25th Session of the Human Rights Council High‐Level Segment Statement by H.E. Aurelia Frick Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Principality of Liechtenstein Geneva, 3 March 2014 35‐37,av.Giuseppe‐MottaICasepostale158I1211Genève20ISuisseIT+41227342900IF+41227342951
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Check against delivery Mr. President It is my great honor to address the Human Rights Council today. At the outset, allow me to congratulate you on your election as President of this Council. I also wish to express our appreciation and support for the outstanding leadership of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Navi Pillay, and her dedicated team. The last time I addressed the audience in this Council Room was a bit more than one year ago, when Liechtenstein was reviewed under the proceedings of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). My country has been committed to the UPR since its inception. We remain convinced that this unique and universal mechanism adds important value to the human rights work of the United Nations. In Liechtenstein, both reviews undertaken so far have stimulated internal debate and led to concrete results. We are convinced that this is also the case for other countries – and we are therefore grateful that the universal nature of the UPR has been safeguarded. We will continue contributing to the further evolution of this important tool. Complementary to the UPR process are the reporting procedures under the UN human rights treaties. For Liechtenstein, the work of the treaty bodies lies at the core of the United Nations human rights protection system. The incremental growth of the treaty body system, however, has pushed it to the maximum of its capacity and even beyond. We are very pleased that the process on TB reform in New York resulted in a good outcome. Once implemented, this decision will enhance the effective functioning of the treaty body system. Furthermore, it will assist States in fulfilling their legal obligations under the relevant treaties and safeguard the independence of the treaty bodies. With respect to issues raised during our various reporting, Liechtenstein has achieved particular progress is the exchange with and the involvement of civil society. We have established a regular dialogue, which offers a platform for exchanges on human rights issues between the Administration and civil society. These events have met with considerable interest, showing us there was a real need for such an exchange. A vibrant civil society is one of the backbones of a free and democratic society and can make significant contributions to our collective effort to promote and protect human rights. I was therefore very pleased to see that the Council has emphasized last year how important the work of human rights defenders and of civil society in general is. The Council took a clear stance that it does not tolerate reprisals against persons who cooperate with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms. We continue to believe that this resolution 3
should be implemented as adopted by the Council. We hope that there will be a good solution to this issue after the unfortunate interference by the UN General Assembly last fall. Addressing the issue of reprisals effectively is a key issue with respect to cooperation with the UN mechanisms and thus the responsibility of this Council. Mr. President The world faces serious human rights challenges. We can truly say that the Human Rights Council is becoming more effective in discharging its responsibility to address human rights emergencies. But there are situations where our response remains insufficient. Of continued concern is the situation in Syria, where the killing goes on and millions of people are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance. Liechtenstein welcomes the repeated action by the Council to address the human rights emergency in Syria. But we must admit that action so far has not been effective. It is sobering in particular that ending impunity has not been accorded the priority it deserves, given the extensive findings by this Council’s Commission of Inquiry which confirm the commission of crimes against humanity. We continue to believe that a Security Council referral of the situation to the International Criminal Court is the best way to address the impunity gap. I am also shocked by the findings of the UN Commission of Inquiry on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The report documents that massive, systematic and widespread human rights violations have been and are committed in that country. Some of these violations amount to crimes against humanity, and the overall situation is clearly one of the most burning human rights emergencies worldwide. We share the Commission’s questions about the “inadequacy of the response of the international community”. We support its recommendation to the Security Council to refer this situation to the ICC. The Court was created precisely for the purpose of being available to us when there are urgent needs to address crises of accountability – and there can be no doubt that the situation in the DPRK is a very grave crisis in this respect. Mr. President Let me touch on four thematic subjects of particular importance for my country: 1.) Together with a number of countries, Liechtenstein has initiated a broader dialogue on the human rights implications of current surveillance practices. Such surveillance threatens individual rights, in particular the right to privacy as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This was just a first step, and we look forward to further advancing this discussion together with our partners. Last week, we conducted a public expert seminar, and as a next step, the group will propose to convene a panel discussion on the promotion and protection of the right to privacy, at the 27th Session of this Council. 4
2.) One of Liechtenstein’s ongoing priorities at the United Nations is the promotion and protection of the Rights of the Child. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This convention is the cornerstone of UN action in this respect. And it is the UN human rights treaty which has found the highest number of ratifications. To celebrate this anniversary, Liechtenstein, together with Austria, Slovenia and Switzerland is holding a High‐Level Side event, later today. I am pleased to invite you all to this event, which focuses on child participation, a principle deeply enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. 3.) Liechtenstein has also been a long‐standing promoter of women’s rights. 30 years after the adoption of CEDAW, it should be self‐evident that women and men have the same rights and equal chances. But it is still something we have to fight for. As a member of the Executive Board of UN Women, we will use this year to play an active role in the work of this UN entity. We will place particular emphasis on situations of armed conflict, where women continue to face multiple forms of discrimination and gender‐based violence and continue to be underrepresented as stakeholders in peace processes. Full participation of women at all levels of political and public decision‐
making, in particular during conflicts and times of political transition, is not only important from a human rights perspective, but also in terms of achieving sustainable solutions. 4.) Finally, Liechtenstein looks forward to the high‐level panel discussion on the question of the death penalty the Council will hold later this week. Liechtenstein has long ago abolished the death penalty categorically and ratified OP II of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. We consider it as a cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment. I therefore welcome the Council’s more active role in the global discussion on the death penalty and its negative human rights implications. I look forward to an informed and constructive discussion aiming at concrete steps towards improved procedures, strengthened safeguards and the gradual elimination of this practice. I thank you for your attention and I wish all of us a constructive and productive Council session.