Dear #Volunteers and #friends in Kazakhstan, For #HumanRightsDay(10th December) this year UN Resident Coordinator Mr. Stephen Tull gave a speech at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs roundtable today. Please share with us his inspirational speech in Kazakhstan. Statement by the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Kazakhstan Mr. Stephen Tull for Human Rights Day Commemoration Ministry of Foreign Affairs 9 December 2013 Honourable Mr. Chair, Deputy Minister Volkov, Excellencies, Representatives of the Government, Parliament, Diplomatic Corps, and NGOs, Dear UN colleagues, Mr. Chair, may I begin with a tribute to the recently departed, former president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela. The UN Secretary-General said: “no one did more in our time to advance the values and aspirations of the United Nations.” Mr. Mandela is remembered as a tireless advocate for human rights, who then became a model national leader. He began with human rights, and then focused on civil rights and the institutions needed to promote and protect them. He is honoured for showing the way through actions more than words. Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am privileged to join this commemoration of Human Rights Day in Kazakhstan. This is the 65th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (adopted by the UN GA on December 10, 1948), and the 20th anniversary of the Vienna Declaration on Human Rights. In the Universal Declaration, the UN Member States spelled out the fundamental human rights that were to be henceforth the “common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations” (Preamble). These rights are universal and fundamental because “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights…” (Article 1). The UN System of today was built on the foundation of the Universal Declaration (and the Charter that preceded it by 3 three years). If you want to be reminded of the universality and timelessness of the Declaration, read it today bearing in mind all that has passed in 65 years. And the Vienna Declaration (from the World Conference on Human Rights) 20 years ago called for a High Commissioner for Human Rights. The OHCHR has evolved extremely well in the meantime, servicing the Human Rights mechanisms and especially proving its worth in assisting Member States in capacity- and institution-building. So we have much to celebrate, in human progress, today. Ladies and Gentlemen, promoting and protecting human rights is, for me, my overriding professional duty and a passion. A passion? Why? Because: • I have studied history. • I have shuddered with empathy as a witness to genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. • I have stood powerless before civilians who have been deprived of everything, including their statehood, community, livelihood, homes, and dignity. • I have seen people sick and starving, and many more suffering from inequity and injustice. Many of you may also be driven with a passion, out of personal experience or deeply held belief. All of us, in fact, should feel similarly when faced with injustice. Human rights are universal; our doctrine emerged from us, the people. The UN Charter declared it: “We the peoples…reaffirm our faith in fundamental human rights.” But today I want to be pragmatic. I want to concentrate on state institutions and social practices. These are the means of promoting and protecting human rights by the rule of law. My job, as a civil servant of the United Nations, is to find ways to promote and protect human rights and the other underlying values of the UN. This means helping to build and replenish the governing institutions for a well-ordered society. The very definition of the rule of law, in fact, may best be stated as the regular, impartial, and fair administration of public rules. This definition highlights several important elements: the rules of the game and laws must be public and impartial, due process must be followed, and fairness is a measure of the results. Only thus is the individual empowered and are the common interests of individuals who freely associate protected. I dare say that all of us here today are responsible for building and replenishing institutions, and the rule of law. This is whether we are a state or non-state actor. And whether we are appointed, elected, or volunteering. This certainly was the intent behind the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The political doctrine of the Republic of Kazakhstan embodies human rights and the rule of law. The Constitution (Article 1) defines the state’s “highest values [as] an individual, his life, rights and freedoms.” This is important because Human Rights is about taking the individual, in society, seriously. The Government and legislature of Kazakhstan have many proud achievements in areas related to justice, the legal system, and the fight against corruption. And yet there is much left to be done, and the goal itself, the well-ordered society, is not a fixed state to be reached but a constant intention. We must not forget that the rule of law is a living creature that needs constant attention and nurturing. It is not only, or even principally, about laws and law enforcement as such. It is also about building and maintaining a culture of respect for the rule of law. That is the essence of political liberalization, and a complex challenge. That is also one reason that the most vibrant democracies are those that find a sustainable form of institutional checks and balances. That is, it is best when the interests of public-office-holders are linked to the office they hold, the institution they serve. And, when they are held to the highest standards of accountability. President Nazarbayev, when recently addressing the Congress of Judges, made a point of the underlying value of the rule of law. He recounted that infractions of the law must be prevented and sanctioned no matter what their precise nature, how great the damage to society, or who is the actor. This is the point about the regular, impartial, and fair administration of public rules. He added: “The society that respects its laws and trusts its judges is the most advanced society.” Ladies and Gentlemen, While tomorrow is Human Rights Day, today (Dec. 9) in fact is the International Anti-Corruption Day. I mention this here because the global campaign to fight corruption is about nurturing and strengthening the rule of law. As Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon’s message to the UN today puts it: “Corruption suppresses economic growth by driving up costs, and undermines the sustainable management of the environment and natural resources. It breaches fundamental human rights, exacerbates poverty and increases inequality by diverting funds from health care, education and other essential services. The malignant effects of corruption are felt by billions of people everywhere. It is driven by and results in criminal activity, malfunctioning state institutions and weak governance.” The fight against corruption is never, nor anywhere, finished. That is why organizations like Transparency International include all countries in their monitoring and ratings. The fight against corruption requires constantly promoting and protecting human and civil rights, building and replenishing our governing institutions, and nurturing a system of checks and balances that allows for the regular, impartial, and fair administration of public rules. And these efforts should be transparent and well-known to the public, and participatory. All forces in society need to be working in common for the rule of law. This is why the Universal Declaration called upon all Member States to teach Human Rights widely. And the 1993 Vienna Declaration reinforced this appeal with a whole section on education and promotion. In fact the Member States recalled in Vienna the obligation to incorporate in education systems measures to strengthen the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms (Intl. Conv. On Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights). Why? Because an educated people, actively aware of and protecting the rights of every one, is both a sign of, and a powerful force in human development. This is point number two in President Nazarbayev’s July 2012 speech on social modernization. There he stated: “the process of modernization goes alongside an increased activity of citizens, which releases their creative potential….[T]he more actively people will defend their rights and freedoms, the greater the degree of self-organization in society will grow.” Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, We are here today to celebrate the achievements of these United Nations in the area of promoting and protecting human rights in the past 65 years. There is much to celebrate, as the state of the world in terms of the protection of human rights is far better today than ever before. To bring my remarks to a close, may I mention, on behalf of the United Nations Country Team, but a few important and current processes in Kazakhstan’s bid toward a well-ordered, just society. I have been privileged to observe during the past 11 months the Human Dimension dialogue among governmental officials and non-governmental activists (right here in this room). That forum gives due recognition to the fact that human and civil rights go hand in hand in a well-ordered society. And it facilitates open dialogue and joint commitments to action to improve the rule of law. I compliment the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for hosting it. Also, we would like to compliment Parliament for its adoption in July of the law on national preventive mechanisms. The law is in line with international standards, and a very important step under the Universal Periodic Review. Thirdly, the United Nations Country Team continues to encourage Kazakhstan to create a new, robust and participatory National Human Rights Action Plan, as was announced in this meeting last year. The process for creating the Action Plan is important. It ought to be, according to best practices, widely consultative among state and non-state bodies, and it should draw directly upon the recommendations of the UPR and other UN human rights mechanisms. The best plan, in the end, will be one with binding force on various government bodies (i.e., for specific responsibilities), and one that taps into the creative energy in civil society. We, the UN Country Team, are among your key partners in meeting all your human rights obligations and advancing human development in Kazakhstan and more widely. We look forward to an exciting year in 2014. Thank you for your attention!
Posted on: Mon, 09 Dec 2013 13:46:11 +0000
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