Commission on Human Rights
Special Working Meeting on the Middle East

Statement by
Ambassador Kevin E. Moley
Head of the U.S. Observer Delegation

 

April 5, 2002

The United States shares the concern of Commission members regarding the importance of the human rights and dignity of all those affected by the current crisis, both Israeli and Palestinian. President Bush spoke for the American people when he said yesterday morning, "We mourn the dead, and we mourn the damage to the hope of peace." The President directed Secretary of State Colin Powell to visit the region to work on implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1402. Our vision is clear, as described by the President: "two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side, in peace and security."

The question is how the international community can most effectively cooperate to achieve our goals: peace, respect for human rights, relief for those who are suffering, and restoring hope. The task of this body should be to bring balance where others bring extremism, to bring understanding where others bring prejudice, and above all, to protect the rights of the individual without recourse to the politics of hate.

I encourage this Commission to consider where it can contribute most meaningfully to improving the protection of human rights around the globe, and to return to the other important work on its agenda.