Larissa
25th March 2003, 22:27
To save the UN and its collective security mechanisms from collapse; to confront the deliberate flouting of the principles of its Charter
• Speech given by Felipe Pérez Roque, Minister of Foreign Affairs
of the Republic of Cuba, to the senior-level sector of the 59th session
of the Human Rights Commission.
GENEVA, MARCH 20, 2003
Madam President:
First of all, I wish to offer you the government of the Republic of Cuba’s sincere congratulations on your election as president of the 59th session of the Human Rights Commission. That not only constitutes an important recognition on the part of the international community of your rich professional development and confirmed competence, but — and in particular — is evidence that the arrogance and interests of hegemonic domination can be defeated when unity and a cooperative spirit among the majority of its members prevail. We hope that our decision to elect yourself, against obdurate opposition and pressure from the U.S. delegation does not convert the Human Rights Commission into another "forgotten corner of the world."
I equally extend our congratulations to Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello on his appointment as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. He will have to take on an arduous task at the most dangerous and complex point in the history of this Commission. I assure him that from now on he can count on Cuba and its will to fully cooperate to aid the success of his functions.
Madam President:
The world has dramatically changed in the last year. More than half a century of experience and unquestionable contributions from the United Nations and the multilateral system founded at the end of World War II are being subjected to unjust and unnecessary humiliation and are on the way to being destroyed.
As we should clearly acknowledge: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is in danger of becoming a dead letter precisely on the 55th anniversary of its proclamation. Let us recall that the visionary authors of the text that would become a landmark in the collective aspiration to build a world of freedom, justice and peace, left established in Article 28 the right of all peoples to an established social and international order in which fundamental liberties and human rights would be made fully effective. Let us say it clearly: that order does not currently exist and would been more distant with every passing day.
This time we are not going to dwell on the issues that have traditionally been the object of our concern. We will not be talking today of the hypocrisy and double standards that have been holding back our labors for years. We will not be calling for profound reform and democratization within this commission. Today, we will not even be defending the right of all peoples to freely elect their own civil and political model and their own way to economic and social development. Neither will we be reiterating the need to grant equal importance to the defense of civil and political rights and the promotion of those always-postponed economic, social and cultural rights. On this occasion we are not going to indict how rights proclaimed in the Declaration, such as: "all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights," or "all people have the right to participate in the government of their country," or "all people have the right to work," or "all people have the right to education," "all people have the right to an adequate standard of living that will assure health and well-being, and especially alimentation, clothing, housing, medical care and the necessary social services for them and their families," are not being met today for the overwhelming majority of the planet’s inhabitants.
Full article:
http://www.granma.cu/ingles/mar03/vier21/12fpr-i.html
• Speech given by Felipe Pérez Roque, Minister of Foreign Affairs
of the Republic of Cuba, to the senior-level sector of the 59th session
of the Human Rights Commission.
GENEVA, MARCH 20, 2003
Madam President:
First of all, I wish to offer you the government of the Republic of Cuba’s sincere congratulations on your election as president of the 59th session of the Human Rights Commission. That not only constitutes an important recognition on the part of the international community of your rich professional development and confirmed competence, but — and in particular — is evidence that the arrogance and interests of hegemonic domination can be defeated when unity and a cooperative spirit among the majority of its members prevail. We hope that our decision to elect yourself, against obdurate opposition and pressure from the U.S. delegation does not convert the Human Rights Commission into another "forgotten corner of the world."
I equally extend our congratulations to Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello on his appointment as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. He will have to take on an arduous task at the most dangerous and complex point in the history of this Commission. I assure him that from now on he can count on Cuba and its will to fully cooperate to aid the success of his functions.
Madam President:
The world has dramatically changed in the last year. More than half a century of experience and unquestionable contributions from the United Nations and the multilateral system founded at the end of World War II are being subjected to unjust and unnecessary humiliation and are on the way to being destroyed.
As we should clearly acknowledge: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is in danger of becoming a dead letter precisely on the 55th anniversary of its proclamation. Let us recall that the visionary authors of the text that would become a landmark in the collective aspiration to build a world of freedom, justice and peace, left established in Article 28 the right of all peoples to an established social and international order in which fundamental liberties and human rights would be made fully effective. Let us say it clearly: that order does not currently exist and would been more distant with every passing day.
This time we are not going to dwell on the issues that have traditionally been the object of our concern. We will not be talking today of the hypocrisy and double standards that have been holding back our labors for years. We will not be calling for profound reform and democratization within this commission. Today, we will not even be defending the right of all peoples to freely elect their own civil and political model and their own way to economic and social development. Neither will we be reiterating the need to grant equal importance to the defense of civil and political rights and the promotion of those always-postponed economic, social and cultural rights. On this occasion we are not going to indict how rights proclaimed in the Declaration, such as: "all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights," or "all people have the right to participate in the government of their country," or "all people have the right to work," or "all people have the right to education," "all people have the right to an adequate standard of living that will assure health and well-being, and especially alimentation, clothing, housing, medical care and the necessary social services for them and their families," are not being met today for the overwhelming majority of the planet’s inhabitants.
Full article:
http://www.granma.cu/ingles/mar03/vier21/12fpr-i.html