Summary: July 23, 2003: Introductory Statement on draft Resolution L.37 "Enhancement of the functioning of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in regard to the operation of the mechanism of the Commission on Human Rights" Substantive Session of ECOSOC (Geneva, 30 JUNE- 25 JULY 2003)
Mrs. Vice-President,
I have the honour to introduce draft Resolution L.37 on behalf of the European Union. The acceding countries Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and the countries associated with the EU - Bulgaria and Romania - have aligned themselves to this statement.
The aim of the draft Resolution is to address the practical implication of CHR Decision 2003/113, and to do so for the following three reasons.
Mrs. Vice-President,
The EU considers that CHR Decision 2003/113 impinges on the mandate of ECOSOC as a parent body of CHR and CSW. In this connection, we recall that the present practice of sharing information between CHR and CSW was established by ECOSOC, in particular by ECOSOC Resolution 1983/27. Since then, ECOSOC has reaffirmed its position on this issue at its last Substantive Session in July 2002, rejecting a decision of the 58th CHR which would have had similar effects and adopting Decision 2002/235 in
order to make communications procedures of the CSW more effective and efficient. The advice of the office of the legal affairs of the Secretariat last year confirmed that the current practice of sharing confidential communications between CHR and CSW is not only acceptable but, in light of ECOSOC resolutions, to be expected.
Mrs. Vice-President,
At its 2003 Session, the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) requested the Secretary-General to prepare a report, seeking the views of Member States, in order to enable it to consider the future work of its Working Group on Communications on the Status of Women. Adoption by ECOSOC of CHR Decision 2003/113 would pre-empt CSW's consideration of these issues and renders pointless the views Member States have been requested to provide to the General Secretariat by 1 October 2003. It will even
pre-empt ECOSOC's consideration of the CSW's recommendation on its communication procedure next year.
Mrs. Vice-President,
CHR Decision 2003/113 also contains a proposal that, in the view of the EU, would have a negative impact on CHR working methods, namely the decision to require written authorization for urgent appeals of the special procedures. We should not place additional burdens on the issuing of urgent appeals as it potentially deprives them of their very raison d'être which is prompt and rapid response to an alleged human rights violation. Decision 2003/113, if endorsed by ECOSOC, would therefore
seriously impair the effectiveness of the special procedures.
Mrs. Vice-President,
I commend this Resolution to members of ECOSOC and hope that a consensus on this Resolution can be achieved.
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