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New Zealand values cooperative engagement on human rights situations, including on sensitive matters, as a means of ensuring a continuing dialogue and concrete improvements in the human rights situation on the ground. And we recognise that in many cases the provision of technical and financial resources can assist in the implementation of human rights obligations and in addressing human rights challenges. This is reflected in our overseas development and assistance programmes.
In addition to bilateral or regional processes, we hope that the Human Rights Council can be used in a constructive manner to assist all governments to address their respective human rights challenges. In this context, we are encouraged that some human rights situations are the subject of scheduled interactive dialogues in future sessions of the Human Rights Council. We intend to engage in those dialogues, and accordingly, today we limit our comments to only three of the several situations that are of concern to New Zealand in light of current events.
During informal consultations with the Security Council last week, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Myanmar, Ibrahim Gambari, observed that “Undoubtedly, the developments over the last few weeks in Myanmar have raised serious concerns in the international community and once again underscore the urgency to step up our efforts to find solutions to the challenges facing the country”.
We acknowledge the information provided by the representative of Myanmar earlier during this session. However, the human rights situation in Myanmar is a continuing concern, as highlighted by the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy. And New Zealand joins others, including the UN Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights, in calling for the immediate release of those detained as a result of recent protests, as well as the release of other political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, and for the exercise of restraint in response to protests. We value the opportunity to engage cooperatively in the March session of the Human Rights Council during the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Myanmar on the broader human rights situation in Myanmar.
Mr President,
The human rights situation in Darfur remains extremely serious. We thank the Group of Experts for their update on progress made since our last session. We propose to engage substantively with the Group when it presents its final report later this year. In the interim, we hope that all parties to the conflict, and especially the Government of Sudan, will enable the new UN and African Union Mission in Darfur to be deployed as quickly as possible. The Mission would help create a more secure environment for the civilian population and would contribute to the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Darfur.
In addition, we wish to indicate the importance we attach to the opportunity to engage with the Special Rapporteur on Sudan as regards the human rights situation in Sudan. And we look forward to a constructive and frank dialogue at the March session about progress made to improve the broader human rights situation in Sudan.
Finally, Mr President,
As noted by Egypt, we welcome all initiatives to improve the situation in Zimbabwe. However, New Zealand remains deeply concerned about the deteriorating human rights situation in Zimbabwe, in particular reports of widespread violence in the lead-up to the March 2008 elections. New Zealand associates itself with the comments regarding Zimbabwe made by the Australian Permanent Representative this morning.
