PA (05) III.1 E Original: FRENCH REPORT FOR THE GENERAL COMMITTEE ON DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS AND HUMANITARIAN QUESTIONS "Thirty Years since Helsinki: Challenges Ahead" RAPPORTEUR Ms. Anne-Marie Lizin Belgium WASHINGTON, D.C., 1 TO 5 JULY 2005

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1 REPORT FOR THE GENERAL COMMITTEE ON DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS AND HUMANITARIAN QUESTIONS Thirty Years since Helsinki: Challenges Ahead Introduction The  thirtieth  anniversary  of  the  signing  of  the  Helsinki  Final  Act  (1  August  1975) provides us with an opportunity to examine the great challenges that the OSCE must confront in the area of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Effective protection of public freedoms can be guaranteed only through co-operation among   all   State   authorities,   whether   legislative,   executive   or   judicial.   These   are   the institutions that have made it possible for our founding documents to be adopted and that are partly  responsible for the implementation of the  resolutions that we pass. These authorities, which  are  in  the  “forefront”  of  political  action,  have  their  hand  on  the  daily  pulse  of  the citizenry and have to deal with their expectations, their concerns and their grievances. The  draft  resolution  submitted  to  the  Parliamentary  Assembly  is  built  upon  three major considerations which in fact constitute an equal number of challenges facing the OSCE thirty years after the Helsinki Final Act, namely the safeguarding of fundamental rights from an individual, international and collective perspective. The safeguarding of fundamental rights from an individual perspective Every  human  being,  simply  by  virtue  of  belonging  to  the  human  race,  is  endowed under various international, universal or regional instruments with certain inalienable rights, the safeguarding of which is the responsibility of all the authorities in whatever territory that human being may find himself. The  recognition  of  fundamental  rights  implies  the  legal  equality  of  those  who  are entitled to them, which in fact represents the first of these rights. This de jure equality must not,  however,  hide  the  de  facto  inequalities  that  remain  and  all  too  frequently  hinder  full enjoyment  of  the  freedoms  in  actual  practice.  I  shall  deal  here  primarily  with  two  areas  of action. First, the participating States, like the OSCE itself, have been called upon through the adoption of the “2004 Action Plan for the Promotion of Gender Equality” at the Ministerial Council   meeting    in    Sofia    (Decision   No.    14/04)   to    pay    particular    attention   to    the representation of women in collective decision-making processes and to their involvement in senior executive positions. Given that the division between men and women is a foundation stone of humankind, this objective cannot be overemphasized. The advancement of women’s right to equality is a major element of security policy and the battle against extremist views. Second, in 1975 the Helsinki Final Act (Article VII, paragraph 2, of the Declaration of the States Parties) had already elevated social rights to the level of those which the CSCE, then in its infancy, had set itself the objective of preserving. There is a need today to maintain our focus on this aspect of the right to respect for human dignity, since the fact is that under precarious social conditions the enjoyment of other fundamental rights tends to suffer.

2 The  Parliamentary Assembly  also  has  the  responsibility  of  emphasizing  the  need  to put into place special arrangements to protect children’s fundamental rights in view of their vulnerability. Given  its  universal  scope,  the  Convention  on  the  Rights  of  the  Child  (New  York, 20 November 1989) should serve as a guide for the OSCE and its participating States in this area. The principles laid down in the Convention are intended both to guarantee children the enjoyment of the same fundamental rights as are accorded to adults and to provide them with the  additional  protection  required  by  their  age.  The  Convention  also  regards  education  as  a fundamental  right  to  which  special  attention  must  be  paid  by  ensuring  the  greatest  possible access to educational establishments (Article 28). The right to live one’s life in dignity presupposes first of all the legal recognition of such a life. It is therefore essential that all States put into place, without the slightest hint of discrimination,  a  reliable  system  for  the  recording  of  civil  status  information.  The  smallest omission  in  the  recording  of  this  information  can  lead  to  the  gravest  of  consequences,  with the victims placed virtually in a situation of “civil death” — something that is outlawed under Article 6 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights — so that they can more easily fall prey to networks of human traffickers. The   importance   of   this   human   dimension   task   facing   State   authorities   —   the responsibility  for  which  is  frequently  entrusted  to  decentralized  agencies  —  prompts  me  to propose to the OSCE that it undertake to harmonize the basic guidelines governing methods of recording civil status information on the populations of participating States. As  far  as  elections  are  concerned,  a  complete  and  reliable  population  census  is essential if there is to be respect for the universal and equal nature of the right to vote and, accordingly, for the principles of democracy and global security. It  is  further  up  to  States  to  ensure,  by  organizing  honest  elections  that  offer  the  full range  of  democratic  guarantees,  that  the  choice  given  to  the  voter  can  be  exercised  freely. There  is  no  need  to  emphasize  the  importance  of  the  OSCE’s  role  in  monitoring  national elections  in  different  countries.  This  was  again  demonstrated  in  the   recent  presidential elections  held  in  Ukraine.  Priority  attention  must  continue  to  be  given  by  the  OSCE  to  the question of election monitoring methods. The  aforementioned  election  also  provided  an  opportunity  to  highlight  the  role  of national supreme courts  when called upon to rule independently  on the validity of electoral processes. The fact is that, in addition to asserting rights and recognizing them in the form of legal  instruments,  States  have  the  responsibility  of  ensuring  the  genuine  enjoyment  of  the freedoms  granted  to  citizens  by  making  it  possible  for  the  latter  to  invoke  them  before independent and impartial courts of law under procedures that meet the requirements of a fair trial and the proper imposition of penalties. More  generally,  the  OSCE  has  a  responsibility  to  strengthen  its  presence  wherever human  rights  are  at  risk  of  being  flouted,  particularly  in  a  tense  military  situation.  The creation  under  the  auspices  of  the  OSCE  of  permanent  offices  for  the  protection  of  human rights is something to be developed in this regard. The  fight  against  trafficking  in  human  beings  is  one  of  our  Organization’s  major concerns. What is at issue here is the protection of the dignity of the persons who fall victim

3 to this trafficking and the punishment of those who, directly or indirectly, are involved in it, whether by organizing it, facilitating it or encouraging it or by in some way profiting from it. Against this background, it seems to me, for example, that any kind of legalization or legitimation of prostitution is a mistake, considering that this trade degrades those involved in it. In all countries and at all levels the phenomenon of prostitution should be made a matter of criminal  law  in  order  that  the  various  actors  involved  in  this  kind  of  trafficking  may  be punished; at the same time the victims of involuntary prostitution must be protected. In this context, the aim must be to inflict punishment at the start of the process by prosecuting those who organize prostitution and profit from it and, at the other end, by going after the clientele who avail themselves of such services. Lastly, while it is true that freedom of expression must, in all cases and whatever the means of communication used, enjoy protection as a fundamental right, still, we must ensure that  possible  abuses  in  this  area  do  not  give  rise  to  repressive  measures  that  are  no  longer purpose-oriented. While it is essential to guarantee the victims of such abuses a system under which the courts can rule fairly on compensation for damages suffered, resort to criminal law would not always seem appropriate given the fundamental nature of the freedom in question. At all events, prison sentences should not normally be among the punishments meted out in this particular area. The safeguarding of fundamental rights from an international perspective As  my  next  point,  I  should  like  to  emphasize  the  overriding  role  of  inter-State relations  in  safeguarding  the  fundamental  rights  of  individuals.  The  equality  of  citizens within each State is reinforced if these citizens belong to States that are themselves equal. The  protection  of  the  physical  integrity  of  each  person  is  one  of  the  most  important fundamental  rights.  This  protection  is  inevitably  violated  in  the  event  of  an  armed  conflict. The protection of fundamental freedoms is therefore dependent on the preservation of peace. Since its inception, the OSCE has made a substantial contribution to the preservation of peace among its participating States. As a corollary of equality among States, the respect by all for the territorial integrity of  nations,  as  guaranteed  under  international  law,  represents  a  powerful  factor  for  peace, whose  importance  is  demonstrated  each  day  by  current  events.  The  uncertain  status  of borders  inevitably  leads  to  the  emergence  of  lawless  zones  that  can  potentially  give  rise  to violations  of  fundamental  human  rights.  From  this  point  of  view,  the  current  situation  in South Ossetia is especially worrying. Historically,  in  the  area  of  criminal  justice,  collaboration  among  States  first  of  all made it possible to establish rules governing the extradition of offenders. With the advent of the European arrest warrant, community-wide integration has made it possible today to move beyond this traditional framework within the European judicial space. Beyond  this,  it  became  apparent  that  the  collective  protection  of  citizens  required co-ordination, co-operation and joint actions by States. The establishment, under the aegis of the United Nations, of an International Criminal Court charged with hearing cases involving crimes against humanity constituted an important stage in this process.

4 The challenges posed today by the fight against terrorism are prompting States, acting within  international  or  supranational  organizations,  to  introduce  legal  instruments  aimed  at protecting  their  populations  against  these  new  threats.  The  countries  of  the  OSCE  can  no longer allow unveiled calls for terrorist action to emanate from their territory. From    this    perspective,    initiatives    aimed    at    establishing    joint    and    integrated instruments for combating terrorism, created by several States that have similar problems, can only be encouraged. These  real  dangers  must  not,  however,  be  allowed  to  overshadow  the  inalienable nature of fundamental rights. No crime, whether suspected or proven, can justify violation of the most basic rights of human beings. No offence can give legitimacy to detentions contrary to the international conventions in force. Similarly, no one may be detained in conditions that violate human dignity. New  forms  of  communication  and,  in  particular,  the  Internet  have,  in  recent  years, given rise to new kinds of criminality. Among these crimes, child pornography is one of the most worrying. A recent study by the United States Department of Justice has shown that one minor in five aged between 10 and 17 years has already been subjected to unwanted attention online.  An  adequate  response  to  this  scourge  can  be  found  only  if  action  is  taken  at  the international level. In  this  regard,  we  can  only  applaud  the  launching  of  the  “Global  Campaign  against Child  Pornography”  programme  under  the  guidance  of  the  International  Centre  for  Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC). Resources are to be allocated for monitoring the Internet to make  it  possible  to  identify  victims  and  offenders  in  order  that  the  former  can  be  protected and the latter prosecuted. International police co-operation, an area in which the International Criminal   Police   Organization   (INTERPOL)   is   a   major   player,   as   well   as   co-operation between  public  authorities  and  companies  in  the  computer  branch,  are  more  necessary  than ever before, and it is gratifying to note that synergies of this kind are developing. It  is  also  necessary  to  step  up  the  attention  given  to  economic  requirements  and environmental  protection  needs.  The  decontamination  of  the  testing  ground  in  Kazakhstan, for instance, is one example of how States can share their duties. Furthermore,  it  would  be  well  to  promote  the  incorporation  of  a  human  dimension into the various international agreements dealing with economic matters  so as to  encourage investment that takes account of fundamental social rights, such as the right to fair pay  and environmental protection. The safeguarding of fundamental rights from a collective perspective In  the  course  of  their  history,  our  States  have  witnessed  the  birth  of  democracy  and have learned to develop it. Today, democracy goes beyond the individual’s right to vote. The cohesion  of  a  State  also  requires  the  effort  to  establish  and  maintain  a  balance  between  the various ideological, cultural, religious, linguistic or ethnic groups that comprise it. The  great  challenge  facing  our  democracies  today  is  to  ensure  the  coexistence  of different  peoples  within  a  given  State,  indeed  of  different  groups  within  the  same  people, while   avoiding   the   three   pitfalls   of   excessive   fragmentation   of   the   public   domain,

5 self-withdrawal  and  a  clash  between  religions  rather  than  their  reconciliation  in  a  common and continued search for what is good. States that include cultural minorities in the broad sense (whether or not concentrated in limited areas of the national territory) are called upon to examine the best ways of taking into  account  this  social  reality  so  as  to  reconcile  the  desire  to  maintain  the  unity  of  the country with the legitimate desire of a heterogeneous population to speak its own language in public  life  and  to  enjoy  an  independent  cultural  identity.  Dialogue  on  these  matters  must make it possible to avoid calls for the splitting up of States and must be based on the notion of territorial integrity. Against   this   background,   the   right   to   education   takes   on   a   definite   collective dimension.  This  is  all  the  more  true  when  the  minority  does  not  speak  the  language  of  the majority. In such cases, it is the responsibility of States to organize an educational system that gives parents a choice of having their children educated in one language or another. I have already had occasion to emphasize the importance, with regard to fundamental rights,  of  the  organization  of  civil  status  registration  machinery   and  of  reliable  census procedures.  The  choice  of  a  criterion  for  one’s  belonging  to  a  particular  population  group raises questions of the same conceptual nature  when this affiliation is taken into account in the way the State is organized. It is always a delicate matter to acknowledge the existence of ethnic affiliations within a given State; it is even more of a delicate matter to determine the effect of this acknowledgement on public life. In that regard, I have noted with appreciation the efforts undertaken by Kazakhstan to ensure harmonious coexistence of the peoples who inhabit that country. The enormous efforts undertaken in that country to encourage equality among the various ethnic groups deserves to be  emphasized.  This  kind  of  climate  can  only  promote  the  progress  of  a  country  towards peace and prosperity. In  general  terms,  the  foregoing  remarks  in  no  way  detract  from  a  willingness  to encourage the cohesion of all the citizens of a nation. The fact that a person may belong at the same time both to a State and to an ethnic or cultural group within it, whether it be a majority or minority group, ought not to constitute a source of tension. On the contrary, the aim of the approaches  suggested  is  to  organize  in  the  best  possible  way  the  coexistence  of  persons  of various backgrounds within an ideal of peace and a philosophy of tolerance. While it is true that it is the OSCE’s responsibility to counter discrimination in all its forms so as to ensure that  no  one  is  adversely  affected,  especially  because  of  his  or  her  origin,  national  cohesion continues to be an objective of the greatest importance and a factor for peace. There is also room for improvement in election laws. The role played by political parties in the functioning of a modern democracy cannot be ignored either. There  is  no  denying  that  political  parties  are  primary  players  in  a  democracy,  both because  of  their  role  in  the  electoral  process  and  because  of  their  daily  work  as  actors  in political life, in the broadest sense of that term. As essential cogwheels of a State based on the rule of law, parties provide a structure for political discourse. They act as bridges between State institutions and civil society.

6 Political   parties   have   a   privileged   role   as   partners   in   dialogue   with   citizens’ associations, which are the natural spokesmen enunciating emerging concerns, and forge the necessary links between office holders, ensuring that there is cohesion in what they do. To  varying  degrees,  our  States  have  accorded  political  parties  a  particular  status  by granting them special rights with a view to organizing public discourse. For example, during election campaigns it is regarded as imperative to see to it that the radio and television airtime available to the candidates is fairly apportioned. At  the  same  time,  in  order  to  preserve  the  quality  of  the  democratic  debate,  it  is important to have arrangements that make it possible to remove fascist or revisionist groups or   groups   that   are   not   sufficiently   representative.   These   procedures   must,   however,   be employed  in  moderation  and  handled  with  the  greatest  of  care.  Given  the  limitations  they imply on the fundamental right to participate in elections, their use must be subject to strict conditions. In all circumstances, it is necessary to guarantee the citizen’s right to receive complete information   reflecting   the   various   ideological   and   cultural   views.   Only   by   providing   a multiplicity  of  different  information  channels,  whether  written,  spoken  or  audio-visual,  can one contribute to this end. The  role  of  the  police  is  in  every  instance  an  area  of  priority  concern.  The  way  in which  the  public  authorities  proceed  is  evolving;  preventive  action,  an  understanding  of social  problems,  police  decentralization,  social  monitoring  for  prisons  and  police  oversight committees are some of the approaches of the future. The  composition  and  formation  of  police  forces  must  also  be  considered  from  the point  of  view  of  respect  for  human  rights  and  the  protection  of  national  minorities.  In  this regard, the integration of members belonging to national minorities is desirable. The efforts undertaken in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to establish a multi-ethnic police force with the assistance of the OSCE represent, for these reasons, an example that should be encouraged. Conclusion The OSCE examines independently the implementation by its participating States of the   founding   principles   of   democracy   and,   if   required,   proposes   the   modifications   and improvements that appear necessary in the light of the findings reached in each participating State. Other international organizations with which the OSCE co-operates closely, such as the Council of Europe, complement its efforts. In addition, the guidelines and recommendations of the United Nations provide, by way of their universal scope, food for thought. Thirty years after Helsinki and fifteen years after Paris, the time when the world was divided into two opposing camps seems today to be behind us for good. The threats to human rights  are  constantly  becoming  more  diffuse  and  the  responses  to  them  more  international. Our Organization is finding itself confronted with fresh challenges in a constantly changing world. May it take them up with as much optimism as determination.