Commission confronts 'new realities'; 109 texts adopted at six-week session.

• Position: Jun 1993 meetings of UN Commission on Human Rights

The UN Commission on Human Rights, at its fiftieth session, encountered both breakthroughs and difficulties in adapting its focus to what have been described as the "new realities" of a "new era in human rights" that emerged during the landmark World Conference on Human Rights, held in Vienna in June 1993.

Many hoped, according to Commission Chairman Peter Van Wulfften Palthe of the Netherlands, that the outcome of the Vienna Conference "would spill over into the Commission and make our work here a bit easier". in some cases, he continued, the Commission had adapted to those new realities.

But on many other issues, he said in a closing statement on 11 March, "it seemed that old disagreements were more marked because of a sort of negotiating fatigue". In general, "our aims should be succinct, but also far-reaching". He urged continued attempts "to make the words produced here matter to those suffering from atrocities and deprivation".

On 3 March, new High Commissioner for Human Rights Jose Ayala Lasso promised impartiality and objectivity, stating he would not be motivated by undesirable selectivity or inappropriate political considerations. He would invite all Governments as soon as possible to open their doors to him "so that all human rights issues could be considered in a frank and unbiased way". Among his chief concerns were the rights of women, children and indigenous peoples, as well as the issues of arbitrary detention, torture and the right to free expression.

Those issues figured prominently among the 109 resolutions and decisions adopted at the six-week session (31 January-11 March, Geneva). The Commission established a new post of Special Rapporteur to investigate violence against women; created a working group to elaborate guidelines for a possible draft optional protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography; urged priority consideration for establishing a permanent forum for indigenous people; and cited a system of periodic visits by independent experts to places of detention as a highly effective way to prevent torture.

Conference follow-up

In following up the results of the 1993 World Conference, the Commission reaffirmed the urgency of eliminating denial and violations of human rights, and decided to review annually the progress towards full implementation of the Conference's two important documents: the Vienna Declaration and the Programme of Action.

It endorsed Conference recommendations supporting a comprehensive UN programme to help States strengthen national structures, which have a direct impact on the overall observance of human rights and the maintenance of the rule of law. The Commission also urged completion by 1995 of a draft declaration on the right and responsibility of individuals, groups and organs of society to promote and protect universally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Global issues

Delegates demonstrated a growing concern over the global issues of development, environment and human rights aspects of changing geopolitical circumstances, especially in South Africa and the Middle East.

The Commission condemned...