unitex@rubbs.fidonet.org (unitex) (09/04/89)
Rapporteur was also right in pointing out that international co-operation was
indispensable for the realization of economic, social and cultural rights, as
well for the right to development. In this context, it would be useful if the
General Assembly adopted a resolution addressed to the specialized agencies
engaged in development problems, calling upon them to work out programmes in
this field, in accordance with the Declaration on the Right to Development.
He shared the concern of the Special Rapporteur about some adverse
consequences resulting from the activities of the International Monetary Fund
in developing countries, including human rights situations there.
JAIME STIGLICH (Peru) said that the unified concept of human rights
needed highlighting. There was no hierarchy in human rights and all rights
were indivisible. Structural adjustment policies were applied by financial
institutions after having done in-depth studies of their causes and
ramifications. However, these policies had dire effects on economic growth
and recession, as well as on the poorer sector of the population. He
supported the idea that financial institutions should study ways to mitigate
the effects of their adjustment policies on more vulnerable countries, as well
as the consequences for human rights. He supported the idea that debtor
countries should be asked to provide information on how they dealt with
adjustment policies.
TANJA ANSBACH (German Democratic Republic) stated that there existed the
general conviction that all human rights -- civil, political, economic, social
and cultural alike -- were equal in value and mutually interdependent. But,
she said, this was not adequately reflected in the agendas of United Nations
human rights bodies. She was convinced that the report of Danilo Turk, expert
from Yugoslavia, would be a major step towards overcoming this situation.
With regard to the setting of standards and the struggle against violations,
further strides had to be made. She recalled that already in 1977 the
Commission on Human Rights demanded in its resolution 5 (XXXIII) "to study
also violations of economic, social and cultural rights". Therefore, the
German Democratic Republic deemed it important to deal with violations of
these rights as it was done so impressively by Fatma Ksentini, expert from
Algeria. A human being needed the implementation of the whole range of human
rights for feeling to be a human being.
FERNANDO APPARICIO DA SILVA (Brazil) said that the negative, persistent
and widespread trends in the economic international scene in the last decade
had made it more difficult for many countries in the world to further the
promotion of human rights. Developing countries -- Latin America in
particular -- had become the victim of dramatic economic problems of a global
nature, whose solution required collective mobilization and negotiation
involving the international community. He referred to the problem of foreign
debt. Owing to lack of available resources and to oppress international
circumstances, it became ever more difficult for indebted countries to
guarantee better living conditions and the consequent realization of all
economic, social and cultural rights. This created a climate of social
tension, which could ultimately jeopardize the establishment and consolidation
of democratic institutions themselves, and consequently the very enjoyment of
the civil and political rights.
DANILO TURK (Yugoslavia) in concluding remarks, thanked all participants
in the discussion and noted that a good start toward further dialogue was an
achievement in itself. He envisaged the possibility of a progress report on
the question of the realization of economic, social and cultural rights which,
in his view, should become a separate agenda item and be considered on an
annual basis.
Background on Communications Concerning Human Rights
In 1970, the Economic and Social Council authorized the Sub-Commission to
appoint a working group to meet annually and consider all communications
received by the Secretary-General, with a view to bringing to the attention of
the Sub-Commission those communications, together with the replies of
Governments, if any, which appeared to reveal a consistent pattern of gross
violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Working Group on
Communications was established by Sub-Commission resolution 2 (XXIV) of
16 August 1971. The Working Group has met prior to each session of the
Sub-Commission and presented to the Sub-Commission a confidential report.
Since 1974, the Commission established a Working Group each year to
assist it in examining situations referred to it by the Sub-Commission and to
make recommendations to it. The Working Group's recommendations are
communicated to the Governments directly concerned. They, in turn, are
invited to participate in the meetings of the Commission at which the
situation in question is examined.
The Sub-Commission currently has before it: the confidential report of
the Working Group on Communications of the Sub-Commission on its meetings from
24 July to 4 August 1989; relevant documentation from the Sub-Commission's
last confidential report; the confidential summary records of the forty-fifth
session of the Commission on Human Rights; the text of the Commission's
confidential decisions and other documents relating thereto; resolutions and
decisions adopted by the Council; the Commission and the Sub-Commission that
are relevant to the work of the Sub-Commission under Council resolution 1503
(XLVIII); and confidential lists of communications compiled by the
Secretary-General, under Council resolutions 728 F (XXVIII) and 1503 (XLVIII),
since the Sub-Commission's fortieth session, as well as replies received from
Governments during the period July 1988 - June 1989.
* Origin: UNITEX --> Toward a United Species (1:107/501)
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