UN Human Rights Commissioner stresses link between human rights and security

VIENNA, 19 July 2002 - The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, said on Friday that the fight against terrorism must be fought in full conformity with international human rights standards.

Addressing the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna, she also urged the 55-nation security and human rights organization to continue providing leadership in addressing problems such as hostility to immigrants, anti-Semitism and the rise in Islamophobia and anti-Arab sentiment, which affected all parts of Europe.

The High Commissioner said the OSCE had played a vital role in enhancing security for people in Europe and beyond with a concept of security which had human rights at its core.

"In the aftermath of the terrible events of last September 11, as States seek effective ways to deal with the threat of terrorism, the OSCE has not wavered in asserting this linkage between human rights and human security," she said.

"There is a duty to confront and defeat terrorism but the actions taken by States to combat terrorism must be in conformity with international human rights and humanitarian law standards."

It was more important than ever that human rights were upheld and that violations were monitored, condemned and addressed. "In so doing, we are contributing to human security and the elimination of terrorism."

The OSCE had backed up its human rights commitments with important practical work through its field missions, the extensive technical assistance programmes of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the work of the High Commissioner on National Minorities.

"This has been of vital importance to all Europeans and most of all to the victims of human rights violations," the UN High Commissioner said. "In the end, protection cannot be effective unless it is linked with development of national capacity, technical co-operation and other forms of direct assistance. The development of this part of the OSCE's programme has been one of its greatest achievements of recent years."

The High Commissioner expressed her thanks for the support provided to her Office by the OSCE in several regions, including in Central Asia.

"The OSCE field presences in Central Asia have been very active in promoting human rights and democratic reform as crucial elements in the promotion of a holistic concept of human security and our co-operation with them has been very fruitful," she said.

Concluding her address to the Permanent Council, the High Commissioner added:

"The OSCE must continue to give leadership in proposing ways to address the serious problems that all parts of Europe face, including the rising hostility towards immigrants, reflected in recent elections, the worrying rise in incidents of anti-Semitism and, at the same time, the rise in Islamophobia and anti-Arab sentiment."