Vatican official says new U.N. council members should defend life

(21 June 2006) : The members of the United Nations' new Human Rights Council should demonstrate their commitment to upholding human dignity by defending the right to life and religious freedom, said Vatican's Secretary for Relations with States. Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo made the remarks at the at the June 19-30 inaugural meeting of the new 47-member council charged with monitoring the human rights situation around the world. The Vatican representative said recognition of human dignity is "an irreversible development" in the international community, but respect for human rights is still far from being a global phenomenon. Despite the ratification of international declarations and treaties recognizing basic human rights, he said, "there exists no right that is not violated in a number of countries, unfortunately even among the members of this new council." The prelate did not name the countries or the human rights they have been accused of violating. Archbishop Lajolo said too many countries think they have the power to decide what is a fundamental human right and, "consequently, believe themselves authorized to resort to aberrant practices. Imposing birth control, denying the right to life in certain circumstances, trying to control the conscience of citizens and their access to information, denying access to public judicial procedures and to the right to defense, repression of political dissidents, indiscriminately limiting immigration, allowing people to work in degrading conditions, accepting discrimination against women, restricting the right of association -- these are just some examples of the most violated rights," he said. The ability of the Human Rights Council to prevent and punish violations, he said, would go a long way toward restoring the credibility of the United Nations in the eyes of the world's people.