BELGIAN VICE-PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER OF

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 000532

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL BE
SUBJECT: BELGIAN VICE-PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER OF
FOREIGN AFFAIRS AT THE 10TH SESSION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS
COUNCIL


1. Summary: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Karel De Gucht,
spoke at the 10th session of the Human Rights Council. He
shared his vision on how to promoten and protect human
rights. He expressed his regret over the men, women, and
children whose basic rights are being violated. He condemned
rape as a political tool and the use of child soldiers and
the abuse of political prisoners. De Gucht also acknowledged
that racism and discrimination are a problem in every
country, including his own. He strongly supports
implementation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
He is pleased with the decision of the High Commissioner to
open a regional office in Brussels, and recognizes Belgium
will gain from its presence. End Summary.


2. Begin text of speech.

We are here in front of the most important forum on human
rights. It was born from a dream of the international
community to have an adequate means to reinforce the
international regime of human rights. Our main concern must
be the men and women whose rights are violated...My thoughts
are on the women who cannot mobilize freely, who cannot make
their own decisions about their lives, who suffer under the
veil of a conservative orthodoxy...I also think of the women
who are afraid they will be raped by the violent people and
cowards who use the weapon of sexual torture as a political
tool.

I think of the defenders of human rights who are badgered and
persecuted by regimes that are afraid of only one thing: for
their population to have the liberty to think. I also think
of those political opponents imprisoned for their opinions by
dictators who one day was the hope of the population...I also
think of those who currently are in secret prisons, without
hope. I also think of those of foreign origin in my country
who, I regret to acknowledge it, find themselves refused to a
job or a place because of the color of their skin, or because
of their beliefs...Religion should enrich the human spirit,
and not imprison it. Let us finally think of the
children...who are being forcibly recruited as a child
soldier or forced to prostitute themselves.

These men, women and children deserve our respect and our
protection. And it is the first responsibility of the State
to protect these human beings as well as theirhuman rights
and fundamental freedoms.

Thi is what the Human Rights Council must be involvd in.
The Council must act in order to prevent these violations of
human rights. The Council must see to it that our daily life-
so banal, yet so valued- is for everyone.

The Council must consolidate and ensure the implementation of
the existing international law. There is a solid legal base
that we must preserve and implement.
Belgium is worried by the attempts of those calling into
question these standards or denying their universality. In a
world where ethnic, economic and religious tensions as well
as nationalist tendencies are threatening to resurface, it is
all the more important to reaffirm the universality of these
norms. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the text
that is the most translated text in the world. One day it
must be the best implemented agreement in the world.

This body of fundamental rights- based on the habeas corpus-
is incontestably universal. It cannot be questioned under
any circumstance.

The Council must also confront new challenges, while
respecting the existing legal framework. It must properly
use its instruments to treat specific countries and also
different themes, like the condemnation of torture, the
protection of the defenders of human rights, the respect of
human rights in the fight against terrorism, or the fight
against racism and discrimination.

Belgium is ready to continue its constructive engagement to
ensure the success of the Durban meeting. But I am worried
by the direction of the process. For Belgium, the
agreed-upon consensus of Durban must be preserved. We must
view racism and discrimination as a problem which affects all
countries. In addition, certain concepts like slandering
religions has no place in this process because it calls into
question the basis on which the international system of human
rights protection is built.

Human rights must protect individuals and their liberties,
and not religions as such. I call on all states to try and
to be as reasonable and as flexible as possible to ensure
that this Examining Conference reflects the views of the
international community.

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The Council must also encourage the exchanges between states.
The Council represents the ideal place to talk and exchange
good practices on human rights. But the Council must also be
able to denounce a situation when it is necessary. I do not
share the opinion of those who wish to prevent the Council
from expressing its views on specific situations and
countries. This represents one of the Council's pillars,
complementing other aspects of its mandate...
I am therefore very worried by certain tendencies of the
Council aimed at denying the existence of massive human
rights violations. The last working group session on the
universal periodic Examination was for me very alarming in
that regard. The history of the United Nations has
sufficiently demonstrated that covering up such a problem can
lead to catastrophe. It is our collective responsibility to
act in a credible and effective way when serious human rights
violations are committed. Some would like to use the
non-interference in domestic affairs of a State or
safeguarding the domestic stability of a State to prevent any
action. But sovereignty can justify neither the indifference
nor impunity. Sovereignty goes hand in hand with
responsibility...the rights of the States should not come
above the human rights of the population.

We need an active and independent Office of High Commission,
not only present in Geneva, but also in countries in need.
All countries, and certainly all members of the Council,
should collaborate with the Office of High Commission be
willing to host one of its offices. In this respect, Belgium
is pleased with the decision of the High Commissioner to open
a regional office in Brussels, and recognizes that we can
only profit from the presence and the expertise of the Office
of High Commission. The independent expertise is crucial in
our work. The role of the rapporteurs on special topics, both
thematic and geographic, is very important. Belgium calls on
all States, and especially the members of the Council, to
fully cooperate with all the special rapporteurs and to
accept their requests to visit. Lastly, the Council cannot
go without the advice and especially the criticism of civil
society. We must not forget that as representatives of our
Governments, it is on their behalf that we act. Belgium
hopes for an active participation of civil society in the
work of this Council.

End text of speech.

BAUER

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