BlogsEventsFeaturesImage galleriesMediaMFAT speeches2006200720082009201020112012Media contact informationMedia updateMinisters releasesPublications
Madame High Commissioner, New Zealand warmly thanks you for your presentation this morning and the annual report of the activities of your office. The independence and integrity of your Office is essential in the promotion and protection of human rights and the report clearly shows, once again, a demanding and active year. New Zealand commends you, and the professional and dedicated staff in your Office, including in the 54 field presences, for your significant efforts.
Madame High Commissioner, you noted this morning that protestors have achieved or are demanding significant changes in many countries at the present time. New Zealand agrees with you that human rights lie at the heart of these extraordinary developments and must be an integral part of reforms that will bring justice, equality and security for all.
Your report shows progress by your Office across all of your thematic priorities. We commend you for your efforts relating to the rights of persons with disabilities. Tomorrow, we look forward to your opening of the annual panel debate, which this year focuses on international cooperation in support of national efforts for the realisation of the rights of persons with disabilities. We thank you also for the excellent thematic report on this subject prepared by your office, which New Zealand, together with Mexico, will be following up with a resolution this session. We further commend and encourage the work of your Office, in joint partnership with other UN agencies, towards improving accessibility for persons with disabilities across the UN system.
Madame High Commissioner, in relation to gender equality and women’s human rights, New Zealand particularly welcomed your active engagement, and that of your Office, on issues related to maternal mortality and morbidity and human rights over the past year. We were pleased that the report authored by your office on this topic was able to make a constructive contribution to the MDG Review Summit in New York last September, as a concrete example of the benefits of a human-rights based approach to addressing the MDGs, in this case MDG5 on maternal health. We look forward to the forthcoming report by your Office on effective practices in addressing maternal mortality and morbidity through a human rights approach. Madame High Commissioner, we would be interested in your views on how best the Human Rights Council might follow up on the report on effective practices to contribute further to discussions on a human rights based approach to addressing preventable maternal mortality and morbidity?
It is indeed encouraging to note, as stated in your report, that States have increased ratification and reporting on human rights treaties as a positive side-effect of the UPR. However, we are particularly mindful of the burden of reporting obligations on small, developing States and, as you note, with the treaty body system effectively doubling in size, the need to rethink the system is more pertinent that ever. In this context, we look forward to your views on how best to ensure the treaty body system can be effective?
I thank you.
