BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

Editor's Note: Following is the interview by the staff reporter of Human Rights magazine with the Finnish, Swedish and Swiss ambassadors to China.

H.E. Mr. Antti Kuosmanen, Finnish Ambassador

  H.E. Mr. Antti Kuosmanen, Finnish Ambassador:

Great progress has been made all over the world during the last several decades in extending democracy and eliminating abject poverty, the latter in particular in China. On the other hand, human rights are still being repressed by governments in many parts of the world and poverty prevails. Non-state actors such as terrorist organizations and transnational organized crime have increased as an unwanted side-effect of globalization.

 Terrorism is an old phenomenon, but it too has internationalized in the present globalized world. Terrorist acts are criminal acts, so clearly governments are entitled to and must take action to protect their citizens against such acts. They also need to cooperate to effectively combat terrorist organizations. However, care should be taken not to exaggerate and use anti-terrorist measures as a cover for political repression, be it against individuals or groups.

 China has made progress in improving human rights to internationally agreed standards. For instance the recent decision to have all capital punishment cases reviewed by the Supreme People's Court is welcomed. Also in more general terms China is moving towards a society where the rule of law applies; however, it still has a lot to do in this respect, for example abolishing extra-judicial systems of punishment and strenthening the rights of the accused.

 Internationally agreed human rights standards exist in the UN framework. Cooperation there is essential for enforcing and developing them. One important aspect of this are the recommendations of the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture. China has joined many of the agreements and conventions negotiated in the UN context. However, it would be a major step forward if China ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. China takes an active part in the work of the UN Human Rights Council.

H.E. Mr. Mikael Lindstrom, Swedish Ambassador

H.E. Mr. Mikael Lindstrom, Swedish Ambassador:

  I believe that we can clearly see both progress and remaining challenges when it comes to the global human rights situation. On the positive side one could mention, for example, that in the beginning of the 21st century more countries than at any time in the history held multiparty elections according to the UN, and that in 125 countries the press was free or partly free. Also, during the last 30 years of the 20th century under-five mortality rate fell worldwide from 96 to 56 per 1,000 live births; and during the last decade of the 20th century roughly 750 million people gained access to improved sanitation.

 At the same time all the examples above reflect the huge challenges that remain. Only 82 countries were considered fully democratic by the UN in 2002 and 61 countries did not have a free press. Furthermore, in the beginning of the 21st century more than 500,000 women died every year as a result of pregnancy and childbirth, and every day more than 30,000 children died from preventable diseases.

 To defeat terrorism is a very important task for the world community. It is also very important that this is done without the violation of human rights. Firstly, it is the obligation of all States to always respect human rights. Secondly, not respecting human rights in the struggle against terrorism would risk undermining the international framework for the protection of human rights, something which would in itself create a situation in which the risk for further terrorism would be likely to increase.

 China is the most populous country in the world and has a wide diversity of people within its borders. The human rights situation in China is consequently a subject of huge importance. The economic growth of China over the last 30 years or so has increased the income and wealth for many millions of people and China has thus made a significant contribution to world wide poverty reduction. At the same time it is important to note that political, economic and social rights are equally important and that they are interdependent. The international community expects the Government of China to deliver in all these respects. We have witnessed improvements in the civil and political area but more needs to be done. China's early ratification of the ICCPR would, for example, be a welcome step in this direction. The international community, including my country Sweden, is committed to work with the Government of China when it comes to human rights.

 As a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a member of the Human Rights Council, China has a very important role in the UN. I hope that this will lead to a continuous and longterm Chinese commitment with the UN when it comes to human rights.

H.E. Mr. Dante Candido Martinelli, Swiss Ambassador

H.E. Mr. Dante Candido Martinelli, Swiss Ambassador:

 We can see some progress in the worldwide human rights situation, but enormous challenges remain, and Switzerland is therefore very much concerned about the situation in many regions of the world.

 In the beginning of the 21st century the universal character of human rights standards is firmly established and the promotion and protection of human rights is recognised as a key feature of international relations. This situation manifests itself in the fact that a large majority of countries have ratified the core UN human rights treaties such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights or the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. At the same time, however, tremendous efforts remain necessary to put words into deeds by ensuring the effective implementation of these standards.

 We are convinced that multilateral cooperation and dialogue are essential for improving the general human rights situation. In this regard, Switzerland has been one of the initiators and strongest supporters of the creation of the new UN Human Rights Council and is now, like China, one of its members. Besides, the Human Rights Council and its special procedures, other international human rights mechanisms, such as the human rights treaty bodies and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, have a crucial role to play and must be strengthened. In some cases the cooperation between international mechanisms and single countries has not been easy, a number of obstacles still needs to be overcome, but there are also "success stories" like Nepal, where the cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has brought substantial improvement in the human rights situation. Furthermore, civil society is an important driving force for the protection and the promotion of human rights, both at the local and at the global level. For this reason, Switzerland strongly supports the close involvement of non-governmental organisations with international human rights mechanisms.

 In terms of thematic focus, Switzerland attaches overriding importance to the implementation of the most fundamental rights-- such as the right to life, the protection against torture and ill-treatment and the right to a fair trial--as well as the rights of persons belonging to particularly vulnerable groups, among them women, children, minorities, and human rights defenders.

 Full respect for human rights in the context of the fight against terrorism is essential. States certainly have not only the right but also the obligation to protect their populations against terrorist acts. But in doing so, States must strictly comply with human rights. Time and again, heavy handed measures without due respect for human rights have aggravated critical situations rather than bringing stability--with disastrous consequences for the concerned populations. And, of course, the fight against terrorism must never be used as a pretext for the violation of human rights.

Let me stress that no country--my own included--has a perfect human rights record. Rather, the protection and promotion of human rights is a task that requires constant efforts and commitment. The sustained economic growth period in China has brought a reduction in poverty which has led to progress with regard to a number of economic and social rights. Beyond this, we receive information from the Chinese authorities regarding improvements in other areas, as well as reports on continuing challenges, notably in the field of civil and political rights.

 China and Switzerland have been conducting a bilateral dialogue on human rights since 1991, complemented by specific cooperation programmes. In this dialogue, we address a large array of human rights issues within a framework of mutual trust beneficial to open, friendly and frank discussions. Nine rounds of the dialogue have taken place so far, the last one in Switzerland in March 2006, and we are looking forward to an invitation by the Chinese government for the next round, to be held in China.

 Over the years, the various specialised bodies of the United Nations have developed a considerable expertise in the field of human rights, of which States can benefit. First, there is the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, which has been active in China for a number of years.

 Then there are the special procedures of the Human Rights Council, some of which have visited China or Switzerland, recommending measures to further strengthen the protection and promotion of human rights. While we understand that a number of requests from special procedures to visit China are still pending, Switzerland has issued a standing invitation to all special procedures.

 Finally, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a member of the Human Rights Council, China shares the common responsibility of the international community for the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide. In this regard, we are very happy to see China adopt an active, open and results-oriented attitude, co-operating closely with all other parties.