Australian diplomat to chair UN Commission on Human Rights
The United Nations Commission on Human Rights today named Ambassador Michael Smith of Australia to chair the Geneva-based body's sixtieth session, which runs from 15 March to 23 April.
"Australia is a country that has a tradition of fair play, of giving everyone a fair go, and of plain speaking," said Mr. Smith following his election by consensus. "Let me assure you that my approach to this position will be very much informed by this tradition."
Mr. Smith, 54, is an experienced Australian diplomat whose previous posts include stints as ambassador to Algeria and Egypt. From 1998 to 2002 he was Chief of Staff to Australia's Foreign Minister Alexander Downer. He is currently Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN and to the Conference on Disarmament, based in Geneva.
The Commission also elected Bahrain's Saeed Mohamed Al-Faihani, Costa Rica's Manuel Antonio Gonzalez Sanz and Croatia's Gordan Markotic to its Bureau. Nigeria's Mike Gbadebo Omotosho was elected as rapporteur.
In another development at today's meeting, a senior UN human rights official said the Commission must work to ensure that human rights principles are effectively implemented around the world.
Bertrand Ramcharan, the acting High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the credibility of the Commission, founded in 1947, and the whole "human rights enterprise" depended on upholding adherence to the human rights treaties it has established.
"It was very much in the minds of the pioneers of the Commission that the implementation of universal norms would be a crucial part of the International Bill of Human Rights," he said, referring to a set of treaties on civil and political rights on the one hand and economic, social and cultural rights on the other.
"If there is one thing on which there ought to be agreement in the Commission as it looks to the future, it should be that the purpose of international cooperation is to protect human rights," he said. "Cooperation for protection should be a rallying cry for the Commission in the future."