HUMAN RIGHTS, ADDRESSES OPENING

OF HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCILS 27TH

SESSION
ZEID RA'AD AL HUSSEIN, NEW UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR
HUMAN RIGHTS, ADDRESSES OPENING OF HUMAN RIGHTS
COUNCILS 27TH SESSION
8 September 2014
Twenty years ago, I was exposed to a cruel, pointless, war. I was serving with the
United Nations Protection Force in the former Yugoslavia, and learnt then a numer of
simple lessons. !iolence at the extreme is so callous, so sic"ening and eyond the
asurd, the human mind can arely edit into comprehensile thoughts what it sees.
No war is worse than another in this regard# all wars, ig and small, reveal factories
spewing the same wic"edness. $nd yet, astonishingly, the authors of the crimes
themselves, and their supporting communities, will always elieve their actions were
somehow necessary, even if they "new they were also wrong. Indeed, every individual,
political party, association, ethnic, sectarian, or national group, or government
discriminating and inflicting violence on others, elieves that when doing so they are
excused, or asolved, y circumstance or history.
%ur tragedy, our curse, as human eings, is therefore hauntingly simple& every evil can
e rationalised to the point where some logic ' resting on a narrow argument usually
devoid of context and filled with fear ' is expanded delierately in the mind of the
"iller, the torturer, the igot and chauvinist, and ecomes for them the entire truth. It
is a perverted truth, of course# so twisted, that up has ecome down, and the liars
elieve fanatically in the lie they have created.
$nother lesson for me, twenty years ago, was e(ually clear& there is no )ustification
ever, for the degrading, the deasing or the exploitation of other human eings ' on
whatever asis& nationality, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation,
disaility, age or caste.
Yet today, the international news * however it is streamed to us * is still filled with
the soing of victims, of the oppressed, of the poor alongside the remains and the
ashes of the "illed. This remains a most pathetic stain on humanity+s record of
achievement.
,e must therefore persevere together until we end the course of humanity+s future
into a destination more hopeful and enlightened, in which human decency is the only
currency of human interaction, and is valued aove and eyond material wealth or
cleverness alone. $fter all, the world is not in need of an even greater numer of highly
intelligent people, nor politically powerful or extremely rich people# many of them are
conse(uential, yes, ut they alone will not save us. To rescue this lue, marle-loo"ing
sphere, our planet, we need ' and here we must agree with .is .oliness Pope Francis
* we need more compassionate, profoundly considerate and wise people piloting our
collective fate, and they must e courageous too.
Today I am deeply honoured to e with you, the distinguished memers of the United
Nations .uman /ights 0ouncil. I loo" forward to wor"ing again with those friends I
have "nown for many years, and to meeting you all in person over the succeeding
wee"s. I similarly hope we will collaorate and do good wor" together over the next
few years.
In this vein, I am privileged to follow the course set firmly y my predecessors, almost
all of whom I have "nown personally ' some very closely ' and all of whom I have held
in the highest esteem. They were all human rights defenders of the first ran",
exceptional and courageous, and motivated y the une(ualled courage of those who
ris" their future and their families to confront in)ustice when they see it.
.ere I would li"e to ma"e a simple point& courage is the first human virtue, revered the
world over, the very virtue we value the most as human eings. The courageous
individual is not he or she who wields great political power or points a gun at those
who do not ' that is not courage. The courageous individual is he or she who has
nothing to wield ut common sense, reason and the law, and is prepared to forfeit
future, family, friends and even life in defence of others, or to end in)ustice. In its most
magnificent form, the courageous individual underta"es this exertion, without ever
threatening or ta"ing the life of someone else, and certainly not someone defenceless.
$s the !iennese thin"er 1tefan 2weig wrote, after having lived through one world war
and fled another, 3%ur greatest det of gratitude is to those who in these inhuman
times confirm the human in us.4 .uman rights defenders are such courageous people,
and we must do everything we can to protect them, and celerate them. The United
Nations is often slow to recognise this. 0aptain 5aye 6iagne of 1enegal was proaly
the most courageous man who ever served with the United Nations, ut until recently
was never recogni7ed y the United Nations head(uarters for his sacrifice. .e saved
possily a thousand people in /wanda in the spring of 899:, and lost his life doing so,
and never hurt anyone.
;y contrast, the Ta"firis who recently murdered <ames Foley and hundreds of other
defenceless victims in Ira( and 1yria ' do they elieve they are acting courageously=
;ararically slaughtering captives= ,hat virtue are they demonstrating exactly=
They reveal only what a Ta"firi state would loo" li"e, should this movement actually
try to govern in the future. It would e a harsh, mean-spirited, house of lood, where
no shade would e offered, nor shelter given, to any non-Ta"firi in their midst. In the
Ta"firi world, unless your view is identical to theirs ' and theirs is extremely narrow
and unyielding - you forfeit your right to life. In the Ta"firi mind, as we have seen in
Nigeria, $fghanistan, Pa"istan, Yemen, >enya, 1omalia, 5ali, ?iya, 1yria and Ira(,
and throughout the world where they have attac"ed innocent people, including on
9@88, there is no love of neighour * only annihilation to those 5uslims, 0hristians,
<ews and others Aaltogether the rest of humanityB who elieve differently to them.
5r. President,
It humles me to "now I am to follow the course that Navi Pillay and her predecessors
have mapped out for the %ffice, wor"ing together with the previous .uman /ights
0ommission and now the 0ouncil. I first met Navi Pillay many years ago while we
were oth engaged with the International 0riminal 0ourt, and her personal dedication
to the 0ourt, together with that of the 1ecretary-Ceneral, will e reflected and
extended further y the %ffice over the next four years, while I am .igh
0ommissioner.
Navi Pillay was one of the greatest senior officials the United Nations has ever had, and
one of the most ale, formidale .igh 0ommissioners for .uman /ights. That she
could annoy many Covernments ' and she did ' was clear# ut she elieved deeply
and movingly in the centrality of victims, and of those who are discriminated against.
They needed her vocal chords, her lungs and her pen, and she made everyone listen. I
pledge to continue along the same path& to e as firm, yet always fair# critical of states
when necessary, and full of praise when they deserve it.
;ut I do also elieve that we must all e humle, and that while we continue to shorten
our patience with those who discriminate against and ause others, we should also
lengthen our memories. The United Nations itself is not eyond reproach, and I "now
this first hand. 0ontext and history are also important, and in this vein I welcome the
panel discussion on historical memory eing organi7ed y the 0uan delegation during
this session.
It is important ' very important ' that we continue to strengthen the human rights
pillar of the United Nations system, and to that end, the 1ecretary Ceneral+s /ights Up
Front initiative deserves our firmest support, especially if we are to integrate our
efforts in the field well with other parts of the United Nations family, for the sa"e of
ending permanently the itterest of human suffering.
;efore I egin with my update, I wish to emphasise one other point. $ ministerial-
level meeting will e held in New Yor" on DE 1eptemer, on the need for a code of
conduct to e adopted y the permanent memers of the United Nations 1ecurity
0ouncil regarding use of veto, in situations where atrocities are ongoing and where
those facts are well founded. This is not a call to have the United Nations 0harter
rewritten, ut a call for the permanent memers to exercise a moratorium in very
specific circumstances involving atrocity crimes. I applaud the Covernment of France
for ta"ing the lead over this, and than" it for inviting me to participate on the DEth.
,hen the veto is exercised for the sole purpose of loc"ing action y the 1ecurity
0ouncil, with no alternative course of action offered, and when people are suffering so
grievously ' that is also a form of cruelty.
The mandate of my %ffice encompasses all human rights, for all people. Its priorities
span discrimination# the rule of law and ending impunity# poverty# violence#
continuing efforts to improve international human rights mechanisms# and widening
the democratic space. In recent months, the %ffice of the .igh 0ommissioner of
.uman /ights A%.0./B+s concerns have een numerous. They have included severe
acts of discrimination in many regions# widespread violations of economic and social
rights due to failures of governance and other concerns# apparent violations of human
rights in the context of counter-terrorism# sexual violence# attac"s motivated y
stereotypes and hatred of many "inds# over-incarceration# the death penalty, and
many other issues.
;ut my first address to this 0ouncil ta"es place at a time when conflicts in the 5iddle
Fast and North $frica regions, in particular, are escalating dramatically. In 1yria,
more than 89G,GGG identified persons were "illed etween 5arch DG88 and $pril this
year, according to an analysis released y the %ffice of the .igh 0ommissioner of
.uman /ights last month. $ccording to United Nations /efugee $gency AUN.0/B,
more than three million 1yrians have fled their country and H.E million more are
internally displaced& in other words, almost half the people in 1yria have fled their
homes. Those wounded, orphaned, missing, detained, 3disappeared4, displaced,
malnourished, deprived of healthcare and denied other critical services add to the
incalculale human cost of this conflict.
The latest report y the Independent International 0ommission of In(uiry on the
1yrian $ra /epulic rings fresh evidence that this ancient civilisation has devolved
into a slaughterhouse, where children are tortured in front of their parents or executed
in pulic, amid wanton "illing and destruction. That report will e fully explored in
the course of an interactive dialogue during this session.
1preading outwards from its initial anchorage in the chaos of the 1yrian conflict, the
Ta"firi or so-called I1I? group that currently in effect controls large swathes of
northern Ira( has demonstrated asolute and delierate disregard for human rights.
The scale of its use of rute violence against ethnic and religious groups is
unprecedented in recent times, as the 1pecial 1ession of this 0ouncil made clear last
wee".
I solemnly remind this 0ouncil that widespread or systematic attac"s on segments of
the civilian population ecause of their ethnic ac"ground or religious eliefs
constitute a crime against humanity, for which those responsile must e held
accountale. I would also li"e to stress that international law re(uires that oth the
1tate and armed groups ta"e all measures to minimise the impact of violence on
civilians, respect the principles of distinction and proportionality when carrying out
military operations, and ensure that civilians can leave areas affected y violence in
safety and dignity.
From a human rights perspective, it is clear that the immediate and urgent priority of
the international community should e to halt the increasingly con)oined conflicts in
Ira( and 1yria. In particular, dedicated efforts are urgently needed to protect religious
and ethnic groups, children ' who are at ris" of forcile recruitment and sexual
violence ' and women, who have een the targets of severe restrictions.
The second step, as my predecessor consistently stressed, must e to ensure
accountaility for gross violations of human rights and other international crimes.
Impunity can only lead to further conflict and auses, as revenge festers and the
wrong lessons are learned. $ccountaility, and pulic ac"nowledgment of the wrongs
that victims have suffered, is important to ensuring that crimes will not e repeated,
and the only way to egin to repair a sense of common community in these devastated
societies. Ira(, with its new prime minister, should consider accession to the /ome
1tatute of the International 0riminal 0ourt.
The third tas" ' and despite the international community+s failure to ensure the first
two, I do not elieve it is too early to envisage this ' must e to ta"e a step ac" and
loo" at how and why these crises erupted. Underlying patterns of violations and
discrimination, including corrupt and discriminatory political systems that
disenfranchised large parts of the population, created an inflammale ac"drop.
?eaders who oppressed or violently attac"ed independent actors of civil society#
institutions that failed to include roadly inclusive participatory processes# a
comprehensive failure to promote and protect economic and social rights, as well as
civil and political rights ' such factors, alongside years of conflict, discouraged the
development of tolerant and moderate civil society movements, while the only
dissident groups that did flourish underground were extremist ones.
$nother example of the need to end persistent discrimination and impunity is
the Israel-Palestine conflict, with the recurring violence and destruction evident in the
repetition of crises in Ca7a. The most recent outrea" of armed conflict has had a
particularly devastating toll in death, suffering and destruction, compounding what
was an already precarious situation due to the loc"ade imposed y Israel in DGGI. $s
of last wee", preliminary estimates are that D,8J8 Palestinians had een "illed during
the latest crisis in Ca7a, including 8,:IJ civilians, EG8 of them children. I8 Israelis had
also een "illed, including four civilians.
0urrent and future generations of Palestinians in Ca7a and the ,est ;an", including
Fast <erusalem, have a right to live normal lives in dignity& without conflict, without a
loc"ade, indeed without the wide range of daily human rights infringements that are
generated y military occupation, illegal settlements, excessive use of force, home
demolitions, and the ,all that continues to e constructed across the %ccupied
Palestinian Territory. The seven-year loc"ade must end, and there must e effective
accountaility for transgressions committed y all parties. %n this point, I note that
Israelis have a right to live free and secure from indiscriminate roc"et fire.
I trust that this 0ouncil+s 0ommission of In(uiry on the %ccupied Palestinian Territory
will e ale to ac(uit its tas" of creating clarity aout facts with full engagement from
oth sides. It is also imperative that all parties to the conflict in Ca7a fully comply with
their oligations under international humanitarian law.
1ince this 0ouncil last convened, the situation in ?iya has deteriorated very rapidly,
and represents a growing threat to regional security. 5ultiple armed groups are
indiscriminately shelling heavily populated areas through the use of heavy artillery and
even aircraft, leading to the death and in)ury of civilians, including children. ?iving
conditions for civilians in Tripoli and ;engha7i have steadily deteriorated, with food,
fuel and electricity in diminishing supply. .ealth facilities have een severely affected
y the violence, and common criminality is on the rise. I urge the parties involved in
these hostilities to cease all violations of international law and end the fighting.
,e remain concerned aout the situation in U"raine. The %ffice of the .igh
0ommissioner of .uman /ights+ latest monthly report gives a full picture of current
human rights challenges, especially in the east, where at least JGGG people have een
"illed since mid-$pril this year. The 0ouncil will specifically deal with this situation
later in the session, and an official %ffice of the .igh 0ommissioner of .uman /ights
report will e presented at that time. I must, however, reiterate that every effort must
e made y oth the U"rainian government and the armed groups ' as well as y
neighouring 1tates, including the /ussian Federation ' to protect civilians in this
deplorale conflict, and to ensure compliance with international humanitarian law.
In the 0entral $frican /epulic, a near-total asence of 1tate control over most parts
of the country continues to facilitate impunity for violations. Fx-1KlK"a and anti-
;ala"a forces continue their attac"s, with the civilian population the main victims.
The international 0ommission of In(uiry on the 0entral $frican /epulic has already
concluded that there are reasonale grounds to elieve that all sides of the conflict
have perpetrated serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights
law since <anuary DG8J. In its second phase, the 0ommission will carry out
investigations eyond ;angui. HL %ffice of the .igh 0ommissioner of .uman /ights
staff memers will participate in the .uman /ights 0omponent of the United Nations
peace"eeping mission, a further indication of how the /ights Up Front agenda is
ta"ing shape.
In 1outh 1udan, despite a recent lull in fighting, we have continued to oserve serious
human rights violations y oth parties to the conflict. There will e detailed
discussion of this situation during a panel discussion on D: 1eptemer. /egarding
the 6emocratic /epulic of 0ongo, I was appalled to learn recently that more than one
in three men surveyed in the North >ivu province admitted that he had committed
sexual assault. I have een tremendously inspired y the wor" of 6r. 6enis 5u"wege,
who has noted how 3the odies of women ecame the attlefield of conflict4 in the
6emocratic /epulic of the 0ongo. This underscores the need for the Covernment to
implement recommendations regarding women+s human rights and preventing sexual
violence. $ report on the 6/0 will also e presented at this session of the 0ouncil.
5ay I say also that I have een deeply impressed y the wor" of this 0ouncil+s
0ommission of In(uiry on human rights in the 6emocratic People+s /epulic of >orea.
I hope the Ceneral $ssemly and 1ecurity 0ouncil will give this report their fullest
attention, and ta"e steps to ensure accountaility for those who have perpetrated
crimes against humanity.
5oreover, I attach great importance to the investigation on 1ri ?an"a mandated y
this 0ouncil, on which %ffice of the .igh 0ommissioner of .uman /ights will report
later in the session. I encourage the 1ri ?an"an authorities to cooperate with this
process in the interests of )ustice and reconciliation. I am alarmed at threats currently
eing levelled against the human rights community in 1ri ?an"a, as well as prospective
victims and witnesses. I also deplore recent incitement and violence against the
country+s 5uslim and 0hristian minorities.
Fxcellencies,
In the resonant words of the Preamle to the Universal 6eclaration of .uman /ights,
3/ecognition of the inherent dignity and of the e(ual and inalienale rights of all
memers of the human family is the foundation of freedom, )ustice and peace in the
world.4 1ocieties that uphold human rights are more resilient, more sustainale and
thus more secure. In raising an independent voice that can advocate for the voiceless,
in identifying violations and gaps in 1tates+ protection, and assisting with technical
capacity uilding, the %ffice of the .igh 0ommissioner of .uman /ights is, in a very
real sense, wor"ing to enefit all 5emer 1tates.
I am determined to further strengthen that highly constructive engagement with
5emer 1tates on oth ilateral and multilateral human rights issues, and I encourage
5emer 1tates to propose new methods of engagement, including transparent and
cross-regional gatherings in informal settings. In strengthening their national human
rights capacities and infrastructures, I will count on our close cooperation and
partnership with United Nations 0ountry Teams worldwide, as well as regional human
rights mechanisms, ilateral donors and other sta"eholders active at country level,
particularly national human rights institutions.
The %ffice of the .igh 0ommissioner of .uman /ights+ mandate is to ensure that
universal human rights norms are upheld, ma"ing no distinction etween countries,
and dealing impartially and forcefully with all civil, political, economic, social and
cultural rights. Those universal norms are further clarified than"s to the persistent
wor" of the independent, expert-led human rights mechanisms. $s the custodians of
human rights norms, the Treaty ;odies are uni(uely (ualified to grapple with
challenging issues# the1pecial /apporteurs are the eyes and ears of this 0ouncil. ;oth
are practical sources of expert guidance for national policies, laws and practice, while
the Universal Periodic /eview is an unprecedented tool to maintain a constant review
of human rights developments in all memer 1tates.
?i"e my predecessors, I will give utmost importance to the findings of all these human
rights mechanisms. I will see" to ensure that greater priority is given to
implementation of recommendations made y the Universal Periodic /eview, the
Treaty ;odies and 1pecial Procedures, for real impact on human rights on the ground.
I will also e focusing on wor"ing with my United Nations counterparts for greater
integration of these recommendations into their country programmes. /egarding
resolution HL@DHL on Treaty ;ody strengthening, the past six months have seen
significant follow-up to this landmar" document, and I will pay careful attention to its
implementation y 1tates and y the Treaty ;odies themselves.
;ut the wor" done y the %ffice of the .igh 0ommissioner of .uman /ights, y the
1pecial Procedures, y Treaty ;odies, this 0ouncil itself, and indeed, y 5emer
1tates, could never e achieved without the greater efforts of civil society actors. ,e
need their continuing support and contriutions to realise progress. I encourage the
0ouncil to strengthen its constructive engagement with civil society actors, and to
ensure that their voices can e raised safely and without reprisals.
Freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assemly are rights that enale
people to share ideas, form new thin"ing, and )oin together with others to claim their
rights. It is through the exercise of these pulic freedoms that we ma"e informed,
considered and intelligent decisions aout our development. To restrict them
undermines progress. ,e must ac"nowledge the value of civic contriution, uild the
capacity of marginalised voices, ensure a place at the tale for civil society actors, and
safeguard their activities ' including the activities of those who cooperate with this
0ouncil, its 1pecial Procedures and 0ommissions of In(uiry. I ta"e this opportunity to
echo the 1ecretary-Ceneral+s condemnation of acts of reprisal against individuals y
reason of their engagement with the United Nations.
Fxcellencies,
In a year from now, the 1ustainale 6evelopment Coals will replace the 5illennium
6evelopment Coals A56CsB. The 1ustainale 6evelopment Coals A16CsB will e
negotiated over the coming twelve months, and have the potential to transform the
very notion of development.
The 5illennium 6evelopment Coals populari7ed the powerful message that
development is more than free mar"ets and economic growth. It is aout how healthy
people are, what "ind of education they en)oy, whether they have access to food and
live in a healthy environment. .owever, the 5illennium 6evelopment Coals were
lind to ine(uity and incomplete& it has ecome clear that the new goals must integrate
the human rights agenda, including the right to development across the oard.
The enduring effects of the gloal economic crisis have challenged the reali7ation of
economic and social rights. They have exacerated ine(ualities and deprived many of
)os, ade(uate health care, education, social protection programmes, housing, clean
water and food. The impact of the crisis and austerity measures has een particularly
acute for the most vulnerale and marginali7ed in society.
The 1ustainale 6evelopment Coals need to aim not only for freedom from want '
including the rights to health, education, decent wor", food, water and sanitation ' ut
e(ually, freedom from fear# and here I would highlight rights relating to access to
)ustice, personal security and an e(ual voice and right to participate in pulic affairs.
Perhaps no recent phenomenon could illustrate the indivisiility and interrelatedness
of human rights etter than the Fola outrea" that is currently affecting several ,est
$frican countries. The lac" of ade(uate infrastructure for a life of dignity ' including
hospitals and sanitation ' and conditions leading to distrust and civil disengagement
with authorities, have compounded the effects of this terrile epidemic, placing human
lives in grave danger as well as undermining peace and security, and development.
6iscrimination and ine(ualities of all "inds prevent people from achieving their full
potential, and the 1ustainale 6evelopment Coals must aim to overcome them. ,e
also need a renewed gloal partnership to create an enaling environment for the right
to development ' not only through international aid and technology transfer, ut also
y reducing existing ine(uities in gloal governance, and y aligning trade, finance and
investment policy explicitly and systematically with human rights standards and
principles.
Finally, the goals will only ma"e a difference to people if progress can e effectively
monitored ' and if decision-ma"ers can e held to account for shortcomings. $n
important effort needs to e made to construct an accountaility framewor" for the
1ustainale 6evelopment Coals, with indicators that can measure the actions and
omissions of private usiness and pulic authorities, and flag where implementation is
faltering. 0learly, this accountaility framewor" should aim at maximum involvement
y civil society and the general pulic.
The %ffice of the .igh 0ommissioner of .uman /ights has een particularly
concerned y the human rights situation of migrants around the world. From the
5editerranean to the Indian %cean and the deserts of the United 1tates of $merica, we
continue to see countless avoidale deaths of migrants in the course of their )ourneys#
rutal forms of human traffic"ing# ill-treatment at orders# and prolonged detention in
deplorale conditions. 5any migrants, including documented migrants, also suffer
forced laour or dangerous, exploitative or degrading wor"ing conditions, and these
violations against migrants are fre(uently characterised y the victim+s inaility to gain
redress from 1tate officials.
$long the orders of Furope, including most recently in the 1panish autonomous city
of 5elilla, reports allege forced returns, pushac"s and ill treatment of migrants y
security forces. Italian coastguardshave assisted more than 8GG,GGG migrants arriving
y sea this year, ut despite that good wor", almost 89GG people have died crossing the
5editerranean, and more must e done y the FU and its memer states to deal with
this tragic situation.
In Culf 0ooperation 0ouncil countries, attempts to develop etter governance
regarding laour migration from $sia have stalled, and exploitative control over
migrant wor"ers y their employers remains the dominant model. 0onditions for
migrant wor"ers in the fishing industry in Thailand were recently made notorious y
media reports, ut that industry is not uni(ue. I am also concerned y the shooting of
;angladeshi strawerry pic"ers in Creece after they had as"ed for months of ac" pay.
I must emphasise that the detention of asylum see"ers and migrants should only e
applied as a last resort, in exceptional circumstances, for the shortest possile duration
and according to procedural safeguards.$ustraliaMs policy of off-shore processing for
asylum see"ers arriving y sea, and its interception and turning ac" of vessels, is
leading to a chain of human rights violations, including aritrary detention and
possile torture following return to home countries. It could also lead to the
resettlement of migrants in countries that are not ade(uately e(uipped. In 0yprus,
migrants, including children, are routinely detained for periods that exceed 8L months,
in prison-li"e conditions.
I am also concerned y reports of detention in the United 1tates of $merica of some of
the more than EG,GGG unaccompanied children who have arrived there since %ctoer
DG8J. They have een fleeing violence and deprivation in countries such as Fl
1alvador, Cuatemala and .onduras# some are as young as five years old. ,hile the
underlying causes of their flight involve poverty and ine(uality, the proximate trigger
is their urgent fear of gang violence targeted specifically against children, as potential
memers of such gangs.
These root causes in the countries of origin and destination must e tac"led in a
concerted manner, at the regional level. Furthermore, the auses suffered y these
children in transit ' including "illings, "idnappings, disappearance, extortion, sexual
violence and detention ' are shoc"ing and must e addressed. The impunity en)oyed,
at every step of the )ourney, y those who profit from smuggling these children is
unacceptale.
The treatment of non-nationals must oserve the minimum standards set y
international law. .uman rights are not reserved for citi7ens only, or for people with
visas. They are the inalienale rights of every individual, regardless of his or her
location and migration status. $ tendency to promote law enforcement and security
paradigms at the expense of human rights framewor"s dehumanises irregular
migrants, enaling a climate of violence against them and further depriving them of
the full protection of the law.
5r. President,
The extraordinary range and significance of the topics that I have )ust outlined
underscore the readth of the %ffice of the .igh 0ommissioner of .uman /ights+
mandate and the importance of the wor" done y its staff ' often in very difficult
circumstances, particularly in a numer of our field offices. In the years to come I loo"
forward to enriching the deeply valuale relationship etween the %ffice of the .igh
0ommissioner of .uman /ights and this 0ouncil. 5y %ffice will e open to dialogue
with all sta"eholders# and within the limits of our resources, we will extend every
possile assistance to 1tates, to heighten their protection and promotion of human
rights.
Than" you.
Posted y Thavam