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| Ambassador Bill Richardson
U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Address to UN Commission on Human Rights Geneva, Switzerland, March 25, 1998 |
Mr. Chairman, permit me to say that your presence on the podium is an inspiration to all of us who have witnessed South Africa's remarkable transformation.
As a representative of the United States of America, I am honored to address the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in this year that we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Human rights and respect for the fundamental dignity and freedom of each human being lie at the heart of the American experience.
More than 200 years ago, America was born out of the crucible of religious persecution and political tyranny. From the first days of our republic, the notion that all Americans were extended certain natural and inalienable rights became a fundamental element of our national character.
But human rights are by no means an American creation. The universality of human rights has been advanced for millennia by each of the world's great cultural and spiritual traditions.
Fifty years ago, at the conclusion of a world war that brought humankind face to face with its own capacity for evil, this Commission gathered to enshrine the birthright of each person into a common, global standard accepted by all nations--the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Declaration, we must recommit ourselves to this ideal of universality. And, even as we celebrate national, ethnic, cultural, and linguistic diversity throughout the world, we must reject the efforts of cynical political leaders who seek to cloak themselves in the mantle of cultural or religious tradition to justify abuses of basic rights.
We must also reject the idea that abuses are justified by the imperative of economic growth and development. In fact, Mr. Chairman, the experience of our time shows that sustainable development and sustainable democracy go hand in hand.
We believe that economic and social rights, such as freedom from hunger and the freedom to achieve an adequate standard of living, are fundamental to the dignity of each individual. We are committed to their progressive realization in the context of protecting and promoting all basic human rights and fundamental freedoms.
America understands from its own history that democracy and freedom remain ongoing processes. We are cognizant that our Founding Fathers, who declared "all men are created equal," purposely excluded women and condoned the barbarism of slavery.
But ours is a nation that has worked tirelessly not only to correct the sins of the past, but to bring the opportunities of freedom and democracy to all people.
As a nation whose foreign policy is animated by a commitment to the principles of respect for law, human dignity, and freedom, we are heartened by the realization of these aspirations in more and more countries.
In fact, we have witnessed significant progress in every region, and more than one-half of the world's populations now live under governments of their own choosing.
As President Clinton said commemorating Human Rights Day last year, the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights have entered the consciousness of people all around the world. They are now invoked routinely in constitutions and courts, and they set a yardstick of humanity's "best practices" against which we must all now measure ourselves.
At the same time, egregious abuses continue in many countries, and tremendous human rights challenges remain. To be sure, the political and economic context in which abuses occur has varied over time. However, our principles--and our obligation to insist on respect for the universal standards that inform the work of this body--remain constant.
In the former Yugoslavia where communist authorities once exerted tight controls over the civil and political affairs of their people, we now confront abuses in the context of ethnic and civil conflict. Not far from this conference hall, we have witnessed all too effective efforts to promote fear and hatred through the manipulation of ethnic politics.
Since the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords, a fragile peace has slowly begun to take hold in Bosnia, and the human rights violations of the past are giving way to a new spirit of reconciliation and the prospect of a more peaceful and stable future.
The fragile progress, however, stands in contrast to the situation in Kosovo, where in recent weeks the conscience of the world has been outraged by reports of summary executions by Serbian police.
There can be no justification for the shelling of villages, the burning of houses, and the murder of innocent men, women, and children, all of which we are seeing in Kosovo. We saw what can result from ethnic intolerance and violence earlier in this decade in the former Yugoslavia.
The international community failed to respond effectively then. We must not repeat that mistake today.
The international community must not tolerate the brutal use of force as a means for solving domestic problems. We believe that the leaders of the former Republic of Yugoslavia must enter into a real dialogue on the future of Kosovo. Moreover, full and immediate access to Kosovo by representatives and rapporteurs of the Human Rights Commission is imperative.
Mr. Chairman, in recent years, the increasing incidence of civil conflict has elevated the importance of human rights monitors receiving access to troubled areas. Such monitors play a critical role in deterring abuses and establishing accountability. This is why the United States has strongly supported the efforts of UN monitors in central Africa and why we continue to urge the Government of the Congo to permit the UN Secretary General's Investigative Team to perform its mission.
The United States, along with the international community, has been outraged by the massacres of innocent civilians over the past year in Algeria. So called Islamic terrorists are murdering thousands of innocent people. Women and children are not being spared from this unspeakable horror, with young women often being taken hostage and held in cruel and inhumane captivity.
The United States condemns these monstrous crimes. There are many allegations inside Algeria about the killings, and the paramount need is for a credible, independent verification of the facts.
The United Nations must be willing and able to help Algeria meet its human rights obligations in the face of appalling terrorist atrocities. We welcome the access that the Algerian Government is affording to international journalists, parliamentarians, and others.
Broadening and deepening such cooperation would serve an important step forward. In our view, a visit to Algeria by the UN Special Rapporteur on Summary, Extrajudicial and Arbitrary Executions and by international NGO groups would be a positive step for improving transparency in Algeria.
Algeria has made progress toward building a multiparty democracy, but many Algerians have yet to reject violence as a political tool. The best hope for Algeria's future is to include in a credible political process all those who renounce violence and embrace democratic norms.
Mr. Chairman, a third new human rights challenge is ensuring that civil and political rights--and human rights institutions that are critical to the development of any modern society--are no less a priority than the remarkable economic progress that many states have enjoyed. In this respect, there may be no more appropriate example than the case of China.
As I noted earlier, the question of universality applies to each and every human being, and the people of the People's Republic of China are no exception.
Over the past year, China has engaged in a dialogue with the United States and others on the issue of human rights. Dialogue is an important first step, but let us be clear: It is no substitute for action.
In particular, we have begun constructive discussions with Chinese officials about the rule of law, and we note Chinese efforts to implement legal reforms.
But rule of law is more than rule by law. Law must be used impartially and effectively to guarantee and protect internationally-recognized human rights. The rule of law cannot be distorted by the needs of any political party, and no individual can act above the law itself.
The Government of China has announced it will accede to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. We welcome this step, which commits China to ending some of its serious human rights violations, and hope signature occurs soon.
This commitment to meeting the provisions of the Covenant means that the Chinese will be voluntarily reporting, and permitting experts to examine, its practices. We regard this as an important step forward, and we will be watching closely to ensure that the process works effectively and that it produces genuine results.
Mr. Chairman, the Covenant that China is preparing to sign provides that all its citizens must have freedom of expression, and it prohibits arbitrary arrest or detention, torture or cruel and degrading punishment, and arbitrary or unlawful interference with family, home, or correspondence.
The Covenant is clear in stating that minorities shall not be denied the right to their own culture, religion, or language.
And, under provisions of the Covenant, China will be required to allow all its citizens freedom of expression, thought, conscience, and religion.
Although these rights are fundamental elements of both the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and although they are accepted standards throughout the world, they are still repeatedly violated throughout China.
Citizens who publicly criticize the government, ruling party, or the leadership are subject to harassment, arrest and imprisonment.
There remain in China over 2,000 persons imprisoned for "counter-revolutionary offenses." We believe these cases should be reviewed, and that prisoners who have done nothing more than exercise their rights should be released. In this regard, we welcome the recent release of Wei Jingsheng and several other dissidents and hope these will be followed by further releases.
Beyond imprisonment for counter-revolution, thousands are detained without trial for up to three years in "re-education through labor camps."
Despite laws to the contrary, torture or cruel and degrading punishment continues to occur.
China's people do not enjoy the right to choose their leaders in free elections above the village level.
Ethnic Tibetans live under social and political controls threatening Tibet's unique cultural, religious, and linguistic heritage.
And the Chinese government restricts religious practices and, in many cases, threatens, intimidates, and detains members of unregistered churches.
We urge China to correct these abuses and to make its laws conform with the standards of the International Covenants. If it follows such a course, China, like other states, will find there is no inconsistency between its goal of social stability and ideal of liberty and freedom. On the contrary, the two are mutually reinforcing.
[end of document]
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