UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
10 Dec
2010
UN Human Rights Day 10 Dec 2010 Statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - Navi Pillay
UNITED NATIONS, 10 December 2010 - Since the United Nations was established over 60 years ago, there have been dramatic advances in crafting and implementing a system of universal human rights – rights which are, under international law, applicable to each and every one of us: old and young, male and female, rich and poor, whoever we are and wherever we are from.
We know the names of some of those who changed human rights history: those who were in the vanguard of the struggle to abolish slavery, such as William Wilberforce; those who engineered major advances in women's rights, such as Gloria Steinem, Huda Shaarawi and Simone de Beauvoir. We also know about those who tackled the injustice of colonialism such as Mahatma Gandhi, and those – like Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Rigoberta Menchu – who campaigned to end institutionalized racism and discrimination against minorities and indigenous peoples.
But these inspirational figures could not have done what they did without the help of many others whose names we don't know. Efforts to end slavery spanned 1,000 years, and still continue with adults and children being trafficked for sex and indentured labour. After a mammoth struggle that lasted more than 150 years, women have won the right to vote almost everywhere, but still lack many other fundamental rights.
We owe the progress we have made to the enormous efforts of hundreds of thousands of largely unsung heroes, known collectively as human rights defenders.
Human rights defenders come from all walks of life, ranging from princesses and politicians, to professionals such as journalists, teachers and doctors, to people with little or no formal education. There are no special qualifications. All it takes is commitment, and courage.
We can all be human rights defenders, and – given how much we owe to others for the rights many of us now take for granted – we all should be human rights defenders. At the very least, we should do our utmost to support those who do defend human rights. Every year, thousands of human rights defenders are harassed, abused, unjustly jailed and murdered. That is why Human Rights Day 2010 is dedicated to Human Rights Defenders and their courageous battle to stop discrimination of all sorts. We need to stand up for their rights as much as they stand up for ours.
Some of those who are unjustly detained become the subject of international efforts to win their freedom. This spotlight can provide them with a significant measure of physical protection, even if it does not always win them a speedy release. But most of those detained by repressive authorities languish largely unnoticed in jails, under house arrest, in 're-education centres.' Often their families are targeted as well.
Some of those killed – like Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, murdered outside her apartment in 2006, and Floribert Chebeya Bahizire, the Congolese human rights defender found dead in his car earlier this year – are remembered and revered. But many of those less well-known defenders who are murdered for their belief in human rights remain unknown to the wider world.
The work of human rights defenders is as vital today as it has ever been, because hundreds of millions of individuals still suffer directly or indirectly from some form of discrimination every day.
There are an estimated 370 million indigenous people in the world, a great many of whom face discrimination. Even in the developed world, the life expectancy of some groups of indigenous children born today is up to 20 years less than that of non-indigenous children.
Minorities suffer similar disparities. In Latin America, for example, the some 150 million people of African descent tend to be trapped in poverty to a much greater degree than other sectors of the population. Similarly, of the estimated 650 million people with disabilities, more than two thirds (426 million) are living below the poverty line in developing countries.
Women – half the world's population – still face rampant discrimination in some societies, and more subtle versions in others. One of the most alarming of many depressing statistics on this issue, is that 70 percent of the 70-100 million children who are not attending school are girls.
Around 100 million people are forced into poverty each year because they have to pay for health care. In many countries, children from poor backgrounds are 10 times less likely to be vaccinated than those whose parents are better off, and poor women are up to 20 times less likely than the richest 20 percent of women to give birth in the presence of a skilled health worker capable of saving their lives.
The more than 200 million migrants worldwide, and especially the irregular and undocumented migrants among them , face racism, xenophobia and other chronic forms of discrimination, in both developed and developing countries.
These are some of the daunting challenges facing today's and tomorrow's human rights defenders. I wish to salute their selfless determination. They work tirelessly in on all the issues singled out above, and many more besides – for example sexual orientation and the rights of stateless people, older people and those living with HIV.
One important set of statistics is missing: we have no idea how many human rights defenders there are, or how many of them are intimidated, harassed, beaten up, jailed or killed each year. We have also failed to develop ways to measure their successes, which are often credited not to them but to the politicians or governments that finally listen to them or give in to their pressure. We need to do a much better job of defending our defenders.
The 21st century is witnessing the emergence of new economic and political forces, which, like others before them, will face the responsibility of promoting development at home and abroad while at the same time being held accountable for their actions. Human rights defenders will play a crucial role in this process, by pointing out flaws and benefits in current and future policies and actions. Yet, despite the benefits they bring to society, in some parts of the world they are facing increased harassment, persecution and restrictions on their activities, especially freedom of speech.
On this Human Rights Day, I call on Governments to acknowledge that criticism is not a crime, and to release all those people who have been detained for peacefully exercising their fundamental freedoms to defend democratic principles and human rights.
***************
Loron Direitus Umanus 10 Dezembru 2010
Deklarasaun hosi Alta Komisária ba Direitus Umanus ONU
Navi Pillay
Nasoins Unidas, 10 Dezembru 2010 - Dezde Nasoins Unidas estabelese liu tinan 60 liubá, iha tiha ona avansu sira ne'ebé dramátiku atu arranja no implementa sistema ida direitus umanus universál nian —direitus ne'ebé, tuir lei internasionál, bele aplika ba ita ida-idak no ita hotu: katuas-ferik, foin sa'e, mane no feto, riku no kiak, sé-sé de'it maka ita, no ita mai hosi ne'ebé de'it.
Ita hatene kona-ba naran hosi ema sira ne'ebé muda tiha ona istória direitus umanus nian: sira ne'ebé hamrik iha oin luta nian atu halakon eskravidaun, hanesan William Wilberforce; sira ne'ebé hamosu avansu boot iha direitu sira feto nian, hanesan Gloria Steinem, Huda Shaarawi no Simone de Beauvoir. Ita mós hatene kona-ba sira ne'ebé konfronta injustisa kolonializmu nian hanesan Mahatma Gandhi, no sira ne'ebé - hanesan Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela no Rigoberta Menchu - hala'o kampaña atu hapara rasizmu institusionalizadu no diskriminasaun hasoru minoria sira, no mós ema indíjena sira.
Maibé, figura inspirasionál sira ne'e labele hala'o saída maka sira hala'o sein hetan tulun hosi ema sira barak seluk ne'ebé sira-nia naran ita la hatene. Esforsu atu hapara eskravidaun la'o liu iha tinan 1.000 nia laran, no sei kontinua ho ema boot no labarik sira ne'ebé ema fa'an ba seksu no servisu esforsadu. Hafoin tiha luta ida mak boot, ne'ebé lori liu tinan 150, feto sira manan tiha ona direitu atu vota iha ne'ebé de'it, maibé sei falta direitu fundamentál sira seluk.
Ita deve progresu ne'ebé ita hala'o tiha ona ba esforsu boot hosi eroi sira barak mak la rekoñesidu rihun atus ba atus, ne'ebé koñesidu koletivamente hanesan defensór sira direitus umanus nian.
Defensór sira direitus umanus nian mai hosi parte sosiedade sira hotu, hahú hosi prinseza no polítiku sira, ba to'o profesionál sira hanesan jornalista, mestre no doutor sira, ba to'o ema sira ne'ebé ho edukasaun formál oituan ka laiha liu edukasaun formál. Laiha kualifikasaun sira ne'ebé espesiál. Buat hotu ne'ebé presiza mak kompromisu, no korajen.
Ita hotu bele sai defensór direitus umanus nian, no - tanba ita deve maka'as ba sira seluk ba direitu sira ne'ebé ita barak oras ne'e ladun fó importancia - ita hotu tenke sai defensór direitus umanus nian. Pelumenus, ita tenke hala'o esforsu maka'as atu apoia sira ne'ebé defende duni direitus umanus. Tinan-tinan, defensór direitus umanus rihun ba rihun hetan persegisaun, abuzu no kastigu la ho justu no hetan oho. Tanba ne'e maka Loron Direitus Umanus tinan 2010 nian ne'e dedika ba Defensór Direitus Umanus sira no sira-nia luta ne'ebé ho aten-barani atu hapara diskriminasaun oioin hotu. Ita presiza atu defende sira-nia direitu hanesan mós sira defende ita-nian.
Sira balu ne'ebé hetan detensaun la ho justu sai sujeitu ba esforsu sira internasionál nian atu manan sira-nia liberdade. Publisidade ida-ne'e bele fornese ba sira medida protesaun fízika ida-ne'ebé signifikante, maske medida ida-ne'e la sempre alkansa sira ho liberdade ne'ebé lalais. Maibé, sira barak ne'ebé hetan detensaun hosi autoridade represivu sira sofre barak liu ho ema la nota iha kadeia sira laran, kastigu iha uma, no iha 'sentru re-edukasaun sira'. Dala barak sira-nia familia sira sai mós alvu ba buat sira ne'e.
Sira balu ne'ebé ema oho - hanesan jornalista Rusia, Anna Politkovskaya, ne'ebé ema oho iha nia apartamentu nia oin iha tinan 2006, no Floribert Chebeya Bahizire, defensór direitus umanus hosi Kongo ne'ebé ema hetan mate iha nia karreta laran iha inísiu tinan ne'e - hetan saudasaun no hetan respeitu. Maibé, defensór sira barak mak menus koñesidu, ne'ebé ema oho tanba sira-nia fiar iha direitus umanus kontinua sai deskoñesidu ba mundu tomak liután.
Servisu defensór sira direitus umanus nian ne'e importante ba ohin loron no hanesan mós antes tiha ona, tanba individu tokon atus ba atus mak sei terus diretamente no indiretamente hosi forma diskriminasaun balu loro-loron.
Iha ema indíjena maisumenus na'in tokon 370 iha mundu, barak loos mak hasoru diskriminasaun. Até iha rai avansadu sira, espetativa moris grupu labarik indíjena sira balu mak moris ohin loron to'o menus tinan 20 duké labarik sira naun-indíjena sira.
Minoria sira sofre disparidade sira ne'ebé hanesan. Iha Amérika Latina, porezemplu, ema ho desendente Áfrika na'in tokon 150 iha tendensia atu monu iha lasu kiak nian to'o degrau ne'ebé boot liután duké setór populasaun sira seluk. Nune'e mós, ema maisumenus na'in tokon 650 ho kondisaun alejadu, liu 1/3 (tokon 426) oras ne'e moris iha liña kiak nia okos iha rai sira ne'ebé foin dezenvolve.
Feto sira - nu'udar metade populasaun mundu nian - sei hasoru diskriminasaun boot iha sosiedade sira balu, no versaun sira diskriminasaun nian ne'ebé kaman iha sosiedade sira seluk. Estatístiku ida alarmante liuhotu hosi estatístiku ne'ebé depresivu kona-ba kestaun ne'e mak katak, porsentu 70 hosi labarik na'in tokon 70-100 ne'ebé la ba eskola mak labarik feto sira.
Maizumenus ema na'in tokon 100 esforsadu tama iha kondisaun kiak tinan-tinan tanba sira tenke selu ba kuidadu saúde. Iha rai bara-barak, labarik sira mak mai hosi kondisaun kiak ne'e menus dala 10 atu iha posibilidade hetan vasina duké sira ne'ebé nia inan-aman sira riku, no feto kiak sira to'o kedas dala 20 atu iha posibilidade menus duké persentajen 20 feto sira ne'ebé riku liuhotu atu hahoris ho prezensa pesoál saúde nian ida-ne'ebé bele salva sira-nia moris.
Migrante liu na'in tokon 200 iha mundu tomak, no espesialmente migrante sira ne'ebé la dokumentadu no irregulár entre sira, hasoru rasizmu, xenofobia no forma krónika sira seluk diskriminasaun nian, tantu iha rai dezenvolvidu sira no rai sira ne'ebé foin dezenvolve.
Buat hirak ne'e mak nu'udar dezafiu alarmante balu ne'ebé defensór direitus umanus sira hasoru iha loron ohin no loron aban. Ha'u hakarak atu hahii sira-nia determinasaun ne'ebé jenerozu. Sira serbisu la ho kole iha kestaun sira hotu ne'ebé temi sai iha leten, no barak liután aleinde—porezemplu orientasaun seksuál no direitu ema sira mak laiha sidadania, ema katuas-ferik sira no sira ne'ebé moris ho HIV.
Parte importante ida estatístiku nian lakon: ita la hatene defensór direitus na'in hira mak iha, ka na'in hira hosi sira ne'e mak hetan intimidasaun, persegisaun, baku, kastigu ka hetan oho tinan-tinan. Ita mós falla tiha ona atu dezenvolve maneira sira atu sukat sira-nia susesu, ne'ebé dala barak hetan onra la'ós ba sira, maibé ba polítiku ka governu sira ne'ebé to'o ikus rona sira ka hatan ba sira-nia presaun. Ita presiza atu hala'o servisu ida-ne'ebé di'ak liután atu defende ita-nia defensór sira.
Sékulu 21 sai sasin daudaun ba forsa polítika no ekonómiku foun mak mosu, ne'ebé, hanesan sira seluk molok sira, sei hasoru responsabilidade atu promove dezenvolvimentu iha rai laran no rai liur embora iha tempu ne'ebé hanesan responsabiliza ba sira-nia asaun sira. Defensór Direitus Umanus sira sei iha knaar importante ida atu hala'o iha prosesu ida-ne'e, hodi fó sai kona-ba frakeza no benefísiu iha polítika no asaun sira iha oras ne'e no iha futuru. Maibé, maske iha benefísiu ne'ebé sira lori ba sosiedade, iha parte balun mundu nian sira sei enfrenta persegisaun ne'ebé aumentadu, persekusaun no restrisaun iha sira-nia atividade sira, espesialmente liberdade atu ko'alia.
Iha loron Direitus Umanus nian ida-ne'e, ha'u husu ba Governu sira atu rekoñese katak krítika ne'e la'ós krime ida, no husik livre sira hotu ne'ebé hetan detensaun tanba ezerse pasifikamente sira-nia liberdade fundamentál atu defende prinsípiu demokrátiku no direitus umanus.
