Statement by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr A.N. Zenon
at the high-level Segment of the Human Rights Council, in
Geneva
Mr President, Mr High Commissioner, Ministers, Ladies and
Gentlemen,
“The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is
the first and only object of good government” , Thomas Jefferson has written. Two hundred years later, this remains
as pertinent as ever and should be the fundament of our exertions.
Despicable acts of terrorism and armed conflict, indiscriminately
targeting civilians, cause widespread loss of lives and constitute a direct affront to the values of our
civilisation.
We have a moral, as well as a legal obligation, to do our utmost to
defend first and foremost the value of life, as all other rights are rendered
meaningless the moment life perishes. The right to life is the most sacred human right.
Last year, we commemorated the 70th anniversary of the
United Nations Charter and the establishment of this Organisation. This year
marks the 10 th anniversary of the Human Rights Council.
We wish that upon these anniversaries, the world would be closer to
the fulfillment of the aims of the UN Charter and of the Human Rights Council.
The picture though is regrettably grim. The scourge of terrorism and
violent conflict spread misery and death around the globe.
But this is not the time to despair.
This year's Session of the Council, should be an opportunity to set
aside our differences, reaffirm our common values, our faith in the value of
human life and fundamental human rights and determine a course of action in the
light of current challenges.
It is also the occasion to praise and support the courageous work of
human rights defenders all over the world, in view of the alarming tendency in
some countries to repress civil society and to restrict the activities of
NGOs.
Mr President,
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights reminds us that “everyone
has the right to life, liberty and security of person” .
Not only is the value of life enshrined in the UDHR, as in many other
global and regional instruments, but it is also universally sacred across
religions.
Yet, from the squares of Istanbul to the streets of Paris, from the
marketplaces of Beirut to the villages of Nigeria or over the skies of the
Sinai, terrorists are brutally taking innocent lives, abusing religion to
justify their heinous crimes.
But terrorism does not stop there; today, it affects human life and
dignity on a global scale and with far-reaching consequences. As His Majesty
King Abdullah of Jordan has aptly put it recently: "Winning or losing this global war will
shape global values and define our security and way of life long into the
21 st century".
Blatant disregard for basic human rights and liberties is an everyday
phenomenon in areas under the control of terrorist organisations .
Its destabilising impact on institutions, society and the economy can
have long-term consequences on the enjoyment of human rights.
States have an obligation to protect the lives and rights of their
citizens; this definitely necessitates measures to counter terrorism. But it is
also our responsibility to ensure that such measures are morally sound,
proportionate and do not undermine rights and freedoms.
Reconciling civil liberties and national security is a fiendishly
difficult task –but one to which we must pay utmost attention, for the
repercussions of getting it wrong can be tremendous.
We must be careful not to create new, or exacerbate existing
grievances and that we leave no margin for misinterpretation and abuse.
Excessive measures may foster alienation, mistrust and feelings of injustice,
and provide pretexts for exploitation by extremists.
In addition to security measures, it is indispensable to counter
radicalisation and violent extremism within our societies.
Important as it is to adopt efficient and proportionate
counter-terrorism measures, we also have to eliminate situations that serve as
breeding ground for extremism, such as civil strife and lawlessness.
This is an additional reason as to why conflicts like the ones in
Yemen, Libya and Syria must be resolved without further delay.
Especially with regard to our neighbouring Syria, my Government supports the efforts to establish a lasting
ceasefire and an inclusive political dialogue and urges all sides, directly or
indirectly involved in the conflict, to seize every opportunity to achieve a
solution as soon as possible. A solution that will eradicate terrorism and
terminate the plight of innocent people, who are forced to leave everything
behind to escape death.
Mr President,
During the current session of the Council, the annual
Report on the question of human rights in Cyprus
will be presented.
This report is of vital importance to my Government, since it
highlights
human rights violations in Cyprus, a result of the Turkish invasion, still
taking place to date.
It is regrettable that, despite existing judgements of the European Court
of Human Rights, finding Turkey guilty of continuous violations of the
Convention of the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in Cyprus,
Turkey has so far failed to implement the Court’s decisions.
Mr President, Ladies and Gentlemen,
You are certainly aware that the two communities on the island have resumed negotiations, aimed
at achieving a lasting settlement and that there has been significant progress
on a number of issues.
This is reason for cautious optimism.
It should be stressed, however, that a lot of ground remains to be
covered on some of the most difficult and sensitive aspects of the problem.
President Anastasiades remains fully committed and determined to
continue working closely and sincerely with the Turkish Cypriot leader, in order
to reach a settlement.
One should bear in mind, though, that however much good will the two
communities show, the active contribution of Turkey, which, I remind, maintains
more than 40.000 troops on the island, is indispensible for a viable and lasting
solution.
Mr President,
During this session Cyprus –as part of a cross-regional core group-
will be presenting, under Item 8, a Statement on the impact of the destruction
of cultural heritage on cultural rights, drawing the Council’s attention to the
worrying rise, in frequency and scale, of destruction that occurs especially
during, or in the aftermath of armed conflicts.
This Statement, coupled with a high-level panel discussion, aims at
highlighting the human rights aspect of the problem.
Through enhanced cooperation with UNESCO and other international
actors, the Statement also calls for innovative ways to be explored and best
practices to be shared, in order to prevent or mitigate the impact of damage
(and destruction) to cultural monuments on cultural rights.
I wish to call upon all Members and Observers of the Council to
support this Statement, reaffirming the importance of cultural heritage, as a
way to understand better our common past, and through it, our common destiny for
the future.
Before closing, allow me to express my Government’s sincere
appreciation, in particular, to the High Commissioner and his Office, for their
inspired leadership, to the Treaty Bodies, the Special Rapporteurs and
Commissions of Inquiry, for their dedicated work and for gathering, processing
and publishing vital information on the situation of human rights across the
world.
I also wish to congratulate you, Mr President, on your election and
assure you that you can rely on the support of my Government in the execution of
your mandate.
