The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has intervened under 7 other items during this Session of the Commission. In each intervention we have spoken of the importance of national or local involvement in the pursuit of objectives which are shared by human rights community and National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
This is a subject we have addressed several times in recent years here and in other international bodies. It was also noted in the statement by the Secretary General of the International Federation in his address to the High Level Segment at the outset of this Session.
He pointed out that the value of an agreement between the International Federation and the Office of the High Commissioner which would facilitate joint activity between National Societies and National Human Rights Institutions was first discussed when Mary Robinson was High Commissioner. Following that discussion, between Ms Robinson and our President Juan Manuel Suarez del Toro Rivero in March 2002, work began towards the drafting of a written arrangement.
Drafting reached its final stages the following year, when Mr Suarez del Toro met Sergio Vieira de Mello. It would have been signed later that year, but because of the tragic death of the High Commissioner in Baghdad this could not happen.
We have remained consistently of the view that an agreement of the kind we first envisaged will do much to consolidate the ability of our National Societies and their counterparts in National Human Rights Institutions to mobilise the power of humanity to protect the vulnerable.
This is our mission, and it is very similar to the broad purpose of National Institutions.
We are very pleased that it is also a priority for High Commissioner Ms Arbour, and we look forward to working closely with her to make this cooperation a living reality.
The Report of the Secretary-General for this item [E/CN.4/2005/106] contains a reference to this project in paragraph 51, together with the expression of hope that the initiative can be launched in 2005.
We share that hope. Our planning involves the resumption of discussions with the High Commissioner and the dedicated staff of the National Institutions Unit soon after this Session of the Commission concludes.
We hope we will be able then to take account both of the views put forward during and in the surrounds of this Session, and bring them together with the views we have received from National Societies.
In doing so, we will also take account of some other factors which have entered into our equation since the original drafting of our prospective arrangement.
One such is the important report of the Panel of Eminent Persons on UN-Civil Society Relations, the Cardoso Report [A/58/817]. I will not dwell on the relevance of this document, for it is enough to note that it points out that many prominent issues of our time - including human rights - have been shaped or propelled by civil society.
Our National Societies, even though they are auxiliaries to the public authorities of their countries in the humanitarian field and not as non-governmental as civil society itself, have a deep interest in the benefits that can flow to communities from the implementation of that report.
Another is the report now before the United Nations General Assembly on UN reform - "In Larger Freedom" [A/59/2005], which devotes considerable attention to improving the way the international community addresses human rights issues and concerns. We were particularly impressed by the strength of the Secretary-General's commitment to National Institutions, evidenced in paragraph 142 of the report.
Yet another, and one which supplies much of the policy underpinning for the work we hope will engage our National Societies with National Institutions, is the Millennium Declaration and its associated Development Goals. Our intention is to unite wherever possible the priorities expressed in this Commission and other relevant UN organs together with those expressed by the International Federation and its members.
We were, therefore, very pleased to hear so many National Institutions address priorities similar to ours during their presentations to the Commission this year. In particular, references to discrimination, HIV/AIDS, poverty, trafficking in persons, gender-based violence and the abuse of children and issues relating to migration and migrants captured out attention.
This, we believe, speaks volumes about our hope for a community force which will generate a strong mobilisation in favour of the objectives we share. In line with this, we will continue to build relationships with all national and international organisations and groups which share this dedication to the protection of the vulnerable.
We will also use all available processes to broaden our own consultation so that our status as an international organisation with full access to all UN debates will help build the voice of this community at the international policy-making level.
I trust that it will be possible to speak under this item next year with our arrangements in place, and we look forward eagerly to the prospect of adding significant value for humanity through the support we hope to receive from you and the Commission, all governments, the High Commissioner and of course the consolidated strength of our worldwide network and its 97 million volunteers and members.