Page 6 - DIVA_2_2008_No.33

Human Rights in the new

Millennium

filling it, day by day, w'th the
conviction that we are going in
the right direction with the
same perseverance of the drop
of water that pierces the stone:
gutta cavat lapidem. Alas,
grave human rights violations
are being committed all the
time and in all regioris of the
world. Letus double our efforts
to meet the challenge. Let us
not complain about the
politicization of the Human
Rights Council. It is what it is.
The United Nations is a
political organization. The
Security Council, the General
Assembly, the Economic and
Social Council are all political.
How could we pretend that the
Human Rights Council would
be apolitical? Letus concentra-
te on making it work more
On 10 December 2008 we culture of human rights is efficiently, on making the
celebrate the 60th anniversary emerging, and that politicians Universal Periodic Review a
of the adoption by the United make promises there upon, that meaningful exercise in human
on creating
Nations General Assembly of many at least pay lip-service to rights monitoig, mecha-
the Universal Declaration of human rights. It is for civil better enforcement
Human Rights. Together with society to hold the politicians niSInS.
the United Nations Charter this accountable and to demand that In 2008 we should also revisit
remarkable Declaration is they deliver on their cornmit-
ments. the semantics of human rights
indeed the constitution of our
and question the widespread
planet.
The Universal Declaration is mis-conceptions emanating
We remember that just one day indeed an historic all- from an obsolete tertninology
an arbitrary
before the proclamation of the embracing document devoted which postulates
UDHR, the General Assembly to human dignity, to the hierarchy of human rights. The
spectnirn of human rights. The so-called "fu'st generation
adopted another important are
hiu'nan rights insttuinent, the Declaration was the beginning rights" (civil and political)
Europe
and the
Convention on the Prevention of the great adventure of preferred in
United States over the "second
and Punishment of the Crime of codification of human rights
nonns and of the creation of generation rights" (econon'iic,
Genocide of 9 December 1948. social and cultural) and are
It is shameful that such a viable monitoig and enforce-
Convention had to be written. It ment mechanisms. Seven core deemed more important than
neglected "third
is grotesque that, notwithstan- humanrights treaties have been the frequently
rights" (the right to
ding the {JDHR and the adopted, and the task of generation to a
Convention, ethnic cleansing, standard setting is not over. tnith, to development,
to peace).
forced population transfers, tor- New conventions, protocols, clean enviroiunent,
ture and genocide have declarations and resolutions
await adoption by the General A new human rights
continued to occur.
Assembly, ECOSOC, by the perspective
Yet, let us be thankful at least new Human Rights Council.
Perhaps we should hy a
for the fact that we have clear
nornns of intemational law, even Let us not bellyache about the different approach, take a new
if all too often they are half-empty glass. Let us look at the essence of human
new
formulate
a
violated with impunity. Let us rejoice over the half-full glass rights and I would propose
perspective.
be thankful that gradually a and endeavour to continue
4 2 2008 Diva
wwwdivainternationalch