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Thank you Mr Chair
I have the honour to speak on behalf of Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Our countries would like to express our thanks to Louise Arbour, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for her very helpful update and for the Office's continued work on the critical linkages between poverty and human rights.
Human rights are one of the three pillars of the United Nations. They are a principal tool for achieving sustainable development and peace and security, the two other pillars. Their promotion is inextricably bound to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and the Internationally Agreed Development Goals.
Distinguished co-chairs, human rights are not a conditionality. They are our fundamental values, in accordance with the commitments we have all made, and which we must promote with the active support of donors and the United Nations. Their promotion helps ensure that the benefits of economic growth extend to all.
Accordingly, Canada, Australia and New Zealand strongly support the three recommendations in the High Level Panel's report related to human rights. We back all efforts to give momentum to the mainstreaming of human rights in development, as part of the promotion of the universality of human rights in all member States.
We agree that the Resident Coordinators and UN Country Teams should be strengthened to provide more help to governments at their request, in cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. There are many positive examples of putting such requests into practice. Last year, for instance, the Organization of American States in partnership with UNICEF and the Inter-American Development Bank launched an initiative to register the births of all children in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Office of the High Commissioner should in our CANZ view retain its central role in mainstreaming human rights and providing technical assistance. The nature of support provided by the Office should, however, be tailored to the circumstances in each country and region, taking into account existing resources and needs. A physical presence as a member of a UN Country team will not be needed in all cases. Technical support can be provided locally, through a regional hub or through a network managed from Geneva.
Canada, Australia and New Zealand reaffirm our commitment to the integration of human rights in all aspects of the UN's work. The UN is making important progress in this regard, with the initiation of work under the Action 2 programme. This work must continue and should be deepened and given further momentum by the System-Wide Coherence process in which we are participating today.
Thank you
