Foreign Minister Tuomioja: The Council is needed to address current human rights challenges
Press release 194/2006
19 June, 2006
The new UN Human Rights Council started its operation with a festive inaugural session in Geneva today. Mexican Ambassador Louis Alfonso de Alba was elected the first Chairman of the Council. As Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, who addressed the meeting on behalf of Finland, pointed out: "A lot is expected of the new Human Rights Council. To turn this vision into reality, a new human rights culture is needed."
The Human Rights Council was established in March after lengthy negotiations. In the first Council elections, 47 member states were elected to the agency, Finland being one of them. The Council is tasked with promoting the implementation of human rights and intervening in violations of these rights. It should also aim at preventing human rights crises by means of dialogue and cooperation. The new Council has a more permanent status then the previous one, which facilitates more efficient operation.
Foreign Minister Tuomioja underscored that the new Council is needed to address current challenges, such as respect of human rights in the fight against terrorism. The Council should provide a forum for dialogue between civilisations, aiming at promoting the rights of all the people. Tuomioja mentioned particularly the implementation of the rights of women and children, as well as ethnic, religious, sexual and other minorities. In order for these objectives to be met, what is required from the first members of the Council is strong commitment to protection of human rights, as well as open cooperation, for instance, with NGOs.
Foreign Minister of Austria Ursula Plassnik, who addressed the meeting on behalf of the EU, emphasised particularly the rights of women. Women and children are still deprived of some of the rights, and, still, the implementation of their rights as well is the prerequisite of development in societies.
The first session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva lasts two weeks. The next session will be organised in September, during the Finnish EU Presidency.
Additional information: Director Johanna Suurpää, Unit for Human Rights Policy, tel. +358 40 724 0287
