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DE RUEHBS #0532/01 0980921
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P 080921Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8822
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 000532 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREL BE
SUBJECT: BELGIAN VICE-PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER OF 
FOREIGN AFFAIRS AT THE 10TH SESSION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS 
COUNCIL 
 
¶1. Summary:  Minister of Foreign Affairs, Karel De Gucht, 
spoke at the 10th session of the Human Rights Council.  He 
shared his vision on how to promoten and protect human 
rights.  He expressed his regret over the men, women, and 
children whose basic rights are being violated.  He condemned 
rape as a political tool and the use of child soldiers and 
the abuse of political prisoners.  De Gucht also acknowledged 
that racism and discrimination are a problem in every 
country, including his own.  He strongly supports 
implementation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 
He is pleased with the decision of the High Commissioner to 
open a regional office in Brussels, and recognizes Belgium 
will gain from its presence.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. Begin text of speech. 
 
We are here in front of the most important forum on human 
rights.  It was born from a dream of the international 
community to have an adequate means to reinforce the 
international regime of human rights.  Our main concern must 
be the men and women whose rights are violated...My thoughts 
are on the women who cannot mobilize freely, who cannot make 
their own decisions about their lives, who suffer under the 
veil of a conservative orthodoxy...I also think of the women 
who are afraid they will be raped by the violent people and 
cowards who use the weapon of sexual torture as a political 
tool. 
 
I think of the defenders of human rights who are badgered and 
persecuted by regimes that are afraid of only one thing: for 
their population to have the liberty to think.  I also think 
of those political opponents imprisoned for their opinions by 
dictators who one day was the hope of the population...I also 
think of those who currently are in secret prisons, without 
hope.  I also think of those of foreign origin in my country 
who, I regret to acknowledge it, find themselves refused to a 
job or a place because of the color of their skin, or because 
of their beliefs...Religion should enrich the human spirit, 
and not imprison it.  Let us finally think of the 
children...who are being forcibly recruited as a child 
soldier or forced to prostitute themselves. 
 
These men, women and children deserve our respect and our 
protection.  And it is the first responsibility of the State 
to protect these human beings as well as theirhuman rights 
and fundamental freedoms. 
 
Thi is what the Human Rights Council must be involvd in. 
The Council must act in order to prevent these violations of 
human rights. The Council must see to it that our daily life- 
so banal, yet so valued- is for everyone. 
 
The Council must consolidate and ensure the implementation of 
the existing international law.  There is a solid legal base 
that we must preserve and implement. 
Belgium is worried by the attempts of those calling into 
question these standards or denying their universality.  In a 
world where ethnic, economic and religious tensions as well 
as nationalist tendencies are threatening to resurface, it is 
all the more important to reaffirm the universality of these 
norms.  The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the text 
that is the most translated text in the world.  One day it 
must be the best implemented agreement in the world. 
 
This body of fundamental rights- based on the habeas corpus- 
is incontestably universal.  It cannot be questioned under 
any circumstance. 
 
The Council must also confront new challenges, while 
respecting the existing legal framework.  It must properly 
use its instruments to treat specific countries and also 
different themes, like the condemnation of torture, the 
protection of the defenders of human rights, the respect of 
human rights in the fight against terrorism, or the fight 
against racism and discrimination. 
 
Belgium is ready to continue its constructive engagement to 
ensure the success of the Durban meeting.  But I am worried 
by the direction of the process.  For Belgium, the 
agreed-upon consensus of Durban must be preserved.  We must 
view racism and discrimination as a problem which affects all 
countries.  In addition, certain concepts like slandering 
religions has no place in this process because it calls into 
question the basis on which the international system of human 
rights protection is built. 
 
Human rights must protect individuals and their liberties, 
and not religions as such.  I call on all states to try and 
to be as reasonable and as flexible as possible to ensure 
that this Examining Conference reflects the views of the 
international community. 
 
BRUSSELS 00000532  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
The Council must also encourage the exchanges between states. 
 The Council represents the ideal place to talk and exchange 
good practices on human rights.  But the Council must also be 
able to denounce a situation when it is necessary.  I do not 
share the opinion of those who wish to prevent the Council 
from expressing its views on specific situations and 
countries.  This represents one of the Council's pillars, 
complementing other aspects of its mandate... 
I am therefore very worried by certain tendencies of the 
Council aimed at denying the existence of massive human 
rights violations.  The last working group session on the 
universal periodic Examination was for me very alarming in 
that regard.  The history of the United Nations has 
sufficiently demonstrated that covering up such a problem can 
lead to catastrophe.  It is our collective responsibility to 
act in a credible and effective way when serious human rights 
violations are committed.  Some would like to use the 
non-interference in domestic affairs of a State or 
safeguarding the domestic stability of a State to prevent any 
action. But sovereignty can justify neither the indifference 
nor impunity. Sovereignty goes hand in hand with 
responsibility...the rights of the States should not come 
above the human rights of the population. 
 
We need an active and independent Office of High Commission, 
not only present in Geneva, but also in countries in need. 
All countries, and certainly all members of the Council, 
should collaborate with the Office of High Commission be 
willing to host one of its offices.  In this respect, Belgium 
is pleased with the decision of the High Commissioner to open 
a regional office in Brussels, and recognizes that we can 
only profit from the presence and the expertise of the Office 
of High Commission.  The independent expertise is crucial in 
our work. The role of the rapporteurs on special topics, both 
thematic and geographic, is very important. Belgium calls on 
all States, and especially the members of the Council, to 
fully cooperate with all the special rapporteurs and to 
accept their requests to visit.  Lastly, the Council cannot 
go without the advice and especially the criticism of civil 
society. We must not forget that as representatives of our 
Governments, it is on their behalf that we act.  Belgium 
hopes for an active participation of civil society in the 
work of this Council. 
 
End text of speech. 
 
BAUER 
 
.