Report on Human Rights
18 November 2007
In response to media queries regarding the United Nations (UN) Watch Report
on Human Rights, the South African Government wishes to put the following on
record:
* The promotion and protection of human rights remains one of the pillars of
South Africa's foreign policy.
* This is an approach derived from our Constitution and the bill of
rights.
* We express this practically in both our bilateral and multilateral
engagements.
* Bilaterally we engage directly with countries and express our concerns
where we feel that human rights are being violated.
* In the multilateral arena, South Africa has always been among the leading
countries behind the reform and strengthening of the United Nations' human
rights machinery.
* As a manifestation of this, South Africa chaired the negotiations that led
to the creation of the new United Nations Human Rights Council.
* We supported the creation of the Human Rights Council because we saw it as
a body with the potential to re-energise the UN's human rights machinery and
improve its credibility.
* The UN's human rights machinery over the years lost its credibility due to
the problems of double standards, selectivity and politicisation.
* By double standards we mean that it only addressed itself with human
rights problems in some and not in other countries. Historically the UN
resolutions on human rights have always targeted mainly the developing
countries. No resolutions are ever brought and passed to address human rights
situations in developed countries or global human rights problems created by
developed countries. This is a fact that organisations such as United Nations
Watch, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International know too well.
* Because of this a mockery is made of human rights with the impression
created that certain human rights violations are tolerable because they are
committed in some countries.
* By politicisation we mean that a number of the resolutions are presented
at the United Nations to address bilateral political problems. Indeed when
these bilateral political problems are resolved such resolutions are no longer
presented. This is a fact which organisations such as UN Watch, Human Rights
Watch and Amnesty International know too well.
* The whole membership of the United Nations therefore recognised these
problems and supported the creation of the Human Rights Council and South
Africa is pleased to have played a role in its creation.
* There are two broad categories of human rights recognised at the
international level: civil and political rights; and social and economic
rights.
* While many western countries and western Non-Governmental Organisations
(NGOs) are only concerned about civil and political rights, South Africa on the
other hand and many other countries are concerned about all human rights -
civil and political; and social and economic.
* The ranking by UN Watch is therefore blatantly lopsided because it creates
the impression that the international community is only concerned about civil
and political rights, and therefore the country situations.
* We wish to put it on record that the country situations mentioned by UN
Watch are only one agenda item under ten agenda items addressed by the Human
Rights Council under the two broad categories mentioned above.
* Had the UN Watch rankings been based on a holistic and comprehensive
assessment of country positions, based on all the agenda items of the Human
Rights Council, surely South Africa does way better than many other
countries.
* We also hope that the Sunday Times would look critically at some of these
organisations before giving them undue credence. It should be recalled that UN
Watch is one organisation that is actively campaigning to undermine a key South
African initiative at the global level, the World Conference Against Racism.
While the world is grappling with and trying to find solutions to the problems
of racial hatred and intolerance, UN Watch posts articles on its website
describing the conference as a "global festival of hatred". It is therefore
important that while quoting these organisations the Sunday Times should also
inform its readers about the extent of their agenda.
* Sunday Times might therefore also wish to qualify its description of these
organisations as the "world's biggest human rights organisations".
* South Africa shall never apologise for insisting on the careful division
of labour between the organs of the United Nations. As we entrench good
governance at home we insist on the same principles in the multilateral
system.
* The fact that Professor Gambari is able to register some progress in his
interventions on Myanmar is testimony to the need for the international
community to avoid political expediency and utilise the correct tools to
address global problems.
* The UN should also not be just about condemning human rights violations
but should also seek to do something concrete about it. This was the spirit in
which the human rights council was borne â that instead of the old system it
would also focus on helping countries concretely to address their problems. It
is a fact, however, that for some countries and non-governmental organisations,
it is still business as usual.
Enquiries:
Ronnie Mamoepa
Cell: 082 990 4853
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
18 November 2007
