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The success of this Council will depend on how it deals with, as OP 3 of resolution 60/251 specifies, “…situations of violations of human rights, including gross and systematic violations.” The Council needs to address continuing concerns about the human rights situations in countries such Belarus, Iran, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Cuba, Burma, and North Korea. Concerns the United States raised in the Commission and will continue to raise here and elsewhere, when appropriate. Let me focus here briefly on a few specific cases. Despite the decades-long conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, the ultimate goal as first called for remains two independent states, living side by side in peace and security. Sadly, with a Hamas Palestinian government that continues to endorse the destruction of Israel, this long sought after goal remains elusive. This Council must be intellectually honest. We all are concerned about violations of the human rights of Palestinians, just as we must be in equal measure about indiscriminate terror attacks that murder innocent Israelis. This new body should address such concerns as it addresses other country situations, including through the new Universal Periodic Review mechanism. Pragmatic solutions such as greater OHCHR engagement in Gaza and the West Bank also could help make a real difference in many lives. In Sudan’s Darfur region, meanwhile, government and government-supported militia (Janjaweed), and rebel groups, continued to commit serious human rights and humanitarian law abuses, leading to increasing deaths and mass population displacement. For example, twenty-six thousand people were displaced in South Darfur alone in December 2005. Janjaweed killed hundreds of civilians, razed villages, and committed acts of rape, torture and violence against women. The rebel groups also committed acts of violence in Darfur against civilians including many women and children, including humanitarian aid workers, and clashed among themselves -- creating instability in the area. But with the new peace accord, there is room for hope. The 2005 Commission passed a resolution calling for monitors on the ground. The new, and we hope improved, Council can follow up, providing technical support to bolster the effective implementation of the peace accords. The military regime in Burma continues to retain all governing authority, and the country has a complete absence of basic human rights, no free press, no rule of law and severely restricted political activities. We are committed to effective international action to help the people of Burma. The United States reiterates its call on the regime to cease its persecution of ethnic minorities, release all 1,100 political prisoners, and engage in a genuine dialogue to bring about national reconciliation and democracy. The junta should also address the country’s critical humanitarian problems, including lifting restrictions on international aid workers. The North Korean regime remains one of the world’s worst human rights violators, denying its people the basic freedoms of speech, press, religion, and assembly enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These grave violations include torture, summary or arbitrary executions, widespread forced labor, an extensive inhumane prison camp system and infanticide and forced abortions in those prisons. As many as 200,000 persons may be held in remote detention camps for political reasons; many reportedly have died from torture, starvation, disease, or exposure. The U.S. remains deeply concerned about the North Korean regime’s deplorable human rights record and the ongoing humanitarian crisis faced by the North Korean people. This Council must defend the regime’s victims and demand immediate reforms. I’d like to end on a positive note, drawing the Council’s attention to Nepal. This body has an important role to play in recognizing the positive work that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has done in Nepal. The United States appeals to members of this body to fully fund OHCHR’s continuing efforts. Ladies and gentlemen, this Council must take action to streamline
and depoliticize its agenda, to provide technical assistance and
support to nations that need it, and to fund the work of the Office
of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. But where authorities
are unwilling to make reforms, or cooperatively seek help from the
international community, the Council must draw attention to and
condemn their actions. Thank you.
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