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Summary: Commission Starts Debate on Specific Groups
and Individuals after Concluding Discussion on
Child Rights and Indigenous Issues.
The Commission on Human Rights yesterday began its consideration of the
situation of specific groups and individuals, hearing a presentation from the
Representative of the Secretary-General on the human rights of internally
displaced persons. It also concluded its general debate on children’s rights
and indigenous issues.
Walter Kalin, Representative of the Secretary-General on the human rights
of internally displaced persons (IDPs), said the human rights situation of
IDPs in the world today continued to be of concern to all. The year 2004
had been overshadowed by the dramatic escalation of the conflict in
Sudan’s Darfur region, where nearly two million persons had been
uprooted since the beginning of the conflict; some 1.7 million of those
individuals were internally displaced. Among other efforts, the Government
of Sudan should give serious consideration to the recommendations of the
previous Representative on internally displaced persons, and to
cooperation with the international community to address the plight of the
displaced.
Also expressing concern for the more than one million persons displaced by
the earthquake and tsunami in South Asia, Mr. Kalin said his report
outlined ways to meet the specific needs of those displaced internally, and
to improve protection of their human rights. In that process, the
mainstreaming of the human rights of internally displaced persons into all
relevant parts of the United Nations system constituted a crucial element.
For his part, he intended to undertake country visits to Nepal, Serbia and
Montenegro, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Responding as a concerned country to the report of the former
Representative of the Secretary-General, Francis Deng, Sudan noted that
the complex national situation, including drought and other calamities, had
worsened the situation of internally displaced persons. The Government
had dispatched trained personnel to care for the internally displaced, and
had shown a positive attitude to the involvement of the African Union, and
the international community. He also stated that there was no
discrimination against people of African origin in the country, adding that
the problem in Darfur was not an ethnic problem.
Also this afternoon, the Commission concluded its general debate on
indigenous issues and on the rights of the child. Representatives of non-
governmental organizations addressed the topic of indigenous rights,
stressing the importance of finalizing the draft United Nations Declaration
on Indigenous Rights, including by affirming indigenous peoples’ rights to
self-determination, to control over their land and resources, and to
collective rights, and of ensuring the success of the second International
Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.
Speaking in exercise of the right of reply on indigenous issues were the
Representatives of Chile and Mauritius.
Within the debate on children’s rights, the non-governmental organizations
addressing the Commission raised concerns related to the scourges of
child labour, sexual abuse and rape, child prostitution and trafficking, lack
of access to adequate standards of living, and lack of realization of the
rights to health, food, and educations, as well as to specific discriminations
and mistreatment suffered by the girl child such as female genital
mutilation and early marriage. They also raised situations of concern in
specific countries.
China, Colombia, and Sri Lanka exercised their right of reply on the rights
of the child.
Addressing the Commission on indigenous issues were Representatives of
the following non-governmental organizations: Latin American Federation
of Associations of Relatives of Disappeared Detainees; International
Association against Torture; Asian Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Network;
International Indian Treaty Council; Anti-Racism Information Service; Asia
Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development; Commission of the
Churches on International Affairs of the World Council of Churches; Indian
Council of South America - CISA; Association of World Citizens; National
Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; Netherlands Centre for
Indigenous Peoples; International Volunteerism Organization for Women,
Education and Development; Indian Law Resource Centre; Foundation for
Aboriginal and Islander Research Action; Innu Council of Nitassinan (Innu
Nation); International Organization of Indigenous Resources Development;
Inuit Circumpolar Conference; Indian Council of South America, speaking in
a joint statement with of International Educational Development; Assembly
of First Nations - National Indian Brotherhood; International Work Group
for Indigenous Affairs; France Libertés – Fondation Danielle Mitterrand;
Global Rights; Saami Council; International Committee for the Indians of
the Americas (Incomindios Switzerland); American Indian Law Allliance;
Liberation; and Indigenous World Association.
Representatives of the following non-governmental organizations
addressed the Commission on children’s rights: International Educational
Development; Society for Threatened Peoples; International Institute for
Non-Aligned Studies; Consultative Council of Jewish Organizations;
International Islamic Federation of Student Organizations; International
Young Catholic Students; MADRE; Netherlands Organization for
International Development Cooperation; Human Rights Council of Australia;
Japanese Workers Committee for Human Rights; International Human
Rights Association of American Minorities; Asia-Japan Women's Resource
Center; United Nations Association of San Diego; World Young Women's
Christian Association, in a joint statement with Women's International
League for Peace and Freedom; Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions;
Liberal International; and United Nations Watch.
The Commission’s next formal meeting will be held tomorrow, 12 April, at
noon when it will take action on draft resolutions on racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and all forms of discrimination, and on the right
to development. The Commission will then continue its consideration of the
situation of specific groups and individuals. From 9 a.m. to noon, the
Commission will hold an informal session on the human rights sections of
the report of the Secretary-General on reform in Room XVIII. A press
release will be issued on the informal session.