The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
sees the work of the Commission on Human Rights on economic,
social and cultural rights as intertwined with the most basic
international community objectives.
They are objectives set forth in the Declaration adopted by
the United Nations Millennium Summit in 2000, and consolidated
in the Millennium Development Goals.
As we have said, many times, the achievement of the Goals will
depend in large part on the willingness of governments to reach
out to the most vulnerable in their communities and to involve
them in the design, implementation and monitoring of programs
to achieve the Goals.
This is why the role of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies,
in virtually every country in the world, is so important. Their
mandate to function as the auxiliaries to the public authorities
in the humanitarian field makes them an indispensable part of
both the development equation and aspirations to achieve economic,
social and cultural rights.
This is true in all countries. In 2004 National Red Cross and
Red Crescent Societies provided support and assistance to tens
of millions of people in all parts of the world - not only in
or for countries ravaged by poverty, disaster and disease but
also in the developed world where vulnerability stands as an
issue of major economic and social concern.
The International Federation's programs provided additional
support to more than 43 million people around the world through
appeals designed together with the National Societies.
But today we wish to show how our programming and activity supports
the achievement of economic, social and cultural rights in even
the most difficult of circumstances, and how that work sits
alongside the international community's ambition to achieve
the MDGs.
Our example today is Iraq. Our example also underlines our belief
that if the objectives set through the MDGs are applied to assistance
- even in the most difficult of circumstances - they can be
a strong and persuasive influence as to the direction that assistance
might most beneficially take.
The International Federation, working closely with the Iraq
Red Crescent Society, is still engaged in the delivery of emergency
humanitarian assistance in Iraq. It is not clear when it will
be possible for normal programming to resume, but programming
is now aimed at the delivery of the greatest possible proportion
of assistance which both meets emergency needs and contributes
to the re-establishment of community-based activities.
Time does not permit much detail on this important point. Let
me say, however, that our programming sits within clusters which
directly or indirectly lend support to the achievement of at
least 7 of the 8 Millennium Development Goals. To give some
short examples:
• Our Vulnerability and Capacity Assessments are a basic
disaster management tool which also address MDG 1 on the poverty
reduction.
• Intensified dissemination of the Fundamental Principles
of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and the translation
into Arabic of the International Federation's Gender Manual
support the attainment of MDG 3 on the empowering of women.
• Community-based Health Interventions (CBHI) have been
maintained throughout the country, with a direct impact on MDG
4, the reduction of child mortality.
• The International Federation has maintained a priority
for the provision of kits and equipment to maternity hospitals,
in line with MDG 5, maternal health.
• HIV/AIDS training is provided to staff and volunteers
throughout the country, contributing both to economic, social
and cultural rights and the achievement of MDG 6.
• CBHI are also a direct contributor to clean water and
environmental sustainability, in line with MDG 7.
• MDG 8 Partnerships with external partners are very difficult
to build and maintain in Iraq at present, but the Iraq Red Crescent
Society has worked energetically to build partnerships with
government partners such as the Ministry of Health, the Ministry
of Labour and Social Affairs.
In the future, and with the inspiration of the agreement now
being finalised between the International Federation and the
Office of the High Commissioner, there could be space for important
work against discrimination between the National Society and
the country's human rights institutions.
It goes without saying, of course, that the achievement of any
of these objectives will be significantly assisted by progress
towards the achievement of MDG 2, universal primary education.
This snapshot of Iraq can be replicated into almost any country
situation, anywhere in the world. The only differences are those
imposed by local conditions, but the thrust remains the same:
• the work of the National Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies to promote human dignity and mobilise the power of
humanity from the community level upwards helps unlock the door
to the achievement of development and the economic, social and
cultural rights which this Commission has so high on its agenda.
The interdependence of economic, social and cultural rights
with the Millennium Development Goals was noted by the UN Secretary
General in his interesting and important reform report "In Larger
Freedom".
We, like all others in the international community, are studying
the report, but we were impressed by the attention given to
economic, social and cultural rights in the National Strategies
section of the document (paragraphs 36 - 38) and the clarity
with which it speaks of transparency, accountability and good
governance. And the importance of grass-roots pressure.
As the report states, these also fit within the framework of
economic, social and cultural rights. They have been part of
the Red Cross Red Crescent agenda for many years, and we will
be glad to exchange experience with the relevant UN institutions
on ways and means of driving implementation and achievement
forward.
We will be inviting our National Society members to take this
message of exchange forward in their discussions with their
own governments, and trust that the work of the Commission on
Human Rights will help to make this a practical, results-oriented
dialogue.
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