Today's Date:

First session of the United Nations Human Rights Council

Becoming a new member of the United Nations Human Rights Council is both an honour and a responsibility.

An honour first of all: we are baptizing a new United Nations authority, whose creation the heads of State and government decided on in September 2005 and which will be based in Geneva – a fitting tribute, chère Mme Micheline Calmy-Rey [Swiss Foreign Minister], to "international Geneva”.

It is also an immense responsibility. In order to be able to sit on this new body, every member State of the Council has made commitments: to cooperate with the United Nations and its mechanisms and undergo a peer review of the way they guarantee and promote human rights. These decisions, difficult ones, are evidence of commitment to the United Nations, our common house, the heart of international legitimacy.

A first strong gesture by the Council should be to confirm the mission of the Special Rapporteurs, a remarkable legacy of the Commission on Human Rights. We must reaffirm our confidence in them.

A second equally strong gesture will be to confirm the unique role the NGOs must go on playing in our forum. Without these representatives of civil society, spokesmen for the victims of human rights violations, this new Council's effectiveness would be seriously jeopardized.

Faced with this immense task, the Human Rights Council must be proactive and ambitious.

It is up to us and the Council to act resolutely wherever necessary: through dialogue, implementation of international legislation, cooperation and exposure of serious human rights violations.

The increased number and length of the Council's sessions will allow concrete continuous monitoring of its decisions and constant coordination of these with the actions of the other United Nations organs and agencies.

With this in mind, let me tell you about a number of ideas which could provide useful input to the Council's discussions:

- first of all, in the face of the concerns about loss of ethnic or national identity resulting from globalization, and of the security challenges, there is a greater need than ever before to uphold the law. Universal ratification of the principal international conventions is today not beyond reach. This important bedrock of law- and rule-making conventions is constantly expanding and being supplemented. I want to welcome in particular the entry into force of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture which France signed last September and will soon be ratifying.

ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCE

- The Council can make its contribution straightaway by adopting the draft International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, to which we are very committed.

This would be a just tribute to the Disappeared, demonstrating genuine solidarity with their families. Above all, it will be a test of the new Council's will to take concrete action to promote human rights. As you know, France, with others, is determined to get this draft convention adopted in this first session. I call on every one of you to support this initiative.

FIGHT AGAINST IMPUNITY

- The second idea concerns the fight against impunity. Respect for human rights contributes to stability, whilst impunity is the surest way to undermine States and break up societies. Today we have some guiding principles in the fight against impunity which the Council can encourage many States emerging from crisis to implement. The fight against impunity must become a guiding thread in cooperation offered by the Council, liaising with the very new Commission for Peace Consolidation, another great step forward achieved by our reform.

- I am also keen to see the Council pursue its discussions on economic, social and cultural rights in concrete terms with a view to effective action, working together with the other relevant authorities.

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN/FGM

- Finally, I want to conclude this speech by talking to you about the fight against violence against women, which is still an area of unfinished business. Indeed it is important to "name and count" the victims of these acts of violence – domestic violence, honour crimes, female genital mutilation, forced marriages – since these criminal acts are not private affairs but clearly matters for States, and their consequences concern us all.

To succeed in these tasks, to reduce crime and violence, to uphold the law and human rights, everyone needs to mobilize. We are naturally counting on the moral authority and expertise of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, which is seeing its resources increased, particularly on the ground. We are also relying on its observers – we know their courage and devotion. The tragic example of Darfur shows us the seriousness and difficulty of the challenges to be taken up.

The human rights defenders are in the vanguard of our battle. Members of the NGOs, journalists, lawyers, doctors caring clandestinely for the victims of torture and anonymous citizens: every day they take huge risks. I want solemnly to tell them of our respect, our admiration and our support. France is at their side in their efforts to enhance rights and dignity./.