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Mr Chairman, you will recall the strong concerns voiced in New Zealand’s previous statements about the human rights situations in a number of countries. I am not going to repeat them here on this occasion, although they remain matters of the highest concern to New Zealand, being subject to the closest ongoing scrutiny and, unfortunately, in too many cases, condemnation. Today, however, our immediate focus is on the mechanisms by which the international community can address egregious human rights abuses more effectively.
At last month’s World Summit, Member States emphasised that human rights are the third pillar of the United Nations’ system and with peace, security and development, constitute the foundations for collective security and well-being. Member States declared themselves willing to take collective action when national authorities fail to protect people from the very worst human rights violations. And they agreed to establish a Human Rights Council with a very broad responsibility to address the situations of human rights violations and make recommendations on them. Our challenge now is to reach agreement by the end of the year on mandate, size and functioning of this body.
New Zealand considers it of the utmost importance that the new Council be able to consider human rights situations and to make recommendations on them, to Member States and to other parts of the United Nations system, including the Security Council. Human rights are not just noble aspirations. Nor should violations be debated in the abstract, as if divorced from the reality of the suffering inflicted by human beings on each other. The Council’s mandate should not be restricted to considering only those situations that are so grave that they cannot be ignored. New Zealand supports full and active consideration of all human rights situations where there is evidence of serious violations.
Mr Chairman, when Member States join the United Nations and undertake to adhere to its Charter, they also accept the responsibility to respect and protect human rights and to fight for their universal observance. No country in the world has a perfect record in these endeavours. But there are countries that are simply ignoring their human rights obligations. Many of the most serious human rights violations in these countries are clearly attributable to a lack of will on the part of governments. They deserve to be the object of international scrutiny.
There are also countries that do not have the capacity to fulfil their human rights obligations. New Zealand supports greater availability of technical assistance to States trying to implement human rights through the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and UN Country Teams. New Zealand welcomes Member States’ commitment at the World Summit to double the regular budget support to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. This commitment must be followed through in the 5th Committee.
For our part, we are supporting the increasing focus of the Office on field activities by tripling our voluntary contribution. We call upon other Member States to enhance their regular contributions also and to work constructively towards the universal application of all human rights.
Mr Chairman, our individual and collective failings undermine universal aims for peace, security and development. Clearly human rights abuses are not simply "an internal matter" for Member States we all have a responsibility to see human rights upheld. We call upon all Member States to support concerted, collective action on human rights situations.
