The new UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navanethem Pillay on Tuesday opened the ninth session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva; meanwhile, the Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Office in Geneva Ambassador H.E. Abdullah Falah Abdullah al-Dosari delivered his country speech at the session.
Tackle Discrimination, Inequality –UN HR Chief
New UN Rights Chief Stresses Need to Tackle Discrimination, Prevent Genocide while Mr. al-Dosari asserted that marking the 60th anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights together with the 15th anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action constituted an additional incentive to deal with all human rights as universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights today stressed the need to address discrimination and inequality, and to do more to prevent genocide, in her first major speech since taking up her new post.
She noted that 2008 contains a number of important human rights milestones – including the 60th anniversaries of the Genocide Convention on 9 December, and of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December.
Ms. Pillay, who herself experienced discrimination while living in apartheid South Africa, added that development, security, peace and justice are all undermined “when discrimination and inequality – both in blatant and subtle ways – are allowed to fester and to poison harmonious coexistence.”
Al Dosari: Qatar strives to protect Human Rights
For his part, the Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar stressed that his country endeavors to upgrade these rights through education, dissemination and raise of awareness of human rights. He also expressed full support to the statements made on behalf of the Arab Group, the OIC and the NAM, emphasizing the need to further support the independence of the human rights council and the high commission for human rights and to provide the appropriate conditions for them to further promote and protect all human rights, for all peoples and individuals.
Qatar has also repeatedly stressed the need of the protection of the Palestinian people and the need for them to regain their inalienable rights the right to self-determination, independence and human dignity.
The Human Rights Council opened its 9th session on Monday and is due to conclude on September 26.
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