22nd session of the UN Human Rights Council Item 6 – Universal Periodic Review, General debate
Saturday, 16 March 2013
RADDHO welcomes the report A/HRC/22/16 on Sri Lanka.
Out of Sri Lanka’s 100 accepted recommendations, RADDHO would like to bring to the Council’s attention that more than 70% raise the question, as to whether they were really important for any State to make as a recommendation under the UPR.
If this newly invented practice within the UPR process continues, states with horrendous human rights violations will be allowed to sweep their skeletons under the carpet.
RADDHO takes this opportunity to inform the HRC that if every state comes out with a pretext that they cannot accept many recommendations “due to the need to protect their state sovereignty”, what will be value of the UPR process?
State Sovereignty cannot be used as a pretext to avoid fulfilling obligations under international human rights law and international humanitarian law. The UPR is, as we understand it, to promote the protection, not the denial, of human rights.
Former UN General Secretary Kofi Annan, once said in the 55th session of the UN Human Rights Commission, (7 April 1999) that, “…No government has the right to hide behind national sovereignty in order to violate the human rights or fundamental freedoms of its peoples. Whether a person belongs to the minority or the majority, that person's human rights and fundamental freedoms are sacred”.
Mr. President, RADDHO is concerned about the ongoing violence against women and girls in Pakistan and the lack of legal measures to protect religious minorities including Shias, Ahmadis, Christians, Hindus and Sikhs. We strongly believe that the promotion of human rights education in Pakistan, particularly in the rural areas should be given the highest priority.
We also encourage the Government of Pakistan to exert all its efforts to adopt an inclusive environment that respects the fundamental rights of all its citizens.
15 March 2013
Intervention by – Visuvalingam KIRUPAHARAN
