On Universal Human Rights: Navi Pillay, Prince

Zeid, and Keeping a Strong Voice at the United

Nations
My first
meeting
with Navanetham ("Navi") Pillay was when she was studying law while at
Harvard University along with Jessica Neuwirth. Neuwirth eventually became the legal
advisor at mnesty !nternational U" and one of the #roducers of the Human $ights
Now music tour. %ur goal was to #lay music all over the #lanet and to raise awareness
and a willingness to act on behalf of human rights. !t was timed to su##ort the fortieth
anniversary of the Universal &eclaration of Human $ights (U&H$). !t was '()) and
the a#artheid regime still ruled "outh frica. s such* we didn+t have a concert in
"outh frica but instead in neighboring ,imbabwe (before the rule of Mugabe+s
government consolidated itself as an enemy of human rights and while it was still
getting credibility as an anti-colonial freedom-fighting national government).
.he influence of the tour was designed to s#read across what is now called the
"outhern /one of frica. %ur !-U" team also sent free tic0ets to anti-a#artheid
student leaders in "outh frica so that they might attend the concert. s we assembled
our team of musicians* roadies* and others for our two full &/-'1 #lanes* we made a
#oint of as0ing a team of five #articular activists to 2oin us to give direct testimony and
answer 3uestions to enable us to learn from activists and survivors of #olitical
im#risonment and the e4#erience of a racially tabulated system of e4istence. %ne of
these five was Pillay* an accom#lished 2urist and lawyer from "outh frica. .he
#ositions and e4#eriences that she shared during that flight have echoed ever since.
JackHealey- 06/24/2014
My own first u#-close loo0 at "outh frica came about when ! was the country director
of the Peace /or#s in 5esotho beginning in '(66. "he and her husband 7abby had
hosted my ste#son for a summer brea0 so that he too could loo0 into the eyes of
a#artheid and 0now its effects to better see how the failure to #rotect human rights for
all meant a failure to #rotect human rights for any.
Pillay had had a long and groundbrea0ing career already before our tour had her share
her e4#eriences. Having become the first "colored" woman to o#en her own law
#ractice in what was then "outh frica+s Natal Province* she had been unable to enter
2udicial chambers due to her race classification under the regime. "he s#ent her time
defending anti-a#artheid activists and fought unfair detention and the use of abusive
conditions for nearly three decades. Notably* it was her re#resentation that created the
ability for #olitical #risoners on the notorious $obben !sland (including Mandela
himself) to have access to their attorneys. "he sued to #revent her husband from being
interrogated using e4tra-2udicial "techni3ues." "he was an early leader in the creation
for shelters for survivors of domestic violence and hel#ed created an e3uality clause in
the "outh frican #ost-a#artheid constitution that #rohibits discrimination on the
basis of race* religion* and se4ual orientation* a clause that continues to be ahead of the
ty#ical in international 2uris#rudence. !n '((8* she was a co-founder of 93uality
Now with :eryal 7harahi and Jessica Neuwirth* all lawyers who 2oined forces to
advance the recognition that violence against women was a violation of the U&H$.
!n '((;* Nelson Mandela sent Pillay to the "outh frican High /ourt* which allowed
her to e4#erience the first time that she+d entered 2udicial chambers when she entered
her own. <ery 3uic0ly* she was elected by the United Nations+ 7eneral ssembly to
serve on the !nternational /riminal .ribunal for $wanda* where she hel#ed to
landmar0 the notion that war ra#e is a form of genocide and not "merely" a correlate to
warfare. subse3uent founding member of the!nternational /riminal /ourt in 811=*
she resigned in 811) to ta0e u# her #osition as High /ommissioner for Human $ights.
Pillay was nominated in 811) and her nomination was initially o##osed by the United
"tates due to her su##ort for real freedom for women+s re#roductive rights among
other "concerns." fter such o##osition was dro##ed she was given not only the ty#ical
four-year term but had things renewed for an additional two-year term. .hat term is
soon coming to an end and her mar0 on the United Nations is difficult to ade3uately
describe in both her systematic #ursuit of "traditional" human rights in the face of
notable #olitical o##osition and her willingness to #ursue new ways to ma0e im#licit
human rights more e4#licit. >ithout the leadershi# of Navi Pillay* the horrors of "ri
5an0a+s discrimination against .amils and Muslims would be much less visible* the
disgusting attem#ts at genocideagainst the $ohingya in western ?urma would be less
covered in the media* and there would still be no United Nations recognition of the
human rights im#eratives for 57?. #rotections.
.he successor for the #osition is Jordan+s Prince ,eid* and these are very difficult shoes
for him or anyone to fill. ?ut the United "tates has a not inconsiderable voice at the
United Nations. /all your $e#resentative and "enator
(seewww.contactingthecongress.org) now and as0 them to as0 Prince ,eid to su##ort
the full breadth of rights. Navi Pillay bravely and correctly read the rights im#licit to
gender* orientation* disability* and economic rights and the world has every right to
e4#ect all the United Nations clout to maintain that line. >e ho#e that ,eid is #re#ared
to be as inclusive and courageous as Pillay in mandating the truly universal nature of
the Universal &eclaration of Human $ights for all of the #lanet. fterwards* we
strongly suggest that you consider a note to the United Nations+ High %ffice of the
High /ommission for Human $ights directly at infodes0@ohchr.org to than0 Navi
Pillay for her strong voice and su##ort for human rights for all #eo#les as well as
wishing the ne4t High /ommissioner the very best. >e wish her ho#e and the very best
wishes in whatever she might choose to do ne4t and 0now that all the world+s #eo#les
will find solidarity in her inclusive voice.