Human Rights Council
AFTERNOON 29 February 2012

The Human Rights Council this afternoon continued with its High-level Segment, hearing statements from 16 dignitaries who spoke about internally displaced persons, the Universal Periodic Review, sports and human rights and the human rights and humanitarian situation in Syria.

Speaking were Erato Kazakou-Markoullis, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Cyprus; Dikgakgamatso N. Seretse, Minister of Defence, Justice and Security of Botswana; Marie-Elise Gbedo, Minister of Justice, Legislation and Human Rights of Benin; Urmas Paet, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Estonia; Vesna Pusiæ, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia; Luzolo Bambi Lessa, Minister of Justice and Human Rights of the Democratic Republic of Congo; Olugbenga Ashiru, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nigeria; Harold Caballeros, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Guatemala; Nikola Poposki, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; Akmal Saidov, Chairman of the National Centre for Human Rights of Uzbekistan; Le Luong Minh, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam; Nebojša Kuðeroviæ, State Secretary for Political Affairs of Montenegro; Temir Porras Ponceleón, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; Ana Trišiæ Babiæ, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Ruslan Kazakbaev, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan; and Julia D. Joiner, Commissioner for Political Affairs of the African Union.

During the discussions, speakers said that the human rights of internally displaced persons and finding durable solutions to their displacement was an issue of high priority. Many speakers noted that the eyes of the international community were fixed on the escalating and worrisome human rights and humanitarian situation in Syria. Speakers welcomed the establishment of the mandate on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence and encouraged all States emerging from internal conflict to work with this Special Rapporteur. Speakers noted the positive recent developments in Myanmar and said that the non-violent struggles of Aung Sun Suu Kyi and similar people in other countries should be noticed, recognized and supported by the international community.

The role of sports in promoting awareness and understanding of human rights and the fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance was noted by many speakers. The Universal Periodic Review and Special Procedures were essential tools for promoting and protecting human rights. The opening for signature of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child with a communications procedure was welcomed. Speakers emphasized that the Human Rights Council should be a forum to promote cooperation and dialogue among nations on the basis of the principles of transparency, democracy, objectivity, impartiality and non-selectivity, avoiding double standards.

When the Council resumes its work at 9 a.m. on Thursday, 1 March, it will resume its urgent debate on the human rights and humanitarian situation in Syria. At 11 a.m., the Council will continue its High-level Segment.

High-level Segment

ERATO KOZAKOU MARCOULLIS, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus, said achieving full respect for the human rights of internally displaced persons and finding durable solutions to their displacement was an issue of high priority. Nearly a third of Cyprus’s population had been displaced due to the continuing foreign military occupation. The military aggression against Cyprus continued unabated to date with all the consequences of forcible displacement, division of the population by ethnic origin, cultural destruction and property usurpation. Cypriot women suffered the most. In Cyprus, women and children outnumbered men in internally displaced people figures. Regrettably, women’s participation in peace negotiations worldwide remained ad hoc. Fewer than three per cent of signatories to peace agreements were women. Cypriot women had demonstrated a distinct courage and determination for peace. This was evident in the concrete actions undertaken by Hands Across the Divide, the first bicommunal women’s group in Cyprus. Cyprus welcomed the creation of UN Women in 2010. The Government of Cyprus had put in place the National Machinery for Women’s Rights which incorporated a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to gender equality.

DIKGAKGAMATSO N. SERETSE, Minister of Defence, Justice and Security of Botswana, said that the eyes of the international community were fixed on the escalating and worrisome human rights and humanitarian situation in Syria. Solidarity was not about Governments but about putting people in the centre and Botswana urged the Council to remain seized on the situation in Syria. No amount of explanation could justify another day of carnage in Syria, said the Minister. Impunity was unjustifiable and all those responsible for committing atrocities and serious human rights violations must be held accountable. That was why Botswana welcomed the establishment of the mandate on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence and encouraged all States emerging from internal conflict to work with this Special Rapporteur. Botswana encouraged progress in Sri Lanka and expressed concerns about the situation in Myanmar and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Finally, Mr. Seretse said that his country was looking forward to its review in the second cycle of the Universal Periodic Review and reiterated Botswana’s commitment to the work and institutional development of the Council.

MARIE-ELISE GBEDO, Minister of Justice, Legislation and Human Rights of Benin, said that the Government of Benin had firmly committed itself in the fight against poverty, to provide fair access for all citizens to services, to the proper functioning of institutions in respect of the separation of powers and to guarantee transparency in elections. A number of recent legal reforms included a law to fight corruption and a law to prevent and punish violence against women. Benin thanked the European Union and the United States for their efforts to support in judicial reform in the country through the upgrading and building of appeals courts. Penal reforms were underway in parallel with technical partners. The Government would build and equip 10 new prisons and rehabilitate others that were in a state of disrepair. A policy of micro credit for vulnerable women and employment policies for young people had been strengthened. To ensure equal access to education, the Government had decentralized departments of universities and a gender perspective had been integrated into national policies and programmes. A women’s institute had also been established. In 2011, the Government had expanded the provision of health services through a programme of universal insurance. Benin had the political will to ensure that human rights would triumph and remained open to cooperating with all special mandate holders.

URMAS PAET, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Estonia, said Estonia aspired to be elected to the Human Rights Council for the period of 2013 to 2015. Estonia called on the Syrian Government to immediately halt the violence. It was right that the situation in Syria was one of the main themes of the nineteenth session of the Human Rights Council. Estonia had observed with concern the repression and restrictions on human rights in Belarus and welcomed a more thorough discussion on the topic during the Council in June. The recent developments in Myanmar were positive. Democratic societies should make sure that the non-violent struggles of Aung Sun Suu Kyi and similar people in other countries were noticed, recognised and supported. The understanding of the space in which the right of free speech was exercised needed to be updated. Estonia had also set combating impunity among its priorities and had allocated special funding to cover the costs of its Presidency of the International Criminal Court Assembly of States for the years 2012-2014. Estonia placed great importance on the follow-up to resolution 1325 on women, peace and security and was implementing a national action plan to promote the goals found in the resolution.

VESNA PUSIC, Minster for Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia, said, for Croatia, the last year was marked by the conclusion of European Union accession negotiations. The accession process was primarily a state-building exercise in all different areas, including the human rights field. Croatia was appalled by the reports of the brutal attacks by the Syrian armed forces. The international community had to speak with one voice to demand an end to the bloodshed and Croatia welcomed the Council’s urgent debate. With respect to Libya, there was a lot of knowledge about rebuilding post-conflict societies and establishing institutions that Croatia had learnt from its own experience and was prepared to share. There was progress in Burma and Croatia supported it. Croatia welcomed the opening for signature of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Concerning the rights of women and girls, Croatia had focused its assistance in Afghanistan on the education of girls. Serious work still had to be done on the international level to raise awareness of discrimination against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual population. In Croatia, there was still unfinished business in the human rights field. Seventeen years after the war, Croatia was still struggling with the justice for all who suffered.

LUZOLO BAMBI LESSA, Minister of Justice and Human Rights of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, appraised the Human Rights Council of the situation concerning the implementation of the commitments arising from the eighteenth session of the Council, which included, among others, the settlement of electoral disputes; combating of pre-electoral, post-electoral and electoral violence; the adoption of the list of major human rights challenges compiled in a consultative manner; and combating impunity for human rights violations, corruption and sexual violence. Turning to challenges to the promotion and protection of human rights, the Minister said that there were efforts to complete the legal reform initiated by the previous legislature. Cooperation with the International Criminal Court to combat impunity was exemplary. The country had developed sufficient machinery to combat impunity and it was important to include transitional justice programmes in those. The Government categorically rejected the proposal to establish a technical assistance mandate in this Council for justice sector reform and the fight against impunity.

HAROLD CABALLEROS, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, said that the humanitarian situation in Syria had worsened because of the scale of the indiscriminate attacks launched against civilians and the Government of Guatemala expressed its support for efforts made by the Arab League to resolve the crisis. In Guatemala, the Government had focused on three major policies: peace and security with a wide definition to include the fight against hunger; economic development with a focus on rural areas; and an economic tax scheme. In 2012, the Government had enacted the Statue of Rome, a clear sign that the Government was serious in fighting impunity and would insist on reparations for victims of human rights violations. The Ministry for Social Development was recently created to address the needs of those living in extreme poverty. Fiscal reform was enacted so that the Government would have sufficient reforms to support economic development. Guatemala believed that the Universal Periodic Review and the Special Procedures were essential tools for promoting and protecting human rights. The Government had established bodies to protect vulnerable groups and had designated specific units within institutions to focus on the promotion of awareness-raising of human rights. Human trafficking and drug smuggling were two challenges that the Government faced. Ten per cent of the population in the country lived outside the borders and the Government had made major efforts to give them legal status and access to services.

NIKOLA POPOSKI, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, said the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia supported the adoption of the resolution on the review of the Human Rights Council with the aim of contributing to the continuation of consensus-building efforts. The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia welcomed the completion of the first cycle of the Universal Periodic Review and encouraged implementation of its recommendations and follow-up. The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia had just finalized its Mid-term Progress Assessment Report as a product of a process that involved all stakeholders. The effectiveness of the Council was recently proven during the events in North Africa and the Middle East, where it played a significant if not crucial role. The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia supported the concerted efforts of the international community aimed at putting an end to the human rights violations taking place in Syria. The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was a candidate for membership on the Human Rights Council for the period of 2014 to 2016. Inter-religious dialogue remained high on Macedonia’s agenda.

AKMAL SAIDOV, Director of the National Human Rights Centre of Uzbekistan, said that Uzbekistan had celebrated its twentieth anniversary of independence and during this period had built a democratic and law-governed State with the participation of an active and open civil society. Fifty-eight per cent of the State’s budgetary expenditure was allocated to the social sphere. In 2011, the law on detention in criminal proceedings was adopted to strengthen safeguards for the protection of the rights of arrested and detained persons. The Government, in cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, would provide training workshops for judges, law enforcement officials, national human rights institutions and on the preparation of broadcasting materials for human rights. Numerous responses were provided to Special Procedures, including on contemporary forms of slavery, on torture and on the right to education. Hearings in parliament from key ministries on the Government’s obligations to treaty bodies were now conducted to provide greater transparency and commitment to protecting human rights. Uzbekistan was the first central Asian State to create a system of national human rights institutions. Constitutional reforms would continue to expand the legal framework supporting the protection of freedom of speech and civil rights in Uzbekistan.

LE LUONG MINH, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam, said Viet Nam was deeply concerned about the escalation of tension and violence in Syria, resulting in the loss of so many innocent lives. Viet Nam called upon all parties concerned to show goodwill, demonstrate constraint and conduct constructive dialogue to find a prompt political solution in line with the aspirations of the Syrian people. Viet Nam supported all international efforts to contribute to national reconciliation, peace and stability. The Human Rights Council had to be a forum to promote cooperation and dialogue among nations on the basis of the principles of transparency, democracy, objectivity, impartiality and non-selectivity, avoiding double standards. Viet Nam would support efforts aimed at strengthening the Universal Periodic Review mechanism. In Viet Nam, legislative, administrative and judicial reforms continued to be high on the agenda with a view to further strengthening human rights. Viet Nam had been engaging in human rights dialogue and cooperation with international partners, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and its Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights. Viet Nam had hosted a number of Independent Experts and Special Rapporteurs.

NEBOJSA KUÐEROVIC, State Secretary for Political Affairs of Montenegro, said that the year 2011 had been marked by political and armed conflicts, and these had been a dominant issue on the agenda of the Human Rights Council. Montenegro shared the concern of the international community about the situation in Syria and welcomed the appointment of Mr. Kofi Annan as Special Envoy for this country. The strengthening of the system of treaty bodies enjoyed the full support of Montenegro, which welcomed the process of improvement of the Universal Periodic Review process. Human rights challenges that the international community was facing justified the establishment of new Special Procedures, and Montenegro invited all countries to extend them a standing invitation. Durable solutions for refugees residing in Montenegro, as well as advancement of disadvantaged groups, persons with disabilities, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender populations, the fight against discrimination and achieving gender equality featured high on the Government’s agenda.

TEMIR PORRAS PONCELEON, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, said the Government had adopted a national human rights strategy which had constitutional rank and commitment from all parts of society. The deep crisis of global capitalism had produced unprecedented economic decline all over the world. However, in Venezuela, the Government had continued to increase its wealth while at the same reducing income inequalities, which were the lowest in the region according to the Genie index. In 13 years Venezuela’s Gross Domestic Product had tripled and the Government had made social justice the core of its strategy for generating wealth. The Government could not understand claims to protect human rights through military interventions or an open policy of regime change. Venezuela would support any process of social, economic and political reforms that the Syrian people had chosen in full sovereignty. Venezuela reaffirmed its total commitment to consolidating its national system for the promotion and protection of human rights and urged the Human Rights Council not to submit to pressures from countries that would diminish its credibility and independence. The most perfect system of Government was the one which produced the greatest sum of happiness and political security.

ANA TRISIC BABIC, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, said that this Council should not forget that victims of human rights violations from all over the world expected its actions. This was not easy but the Council had obligations to fulfil, no matter the political or other obstacles. The Universal Periodic Review was one of the main mechanisms and further efforts must be made to ensure implementation of its achievements. Bosnia and Herzegovina mentioned the regional project aimed at achieving a durable solution for the protracted refugee crisis in four countries of the region; negotiations had been successfully completed and a Donors Conference scheduled in April 2012 would ensure adequate housing and better living conditions for the refugees. A new Council of Ministers had been established in Bosnia and Herzegovina two weeks ago; its priorities would be the European Union membership and fulfilling necessary requirements for the Membership Action Plan status of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. There was also a strong political will to tackle unresolved internal issues and to improve the position regarding the integration process.

RUSLAN KAZAKBAEV, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan, said that Kyrgyzstan supported the work of the Human Rights Council and over 20 years of independence had ratified seven out of the nine international human rights treaties. Over the last two years, the Government had brought legislation into line with its obligations under international treaties. The Government had undertaken national measures to implement the recommendations of Member States made during the Universal Periodic Review. Kyrgyzstan would continue to expand the dialogue with mandate holders and had received the Special Rapporteur on torture. The geographic position of Kyrgyzstan and the history of the region had led to a unique ethnic makeup in the country with over 100 nationalities represented and one third of the population consisting of ethnic minorities. An ethnic conflict had occurred over three days in 2011 and after the situation had stabilized its roots and causes were examined and priority areas were indentified, including the need for a greater focus on education and minority representation in the policy process. The Government had seen clear trends toward inter-ethnic peace and agreement.

AKIN FAYOMI, Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Nigeria, said that Nigeria attached great importance to human rights and fundamental freedoms both nationally and internationally and was pleased to note the substantial effort the Human Rights Council had put into achieving its mandate. Its special sessions and Special Procedures allowed it to devote attention to global human rights issues in a timely and effective manner. Nigeria commended the Council for the completion of the first cycle of the Universal Periodic Review and the conclusion of the review process. It also welcomed the adoption of the outcome of the review of the work and functioning of the Human Rights Council and the subsequent endorsement of the document in the General Assembly. It was Nigeria’s hope that the review would lead to an improvement in the effectiveness of the Human Rights Council. In closing, Nigeria commended the High Commissioner for her tireless efforts in drawing the world’s attention to situations where human rights were under threat and assured her of Nigeria’s strong support. Nigeria underscored the importance of the cooperation of States in advancing the work of the Human Rights Council.

JULIA JOINER, Commissioner for Political Affairs of the African Union, said that access to the Voluntary Fund for Financial and Technical Assistance was at this stage both crucial and urgent and called upon all States to contribute generously to this Fund to ensure the success of the Universal Periodic Review mechanism. There was a need for greater collaboration and coordination between the Universal Periodic Review and regional human rights mechanisms. The role of sports in promoting awareness and understanding of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was of particular importance in Africa, especially within the ambit of the fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. There were still acts of violence and discrimination perpetrated against sports men and women because of their colour or country of origin and the international community should demonstrate unified determination in addressing these crucial challenges. The African Union commended the initiative by several countries to establish a voluntary fund aimed at facilitating least developed countries and other small States’ participation in the proceedings of the Human Rights Council. The positive role of the African Union in seeking durable mechanisms for peace in Libya and the Sudan should be noted. The country mandates had to be reconsidered objectively and reviewed free of political overtones.

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