Internationalism and human rights.

UP to 1945, the method utilized for promoting and protecting human rights was that of treaties between interested States. The covenant of the League of Nations contained no general provision recognizing the rights of the individual or establishing arrangements designed to promote and to protect those rights.

With the condlusion of the Charter of the United Nations, however, we find, for the first time in recorded history, a general commitment of the States making up the international community to achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without any distinction.

Under Article 56 of the Charter, all Members pledge themselves to take joint and separate action, in co-operation with the Organization, for the achievement of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion. International concern for human rights was thereby enlarged and entrrenched in modern international law. Today, it has become a commonplace reality and no State can avoid being held internationally accountable for the way it treats people--whether they are its own citizens or nationals of a foreign State or, for that matter, stateless persons.

The State's performance is tested by reference to internationally proclaimed norms contained in instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

There is hardly an aspect of the relationship between the individual and the State which today is not regulated by the international code of human rights promulgated by the United Nations and its specialized agencies. Daily, everywhere in the world, individuals assert these rights and freedoms vis-a-vis their own Governments o call for their implementation by other Governments.

The provisions of the code yield the battle cries for freedom, justice and peace in the world.

I should like to give you a full picture of how the United Nations translates this into practical action. This is normally little known.

The following activities for the promotion and protection of human rights take place on a regular basis: Governments submit to the United Nations and its organs reports on the measures which they have adopted to comply with international standards on human rights. These reports are scrutinized, with the cooperation of international experts who draw upon the experience of different countries and try to help in resolving difficulties. Various forms of advice, expertise and technical assistance are made available to Governments which may be in need of such assistance. Training and fellowship programmers are implemented on an ongoing basis.

Each year, about 50,000 complaints received by the United Nations are processed. Where I or my staff feel that we can help in a case or situation, we intercede on a humanitarian basis; some complaints are handled by the Commission on Human Rights, which seeks to establish a dialogue with the Governments concerned and which examines situations and makes recommendations. Where a country has accepted procedures of individual petition provided for under the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, individual complaints may be received, are then examined and an authoritative pronouncement is made.

In United Nations organ such as the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the Commission on Human Rights, situations of alleged gross violations of human rights are referred to and debated openly. Many resolutions have been adopted expressing concern about such situations, or establishing organs of fact-finding conciliation or good offices in respect of such situations. In recent years, situations in every region of the globe have been so examined and dealt with.

Three important things attest to the role of internationalism in this field: first, that we have comprehensive international standards to which Governments are held accountable; second, that we have set in place various procedures for promoting the implementation of those standards and for dealing with problems--procedures which are in motion; and third, that armed with these standards and procedures we must do everything possible to ensure that the rights and freedoms of every individual on this planet are observed and respected.

I have drawn attention to the need to assist States in the preparation of legislation consistent with international standards of human rights, in the preparation, submission and follow-up of reports to international supervisory organs and for the development of national and local institutions designed to promote and to protect human rights.

We must seek to develop practical forms of assistance to Governments. In the future, therefore, the development of technical assistance in the field of human rights must become one of our priority objectives. I have requested the Centre for Human Rights to pay increasing attention to this role and to sek in the future to act as a clearing house, a channel for technical asssistance in the field of human rights.

Gross violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms must always receive priority attention. I am distressed and saddened by the continuing scale of violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms which are reported to the United Nations from different parts of the world. I try to do whatever I can, personally, to alleviate such situations, and the Commission on Human Rights is endeavouring valiantly to deal with problems. We must, however, persist in our efforts to increase the effectiveness of our methods in this area. We must seek to ensure that every situation of gross violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms which takes place in the world is addressed by the international community and that the collective widsom, advice and assistance of the international community is made available to a Government in difficulty.

In the area of human rights, as much as in any other, it is imperative that our responses to problem situations should come at the earliest possible time so as to avoid human suffering and so as to protect individuals who are threatened. This question of reacting urgently to situations of gross violations of humarn rights and fundamental freedoms deserves to be given attention.

As we continue to work for this, the noblest of causes, the efforts of all will be indispensable--Governments, international organizations, regional organizations, non-governmental organizations and the ordinary individual. There must be beneficial complementarity of activities.

On two things, though, we must always insist--namely, that the international standards of conduct which are contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenants of Human Rights are applicable to and binding upon all societies without exception, and secondly, that while regional efforts can provide for higher levels of protection that those contained in universal instruments, they can never diminish the level of protection provided for at the universal level by the United Nations in the Universal Declaration, the International Covenants and other similar instruments.