From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord@igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: soc.rights.human
Date: 24 Jan 93 08:33 PST
Subject: HUMAN RIGHTS: DEVELOPMENT OVERSHADO
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1476701026:000:5057
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!hrcoord    Jan 24 08:33:00 1993


From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord>
Subject: HUMAN RIGHTS: DEVELOPMENT OVERSHADO

/* Written 12:13 am  Jan 24, 1993 by newsdesk@igc.apc.org in
igc:ips.englibrary */ Copyright Inter Press Service 1993, all
rights reserved.  Permission to re- print within 7 days of
original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: HUMAN RIGHTS: DEVELOPMENT OVERSHADOWS INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS

an inter press service feature

by ivannia mora

san jose, jan 21 (ips) -- human rights activists must accept third
world nations' right to develop as a prerequisite to specific
individual rights, antoine blanca, the united nations adjunct
secretary general, told ips.

''the right to develop implies correcting a financial and economic
system that on the world level is orientated against the weakest
countries,'' blanca said, while attending the jan. 18-22 regional
conference on human rights in san jose, costa rica.

according to blanca, the issue of the right to develop will be the
most contentious issue when the planet's industrialised and
underdeveloped nations meet for the world conference on human
rights in vienna, austria this june.

most of the delegates meeting in san jose agreed.

president of the regional conference, costa rica's justice
minister elizabeth odio, said ''a hungry people cannot truely be
considered a free people. although they theoretically live under a
democratic regime, they are not enjoying their human rights.''

according to panama's ambassador to the united nations in genevea,
roxana ameglio, ''clearly defined, development, human rights and
democracy are inseparable.''

blanca added that the issue of development rights cannot be
discussed in purely ''dogmatic'' economic terms.

''as a person working for human rights, i cannot accept the notion
that the most marginalised people are condemned beforehand because
they have not known how to ride the economic train,'' the second
ranking u.n. official said.

blanca, who will preside over the world conference in vienna,
attacked the fact that 90 percent of the children in africa are
denied the basic right to health care, education, clean water and
sufficient food.

''the industrialised nations seem to be saying they are condemned
to live off of humanitarian assistence,'' instead of their own
development, blanca said.

delegates questioned at the regional conference agreed that the
industrialised nations had no interest in dealing with the issue
of economic development, as it implies changing the rules of the
game, which at the moment favour them. (more/ips)
----

human rights: development (2)

''industrialised nations have never been interested in recognizing
our rights, but this is a characteristic of all those who have
power,'' minister odio said.

''it is imperative that the world's richness be for everyone, and
not just a few.  at this moment, the relations between the north
and south violate human rights,'' addd eduardo molina, of the law
school at the university of depaul in chicago, illinois.

according to blanca, development is the world's most pressing
problem, ''because it is obvious that what we have now is not
working.''

''we are letting entire people drown, and the right to develop
must be the biggest issue at the world conference.  i hope we can
come to a concensus or middle position,'' he said.

blanca was optimistic about the role latin america and the
caribbean would play in the world conference.

''we have a lot of hope, because latin america and the caribbean
have experienced many human rights abuses.  they've had military
coups to punish the population just for voting for someone the
forces of power don't like,'' blanca said.

according to blanca, the reaction of the people and intellectuals
of latin america and the caribbean has been unique and exceptional
amongst developing nations.

''for this reason, i believe latin america and the caribbean can
be a region that leads the way on the road to universal
consolidation of the principles of human rights.''

''i am concerned, though, because some latin american countries
are calling into doubt the principles of the san jose pact, and
want to reinstate the death penalty, which is the difference
between civilization and barbarity,'' blanca said.

although the u.n. official avoided mentioning specific situations,
public attention has focused on peru and brazil, where human
rights abuses are common and there is a rising movement to
reinstate the death penalty.

''in certain countries, instead of respecting human rights and the
san jose pact, they are returning to ideas from the past, at a
moment when the people are disoriented,'' blanca said.  (more/ips)
----

human rights: development (2)

''the say,'let's leave these principles aside for a little bit
because the people are tired of so much crime and terrorism,' and
from here it is not long before they say, 'let's torture a
little.'''

instead, blanca emphasised that if a country is truely democratic
it must adhere to human rights principles under all circumstances.
(end/ips/trd/so/im/ds/eli/93)
----