Address by Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Consular Affairs) Omar Alghabra at the High-Level Thematic Debate on Human Rights

Speech

July 12, 2016 - New York City, New York

Check against delivery. This speech has been translated in accordance with the Government of Canada’s official languages policy and edited for posting and distribution in accordance with its communications policy.

Thank you, Mr. President, for organizing this important event that addresses the centrality of human rights in the work of the United Nations.

Over the past 70 years, we have made significant progress on human rights. We have developed treaty-based obligations and human rights norms and standards. Unfortunately, we have fallen short in their implementation, and respect for human rights across the globe remains uneven at best.

No country has a perfect human rights record. Each has its own challenges—past and present. Canada, for example, has to face up to a difficult past relationship with its Indigenous peoples. We are committed to a renewed nation-to-nation relationship with Indigenous peoples built on a foundation of recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership.

This brings me to one of the questions that we are considering today: What changes are needed to enable the overall UN system to respond better to human rights concerns and support member states in meeting their obligations? Many thoughtful responses have been presented about what the UN itself can do better. But we also need to consider how we as member states can improve the way we engage with this system.

I would like to suggest four ways in which we can do that.

First, we should be cooperative. This means being open to scrutiny and constructive criticism, for example, by participating actively in the Universal Periodic Review process. It also means cooperating with special procedures, such as special rapporteurs, by accepting their requests to visit and providing them with the information they need to conduct their work.

Second, we should be inclusive. We should welcome and support the participation of civil society organizations, including at the UN. Canada is consulting civil society on the implementation of government priorities, and we encourage other states to do the same. We should also fight against the global crackdown on civil society by those who want to silence the voices of dissidents, human rights defenders, bloggers, journalists and other members of civil society.

Third, our governments should support, enable and engage with National Human Rights Institutions. These institutions play a central role in promoting and monitoring the effective implementation of international human rights standards at the domestic level.

Finally, we should value and respect diversity. As Canada’s Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, has said: Canada is strong, not in spite of its diversity, but because of it.

And I stand before you today as an example of that diversity. I was born in the Arab world of Syrian Muslim parents. I was elected by Canadians to represent Canadians of all backgrounds in Parliament, appointed by the Prime Minister as a parliamentary secretary, standing here before you today on behalf of Canada, promoting universal human rights at the United Nations.

Mr. President, the same can be said about the United Nations. The UN was created because together, with our diversity of cultures, languages, races and backgrounds, we are stronger.

Thank you, Mr. President.

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