WELCOME ADDRESS: HUMAN RIGHTS DAY 2008
First of all I welcome our Respected Chief Guest Associate Professor Begum Sharifulnessa, Respected Guest of Honours, Members and Invitees on this auspicious occasion of the observation of Human Rights Day 2008. The theme of our organisation of the next year is ‘human rights education.’ Therefore I give very shortly certain important hints on it. Our branches are going to take up special programs for it.
Introduction: We all now understand what are ‘human rights’ and why these rights are not still universal. The term, ‘Human rights education’ comes from the Declaration. We have to redefine human rights and rewrite its history, theory, and law for schools, institutions and the general public. The UN aimed to promote all the rights and freedoms of the Declaration by reaching every individual and every organ of the society.
Human Rights Education: It shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups and shall further the activities of the UN for the maintenance of peace, language, human values and culture. The UN in 1993 reaffirmed the importance of human rights. The States are duty-bound, as stipulated in the Declaration and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and other international human rights instruments, to ensure that education is aimed at strengthening the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Vienna Declaration declared the UN Decade of Human Rights Education from 1995 to 2004. The UNESCO has a responsibility and was a key organiser of the Decade. It attempts to promote through development of national and local capacities. It needs co-operation in development projects and programmes at national and sub-regional levels. It elaborated learning materials, publications and their translation in national and local languages.
Activities: Advocacy and Networking follow the Decade. The General Assembly proclaimed the World Programme for Human Rights Education, to advance the implementation programmes in all sectors. It promotes a common understanding of the basic principles and methodologies of human rights education. It also provided a concrete framework for action to strengthen partnerships and cooperation from the international level down to the grass roots.
Organizations: Amnesty International and Human Rights Education Associates are the main organisations with programmes to make more learning about human rights. It is the first step toward respecting, promoting and defending the rights. Amnesty International defines Human Rights Education as a “deliberate, participatory practice aimed at empowering individuals, groups and communities through fostering knowledge, skills and attitudes consistent with internationally recognized human rights principles”.
The Human Rights Committee: It will implement human rights by meeting three times a year to consider the five-yearly reports submitted by UN member states on their compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). It is one of seven UN-linked human rights bodies. The First Optional Protocol came into effect on 23 March 1976. Currently 104 countries have agreed to allow persons within the member state to obtain an opinion from the Committee regarding violations of that Covenant. The Committee can thus function as a mechanism for the international redress of human rights abuses. The Second Optional Protocol came in force since 11 July 1991. Currently 53 countries abolished the death penalty. Why not India recognise it? Where has shaken the Gandhian Philisophy that condemned death penalty. The Committee is a treaty based mechanism where a group of experts examines reports and rules on individual communications pertaining only to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It remains disputed whether the Committee's in principle non-binding final views qualify as decisions of a quasi-judicial body or simply constitute authoritative interpretations on the merits of the cases brought before them for the members of the Optional Protocol. The members of the Committee must be "of high moral character and recognized competence in the field of human rights", are elected by the member states but on an individual basis, not as representatives of their countries. They serve four-year terms, with one-half of their number elected every second year at the General assembly. Our ifop has hopes of individual member when someone of us is qualified with high moral character and competent in the field of human rights. The ICCPR adopted and opened for signature on 16 December 1966 and came into force on 23 March 1976. The States Parties recognized the inherent dignity, equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family as the foundation of freedom, justice and peace. It also recognized the free human beings enjoying civil and political freedom and freedom from fear and want. It can only be achieved if conditions are created whereby everyone may enjoy his civil and political rights, as well as his economic, social and cultural rights. The individual, having duties to other individuals and to the community to which he belongs, is under a responsibility to strive for the promotion and observance of the rights recognized in the present Covenant.
Self-determination: All peoples have the right of self-determination. They may freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development. All peoples may, for their own ends, freely dispose of their natural wealth and resources without prejudice to any obligations arising out of international economic co-operation, based upon the principle of mutual benefit and international law. In no case may a people be deprived of its own means of subsistence. The States Parties shall have responsibility for the administration of Non-Self-Governing and Trust Territories. It shall promote the realization of the right of self-determination and shall respect that right in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations. Each State Party shall respect and ensure to all individuals within its territory and subject to its jurisdiction the rights recognized in the Covenant, without distinction of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. It provided for by existing legislative or other measures, each State Party shall take the necessary steps, in accordance with its constitutional processes and with the provisions of the Covenant, to adopt such laws or other measures as may be necessary to give effect to the rights recognized in the Covenant. Each State Party shall ensure that any person whose rights or freedoms as herein recognized are violated shall have an effective remedy, notwithstanding that the violation has been committed by persons acting in an official capacity.
Thank you all.
God bless!!!
(Dr) Robert Renatus Sanabam
President, ifop
21/10/08
‘Human Rights Education’
Introduction: We all now understand what are ‘human rights’ and why these rights are not still universal. The term, ‘Human rights education’ comes from the Declaration. We have to redefine human rights and rewrite its history, theory, and law for schools, institutions and the general public. The UN aimed to promote all the rights and freedoms of the Declaration by reaching every individual and every organ of the society.
Human Rights Education: It shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups and shall further the activities of the UN for the maintenance of peace, language, human values and culture. The UN in 1993 reaffirmed the importance of human rights. The States are duty-bound, as stipulated in the Declaration and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and other international human rights instruments, to ensure that education is aimed at strengthening the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Vienna Declaration declared the UN Decade of Human Rights Education from 1995 to 2004. The UNESCO has a responsibility and was a key organiser of the Decade. It attempts to promote through development of national and local capacities. It needs co-operation in development projects and programmes at national and sub-regional levels. It elaborated learning materials, publications and their translation in national and local languages.
Activities: Advocacy and Networking follow the Decade. The General Assembly proclaimed the World Programme for Human Rights Education, to advance the implementation programmes in all sectors. It promotes a common understanding of the basic principles and methodologies of human rights education. It also provided a concrete framework for action to strengthen partnerships and cooperation from the international level down to the grass roots.
Organizations: Amnesty International and Human Rights Education Associates are the main organisations with programmes to make more learning about human rights. It is the first step toward respecting, promoting and defending the rights. Amnesty International defines Human Rights Education as a “deliberate, participatory practice aimed at empowering individuals, groups and communities through fostering knowledge, skills and attitudes consistent with internationally recognized human rights principles”.
The Human Rights Committee: It will implement human rights by meeting three times a year to consider the five-yearly reports submitted by UN member states on their compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). It is one of seven UN-linked human rights bodies. The First Optional Protocol came into effect on 23 March 1976. Currently 104 countries have agreed to allow persons within the member state to obtain an opinion from the Committee regarding violations of that Covenant. The Committee can thus function as a mechanism for the international redress of human rights abuses. The Second Optional Protocol came in force since 11 July 1991. Currently 53 countries abolished the death penalty. Why not India recognise it? Where has shaken the Gandhian Philisophy that condemned death penalty. The Committee is a treaty based mechanism where a group of experts examines reports and rules on individual communications pertaining only to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It remains disputed whether the Committee's in principle non-binding final views qualify as decisions of a quasi-judicial body or simply constitute authoritative interpretations on the merits of the cases brought before them for the members of the Optional Protocol. The members of the Committee must be "of high moral character and recognized competence in the field of human rights", are elected by the member states but on an individual basis, not as representatives of their countries. They serve four-year terms, with one-half of their number elected every second year at the General assembly. Our ifop has hopes of individual member when someone of us is qualified with high moral character and competent in the field of human rights. The ICCPR adopted and opened for signature on 16 December 1966 and came into force on 23 March 1976. The States Parties recognized the inherent dignity, equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family as the foundation of freedom, justice and peace. It also recognized the free human beings enjoying civil and political freedom and freedom from fear and want. It can only be achieved if conditions are created whereby everyone may enjoy his civil and political rights, as well as his economic, social and cultural rights. The individual, having duties to other individuals and to the community to which he belongs, is under a responsibility to strive for the promotion and observance of the rights recognized in the present Covenant.
Self-determination: All peoples have the right of self-determination. They may freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development. All peoples may, for their own ends, freely dispose of their natural wealth and resources without prejudice to any obligations arising out of international economic co-operation, based upon the principle of mutual benefit and international law. In no case may a people be deprived of its own means of subsistence. The States Parties shall have responsibility for the administration of Non-Self-Governing and Trust Territories. It shall promote the realization of the right of self-determination and shall respect that right in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations. Each State Party shall respect and ensure to all individuals within its territory and subject to its jurisdiction the rights recognized in the Covenant, without distinction of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. It provided for by existing legislative or other measures, each State Party shall take the necessary steps, in accordance with its constitutional processes and with the provisions of the Covenant, to adopt such laws or other measures as may be necessary to give effect to the rights recognized in the Covenant. Each State Party shall ensure that any person whose rights or freedoms as herein recognized are violated shall have an effective remedy, notwithstanding that the violation has been committed by persons acting in an official capacity.
We ifop humbly do appeal to India and other countries that did not recognize the Right to self determination, to consider again this right without delay so that the peace shall be restored in the armed conflict zones. Why the UNO failed to convince those countries of the right to self determination? Some countries did not ratify the ICCPR whereas many did it. How conflicts would be resolved in such situations when nationalism is contradicted with terrorism?
Thank you all.
God bless!!!
(Dr) Robert Renatus Sanabam
President, ifop
21/10/08
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