Letter to President-Elect Obama from UN High Commissioner

UNCLAS GENEVA 000006


DEPARTMENT FOR S/ES-CR and S/ES-O

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPDC PREL OVIP
SUBJECT: Letter to President-Elect Obama from UN High Commissioner
for Human Rights


1. Mission has received a message from the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights to President-Elect Obama. We have
inserted below the text of the diplomatic cover note (para 2) and
the letter itself (para 3). Mission Geneva will transmit the
original to the Department by diplomatic pouch.


2. Begin text of diplomatic note.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
in Geneva presents its compliments to the Permanent Representative
of the United States of America to the United Nations Office and
Specialized Institutions in Geneva and has the honour to transmit
herewith a letter addressed to the President-Elect, His Excellency
Mr. Barack Obama.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights avails itself
of this opportunity to renew to the Permanent Mission of the United
States of America to the United Nations Office and Specialized
Institutions in Geneva, the assurances of its highest consideration.
Geneva, 22 December 2008

19 December 2008

End text of diplomatic note.


3. Begin text of letter.

Dear Mr. President-Elect,

It is with pleasure that I take this opportunity to congratulate you
on your election as President of the United States of America. As
the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and greatly encouraged by
your campaign messages regarding human rights, I look forward to
working with you and your administration for the promotion and
protection of human rights around the world.

Indeed, there is much expectation in the human rights community that
you will place the rule of law and human rights at the centre of
your domestic and international policies. In particular, I hope that
under your leadership the United States will promptly return to
active engagement with the UN Human Rights Council. The absence of
the United States in the Council has been sorely felt, and many are
now looking to your administration to restore the leadership of the
United States in the intergovernmental deliberations on human
rights. The Council has been met with much criticism, while its
successes have been less publicized. The Council's new work in
Universal Periodic Review (UPR),where every Member State of the UN
is being reviewed for its human rights records, has gotten off to a
very positive start. I do believe that the active engagement of the
United States will be pivotal to ensuring the Council's credibility
and effectiveness as well as to strengthening the moral authority of
the United States to lead the global community.

I equally urge you to engage and help steer the preparatory work for
the upcoming Durban Review Conference in April 2009 in a
constructive direction. The Conference is mandated to review
progress on the implementation of the 2001 Durban Declaration and
Programme of Action, which is a thorough and comprehensive document
that should guide policies on racism and related issues. While
some have expressed doubts about the review process, and
understandably so, there has also been a worrying increase in
misinformation and distortions about it. I remain convinced that
with proper engagement, much benefit can be achieved from a
successful outcome for the fight against racism and intolerance.

My Office, as the Secretariat of the review conference, is sparing
no effort to support the intergovernmental process, and I myself am
prepared to actively facilitate and intervene for a successful
outcome. But States first and foremost need to remain engaged in
this intergovernmental process. In particular, the constructive
engagement of the United States would without doubt create much
positive dynamic. The cost of non-engagement is too high for all of
us and credits the argument that Western democracies are selective
in their approach to human rights and shy away from dialogue on the
issue of racism. This would leave the scene free for a minority of
extreme voices, and deprive the victims of racism a much deserved
debate.

On domestic policies and legislation, I hope that concerted efforts
will also be made under your leadership to ensure that
counter-terrorism measures are carried out strictly in accordance
with international legal standards, particularly with regard to the
prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment,
which should not be permitted under any circumstances. In this
context, I welcome the announcement of your intention to close the
detention centre at Guantanamo Bay, and count on your administration
to ensure that the closure is undertaken in compliance with
international human rights law and standards.

There are many other human rights issues and challenges that will
call for the active consideration and action of your administration,
such as the ratification of outstanding core international human
rights treaties. My Office stands ready to support and work with
your administration on all of these issues. I personally look
forward to an early opportunity to visit the United States and meet
with you and your officials who would be charged with carrying
forward your human rights agenda and program of action.

Please accept, Mr. President-Elect, my heartfelt and best wishes as
you embark on your tenure as President of the United States of
America. Navanethem Pillay, High Commissioner for Human Rights.

End text of letter.