing on compliance with human rights obligations.  However, a crisis was maturing in the Council which was based on hasty decisions which did not take into account the founding principles of the Council.  Country situations were not approached in a balanced manner and some members considered that there were countries which had immunity in human rights violations and they were never debated in the Council.    

Luxembourg said Luxembourg supported free and fair elections, rule of law, minority rights and justice.  Luxembourg was concerned about the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and called on Israel to stop all the violations of international humanitarian and human rights law and bring an end to the occupation.  Luxembourg attached great importance to the rights of the child, links between the environment and human rights, poverty reduction and the promotion of all economic, social and cultural rights.  Hunger and malnutrition in the world were a flagrant violation of the right to food and it was time to focus on this issue and to the right of women.  

Democratic People's Republic of Korea said that there were many situations around the world which required the attention of the Human Rights Council.  One such situation was in “South Korea” where the authorities were still refusing to abolish the infamous Security Law, designed to oppress the opponents, gag the independent press and crack down on peaceful demonstrations.  The Democratic People's Republic of Korea urged Japanese authorities to immediately make sincere apologies for its past crimes against humanity, bring perpetrators to justice and compensate the victims.

Albania said Albania was recently visited by Francois Crepeau, the Special Rapporteur on the rights of migrants.  Albania was committed to work with all the Special Procedures.  Albania attached particular importance to unconditional respect for the rights of children.  The representation of women in politics and public life had increased but improvements in the legislative and administrative frameworks remained a priority.  Albania expressed worry about the intolerable situation in Syria and supported the initiatives to guarantee the end of human rights violations.  Albania also supported initiatives to guarantee peace and security in the Balkans.  

Honduras said the fire in the Penal Center of Comayagua had prevented the Minster of Justice and Human Rights from attending the Council.  In terms of human rights, Honduras had strengthened its institutional infrastructure, such as the Secretariat of Justice and Human Rights.  Honduras supported the robust stance of the Human Rights Council on Syria and appreciated the interactive dialogue on freedom of expression on the internet.  

Nepal said Nepal viewed the Universal Periodic Review as the most participatory and innovative mechanism of the Council.  Nepal remained committed to the implementation of recommendations, voluntary pledges and commitments that were made during its Universal Periodic Review in 2011.  Bringing the nationally-driven peace process to a successful conclusion and writing a democratic constitution had been its main priorities.  Significant achievements in the peace process had been made.  The Government was committed to ensuring justice to the victims of conflict.  

Argentina said that since the restoration of democracy and particularly as of 2003, Argentina had placed the promotion of human rights as well as reparations for the victims of violations as main planks in the Government’s policy.  A democratic and inclusive model of society included addressing the rights of the most vulnerable, notably women and children.  Argentina would play a leading role in the protection of the elderly as part of the United Nations system and the State assured, by law, the rights of same sex marriage.  Argentina had submitted its candidacy as a Council Member for the 2013 to 2015 period.

Nicaragua said that the Government had worked hard to support children in accessing education, and farmers in maintaining their livelihood, while continuing to improve and extend health care and the provision of decent homes for its citizens.  Recent elections in the country had shown that Government policies had the solidarity and support of the people.  Nicaragua reaffirmed and renewed its commitment and vocation to uphold all human rights.  

Holy See said the implementation of human rights was a difficult challenge today, especially in regard to the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religious belief.  The Holy See said that there were serious and recurrent violations on the freedom of religion or belief.  Approximately 70 per cent of the world’s population lived in countries that had restrictions on religious practices.  Religions were not a threat but a resource because they contributed to the development of civilizations.  The press had an important role to play in awareness raising campaigns and the Holy See urged the international community to refocus its efforts on protecting the right to freedom of religious belief.  

Barbados said that this session was taking place while many societies experienced upheavals and it was clear that ensuring human rights was the only way forward.  The ability of the Council to support these people in their quest would therefore be under close scrutiny.  The price to be paid for the continued enjoyment of human rights was continued vigilance.  Barbados joined the international community in condemning the violence in Syria and in the call for delivering humanitarian assistance to the people who needed it.  The Universal Periodic Review was a remarkable achievement in the institutional architecture of the Council and Barbados aimed to participate constructively in this process.

Ukraine expressed deep concern about the continuing crisis in Syria and urged the parties to find a way to restore peace and stability.  Ukraine noted with satisfaction the completion of the first cycle of the Universal Periodic Review and said that the steps taken by the authorities to address the recommendations included the drafting of the new criminal code with the view of aligning domestic legislation with European standards.  The best way to protect human rights was by preventing violations and this should be a high priority for this Council.

United Arab Emirates said that the protection of human rights was a priority in the United Arab Emirates, which was currently implementing recommendations from its Universal Periodic Review process in the area of empowerment of women, justice, and economic, social and political rights.  The United Arab Emirates had also been active in the promotion and protection of human rights at regional and international levels.  In closing, the United Arab Emirates hoped that its candidacy for membership would receive the support of the Council.

Egypt said a year had gone by since the Egyptian people had risen up for change and aspirations for freedom and social justice.  This change was sought in a clear and democratic manner.  It was a pleasure to take the floor following elections that the world had seen as fair.  Women’s participation was noticeably high.  In a few days, the Egyptian parliament would start to draft a new constitution.  Emergency laws had been abrogated.  New legislation to combat discrimination of all kinds had been approved.  The Government had proceeded with many programmes to ensure human rights.  

Pakistan said the Government of Pakistan had made substantial progress in taking steps to uphold fundamental human rights and to implement the commitments it made during Pakistan’s first Universal Periodic Review in 2008.  Pakistan had ratified a number of human rights conventions.  A national human rights commission was established in 2011.  Substantive legislation had been enacted to protect and safeguard the rights of women.  The Council should not detract from its responsibility to closely monitor and ensure respect for human rights in all occupied territories, including Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.  

International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human rights said around the world people had faced and were facing economic conditions whose impact was almost as destructive as that of rulers who would not relinquish power peacefully.  Both circumstances raised fundamental human rights issues.  National human rights institutions had a central role and had demonstrated the contribution they could make.    
 
A representative of civil society and a human rights defender from Egypt said that the last year had been very challenging as demands were presented simply: bread, freedom and human dignity.  The international community could still make a difference in supporting the brave people demanding dignity, and ensure that deposed dictators were not simply replaced with the emergence of new forms of autocracy.  Human rights instruments should be used to promote healthy and sustainable democracies.

A representative of civil society and a human rights defender from Bahrain said that new generations were using new technology and the social media to spread their message, break barriers and demand dignity.  Those movements had just begun and the struggle to achieve true transformation and Governments’ accountability continued in a number of countries.  Human rights in the context of peaceful demonstrations and freedom of expression on the Internet would grow in importance in the years to come.

A representative of civil society and a human rights defender from Chile said that the linkages between human rights and the environment were increasingly recognized and the Council had a historic opportunity to establish a Special Procedure on climate change, the environment and human rights to carry forward the work.  Narrow political interests should not stand in the way of the Council’s ability to address the human rights dimensions of the critical environmental issues confronting the planet.

A representative of civil society and a human rights defender from Iraq said that the stark reality was the selectivity and double standards in the application of international law, whereby some countries enjoyed impunity no matter how brutally they treated their or other people.  Such was the case in Iraq, Palestine or Afghanistan.

Right of Reply

Republic of Korea, speaking in a right of reply, said it was regrettable that “North Korea” used the august forum of the Human Rights Council to make false accusations.  The Republic of Korea reiterated that it was concerned about the grave humanitarian situation in “North Korea” and hoped the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea would take steps to work with the international community in this regard.    

Japan, speaking in a right of reply, said it would refrain from repeating the statement it had made during Tuesday’s High-level Segment meeting.  

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, speaking in a right of reply, rejected the groundless accusations made by the Republic of Korea as they were fabrications intended to defame the image of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.  “South Korea” was violating human rights.  “South Korea” could not bring to justice the American forces guilty of rape, violence and murder.  It should clean itself first before criticizing others.  The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea rejected the accusation made by Japan and others regarding abductions.  

Republic of Korea, in a second right of reply, said that it was regrettable that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea would not give up making false accusations and that Republic of Korea would not reply to those groundless accusations.

Japan, in a second right of reply, urged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to face the human rights situation in its own country and to take constructive measures in this regard.  

Democratic People's Republic of Korea, in a second right of reply concerning groundless accusations about the human rights situation in his country by the Republic of Korea, said that all issues could be resolved easily if “South Korea” implemented the Pyong Yang Declaration and that provocation was not an answer.
 

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For use of the information media; not an official record