The age-old dream: freedom, justice, dignity for all.

Forty-four years ago, the UN adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a comprehensive document eloquently sketching the inalienable rights with which all of us are born.

Since then, the UN has slowly and methodically agreed on a body of human rights covenants, protocols and declarations, further defining our collective economic, social, cultural, political and civil rights and creating a system to protect them.

While few dispute the enormous progress made in spelling out these rights, it is tragically apparent that human rights continue to be violated everywhere, often on a massive scale.

This contradiction lies at the heart of the decision by the General Assembly to convene the World Conference on Human Rights, to be held in Vienna from 14 to 25 June 1993.

The World Conference will review the progress made since the first global conference was held in Teheran, Iran in 1968. It is to explore the possibilities for further refining the five main categories of human rights, and seek ways to improve and strengthen existing systems for promoting and protecting human rights at the international, regional and national levels. A primary Conference goal will be to make protection of human rights an integral component of social and economic development worldwide.

Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali articulated the underlying philosophy on Human Rights Day, 1992: "Full human dignity means not only freedom from torture, but also freedom from starvation. It means freedom to vote as it means the right to education. It means freedom of belief as it means the right to health. It means the right to enjoy all rights without discrimination. And true development requires a solid basis of democracy and popular participation."

Several current factors may help realize these goals: the UN's heightened emphasis on democracy and people-centred development; recent steps in many countries towards more participatory political systems; and the increasing globalization of the mass media, which has raised awareness of human rights issues everywhere.

At the same time, the meeting will have to address recent world developments that have put the human rights of millions of people in grave jeopardy; the frightening spread of ethnic, national and religious conflicts; the deterioration of many countries' economies and the widening gap between rich and poor; and growing environmental crises related to unsustainable use of resources and rapid population growth.

The Universal Declaration spells out such basic human rights as legal equality, freedom from torture, freedom of religion, and the rights to vote, to be educated, to adequate health care and to an adequate living standard. Many of these were given the force of law in two international covenants on human rights, which were approved in 1966 and took effect in 1976, and in specific conventions adopted over the years which ban, among other things, genocide, racial discrimination, discrimination against women, and punishment that is cruel, inhuman or degrading.

Various bodies monitor compliance with these treaties, and communicate with Governments--with varying degrees of success--when violations are reported. This framework of treaties and implementation measures has had a tremendous impact, helping to create an international culture of respect for human rights. Provisions of the treaties have been written into national legislation. Intervention by UN Special Rapporteurs and the spotlight of world attention have prevented executions and won the release of prisoners.

It is apparent, nevertheless, that the international community needs to do more to help many people around the world who continue to be deprived of fundamental human rights.

With this in mind, the Assembly in December 1990 resolved to convene the 1993 World Conference, after having asked the Secretary-General to solicit input from Governments, UN agencies and human rights non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The 1968 Conference on Human Rights held in Teheran, contributed to the reconceptualization of human rights by introducing a structural approach, emphasizing the interconnection of human rights concepts, and a causal approach linking human rights, for example, to self-determination and, later on, to the right to development. This reconceptualization, however, was not adequately implemented.

The upcoming Conference has several objectives as outlined in Assembly resolution 45/155: to assess progress in the human rights field since the 1948 Universal Declaration and identify ways to overcome obstacles to further progress; to examine the relationship between development and the universal application of human rights; to find ways to better implement human rights standards and treaties and strengthen UN monitoring and promotional mechanisms; and to recommend ways to ensure the necessary financial resources.

Indivisibility of rights

The Conference provisional agenda, approved by the Assembly in December 1992, incorporates these aims while underscoring the "indivisibility of economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights". After some debate, it was agreed that the gathering will have a focus that is broad rather than specific, and will not be a forum for allegations of human rights violations in particular countries. Rather, the intent is to find ways to: make existing organizations and processes work better; strengthen international, regional and national systems of justice, and coordination among them; improve mechanisms for monitoring human rights efforts and reporting violations; and revise legal instruments or implementation methods to protect vulnerable groups better.

The 1990 resolution emphasized the need to create conditions that would allow all people to enjoy fully the broad range of human rights. Accordingly, one agenda item focuses on the relationship of development to democracy and the universal enjoyment of human rights. An active debate is taking place in this regard between developing nations that want greater priority given to the "right to development" and industrial countries that place more emphasis on political and civil rights (see p. 96).

These different perspectives may likewise be reflected during debate over recommendations for ensuring "universality, objectivity and non-selectivity" in the application of human rights, with some countries that depend on development assistance objecting to standards of human rights compliance imposed by donors as conditions of further aid.

The question of national sovereignty lies at the centre of the debate over whether or not to increase the authority of the UN system to intervene in the internal affairs of nations where human rights are being violated.

Other agenda items will commemorate the international Year for the World's Indigenous People (see p. 95) and address contemporary challenges in the field of human rights. The latter point will include consideration of ways to strengthen women's rights (see p. 98) and the rights of various vulnerable groups (children, especially girls, and street children; refugees and displaced persons; migrant workers and their families; racial, national, ethnic and linguistic minorities; the elderly; the disabled; and people with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are expected to provide significant input to the deliberations and the resulting final plan of action. In light of their productive involvement in the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development, it was agreed after some debate that UN-accredited NGOs with expertise in human rights will have observer status at the World Conference.

Proposals before the Conference include giving consideration to the creation of a UN Permanent Commissioner for Human Rights and an International Court for Human Rights. Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali, in his 1992 Report on the Work of the Organization, suggested exploring .ways of empowering the Secretary-General and expert human rights bodies to bring massive violations of human rights to the attention of the Security Council together with recommendations for action".

The UN Centre for Human Rights, which is the focal point for human rights issues at the Organization, is the conference secretariat, overseeing more than two years of substantial preparations.

Regional declarations

There were three Conference Preparatory Committee meetings in Geneva in 1992 and a fourth will be held from 19 to 30 April 1993. Regional meetings have also been held, including an African meeting in Tunis (2-6 November 1992) and a meeting for Latin America and the Caribbean in San Jose, Costa Rica (18-22 January 1993). An Asian regional meeting is scheduled in Bangkok from 29 March to 2 April 1993. The nations of Europe and North America will meet informally.

The Tunis Declaration adopted at the African meeting emphasizes that: "The right to development is inalienable. Human rights, development and international peace are interdependent." The African countries cited as particular threats to human rights in their region "internal tensions deriving from the failure to meet the basic needs of populations" and "racism, particularly in new forms, extremism and fanaticism, whether of religious or other origin".

In the San Jose Declaration, Latin American and Ca bean Governments, among other things, condemned terrorism and drug trafficking, and pledged to respect indigenous peoples' political initiatives and cultural diversity.

The regional declarations also reflect the high expectations of the world community for the UN as a force for human rights. The World Conference aims to ensure that, in the words of Mr. Boutros-Ghali, "the age-old dream of freedom, justice and dignity for all is not beyond one's reach".