The activities of the High Commissioner for Human Rights have opened new domains for United Nations action to promote human rights and have given direction and provided initiative throughout the human rights programme. Strengthening international cooperation for human rights has been a main theme. In visits to over 30 States on all continents, the High Commissioner has sought to reinforce commitment to international and national protection of human rights through discussion with government officials, members of parliament and the judiciary. The High Commissioner has sought to strengthen the role of civil society in protecting human rights through contacts with non-governmental organizations, the academic community, the press and the public. These missions include appeals for ratification of treaties, for cooperation with all United Nations human rights mechanisms, inclusion of United Nations standards in national law and the establishment of national institutions to protect human rights. Human rights problems are dealt with frankly and appropriate actions suggested, including the revision of laws, release of detainees and adoption of other measures.
The High Commissioner's efforts to strengthen international cooperation extend also to cooperation with United Nations agencies and programmes, international and regional organizations and with international and national non-governmental organizations. The High Commissioner has met with regional human rights organizations in Europe and the Americas, and he has drawn the attention of high-level international development and financial meetings to the need to support human rights activities.
An important aspect of the High Commissioner's activities is to help ensure that the human rights perspective is included in international conferences and that the high level of existing United Nations human rights standards is maintained. The High Commissioner took initiatives in this regard in relation to the World Summit for Social Development and the Fourth World Conference on Women. With regard to the latter, the High Commissioner has given particular attention to encouraging the inclusion of all aspects of the equal status and human rights of women and the girl-child in its deliberations.
The High Commissioner has also continued his activities aimed at responding to serious situations of violations and at preventing violations from developing or becoming widespread. The High Commissioner has continued to strengthen the activities of his offices in Burundi and Rwanda, has dispatched a high-level personal representative to visit the Russian Federation, including Chechnya, and has appointed a personal representative to the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the Former Yugoslavia to deal with human rights issues.
Preventing violations often goes hand in hand with providing advisory services and technical cooperation in human rights. In this connection the High Commissioner has established a special programme to promote and support national human rights institutions. Other areas of activity are combating all forms of discrimination, including racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related forms of intolerance; promoting the equal status and rights of women; the rights of the child; and the rights of minorities and indigenous people. Of special importance is the responsibility given to the High Commissioner by the General Assembly to coordinate the implementation of the plan of action of the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education. The High Commissioner places importance on promoting the right to development and cultural, economic and social rights. A strategy for the implementation of the right to development and protection of cultural, economic and social rights is being developed to identify, in cooperation with relevant agencies, treaty-based bodies and experts, ways of improving the implementation of those rights.
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