President of the Republic of Slovenia comments on the global endeavours for full realisation of human rights

Geneva, 2.6.2008  |  press release

The President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Danilo Türk, today attended the 8th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, where he gave an address. In his speech he pointed out that this year marks the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the basic instrument of the United Nations in the area of human rights and one of the most important documents in all human history, whose message and content are still valid today. As the President pointed out, the core message of the Declaration is its spirit of optimism, which must not be allowed to wane. The concept of the universality of human rights is the contribution of a war-weary generation to the well being of succeeding generations and its value is undiminished, said Dr Türk. He further noted that there is some distance between the proclamation of human rights and their enforcement, even in ideal political circumstances. To achieve progress in this field, global efforts are of particular importance, commented the President, and added that this called for a realistic approach.

President Türk further explained that human rights policies have always had to be enforced in a specific social, economic and political context and added that, in this respect, it is necessary to ensure careful balancing of individual rights and collective rights. The Human Rights Council was very actively involved in this sensitive aspect of the implementation of human rights when preparing the text of the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples adopted by the UN General Assembly last September. The President also pointed out another dimension of human rights related to the economic and social development of society, which to a large extent determines the scope of what can be achieved at any given time. He called attention to the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action of 1993, which declared the right to development an integral component of universal human rights.

In dealing with all these issues, the Human Rights Council has successfully developed certain key tools, such as a system of procedures for dealing with human rights and periodic review of the human rights situation, to assist countries in the implementation of human rights, said the President. On the other hand, the Human Rights Council needs to continue to be active in emergencies and where immediate action is required to stop massive violations of human rights, added the President. He noted that in order to ensure success, it is often necessary to make use of other international instruments and the international principle of countries’ responsibility for the protection of their own citizens. Thus, the occupied territories of Palestine require a concerted international effort to secure peace and end the occupation, since this alone can provide a stable basis for the full realisation of the human rights of the people of Palestine, explained the President. In Darfur, on the other hand, international action will require the exercise of international criminal justice together with other measures to be decided by the UN Security Council. Further to that, international sanctions of one kind or another cannot be excluded, said the President. Cooperation with other international actors will also be necessary in tackling the problems caused by climate change and the food crisis, added Dr Türk.

In all these cases, civil society organisations will prove valuable allies, since they promote not only the values of human rights but also the responsibility of each individual to make human rights a reality. Nonetheless, for successful work, a capable secretariat supported by experts is essential as well. Dr Türk took the opportunity to thank the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for her successful work in the past and for fulfilling the role of a credible and objective voice on human rights issues. The work, however, is never ending. Therefore, perseverance and long-term vision to find answers to new challenges will still be needed. Among these challenges, the President mentioned the prevention of discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation, as well as the protection of marginalised population groups, such as migrant workers and asylum seekers. The protection of victims of terrorist attacks and, likewise, the protection of innocent victims of anti-terrorist measures also remains a challenge, added the President.

The Slovenian President, Dr Türk, concluded his speech with the statement that the establishment of the Human Rights Council represented an important part of the United Nations reform. In order to achieve success in the area of human rights, proper solutions must be sought to the problems, and people must be given real assistance, especially victims of human rights violations. As the President pointed out, cooperation between States and civil society at large is required, too. Success will enhance the legitimacy of the whole UN system and will give the Human Rights Council a proper role as one of the three main pillars of the UN structure, the other two being the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council. “The UN has come a long way in its action in favour of human rights. But there is no reason to lower the bar. Quite the contrary, social evolution and the process of global improvement will require greater ambition and effort on human rights, not less”, concluded Dr Türk.