We must let the work go on!
Interview with
Bertrand Ramcharan,
Acting High Commissioner
For Human Rights
Why? Why did all this happen?
The UN has this special characteristic that it will help in the search
for peace in any part of the world and that comes with great risks especially
in this case where there are so many factions involved.
Why does it happen more and more?
There are violent acts these days that are going beyond decency, beyond
civilised behaviour and I recently called upon world leaders to help
us to stop this. We are living in a time where the bounds of decency
do not withhold certain people. What is unique about what happened in
Baghdad is that it was a deliberate attack on what the UN was tying
to achieve. It is the same thing that happened to Count Folke Bernadotte
of Sweden in 1948. He was acting as United Nations Mediator trying to
bring peace to the Middle East.
Do you still have people in Iraq?
At the time of the terrorist bombing we had 12 staff members in Iraq.
Out of these 12, 2 were on leave. One was killed, others injured and
we had to repatriate others. But we are still present in Iraq and will
remain there because we have a lot of things to do.
Such as?
To support the people of Iraq in their quest for human rights. To contribute
to the elaboration of a constitution anchored in universal human rights
precepts. To contribute to the modernisation of Iraqi laws, as desired
by Iraqis, in conformity with international human rights norms and many
more things related to human rights precepts. These tasks will go forward
regardless how many people we have there. We must continue and develop
a monitoring presence in Iraq. We will have to act bearing in mind the
security situation. We must continue so that human rights will be at
the centre of nation- building.
Do you think that it makes sense in the
current chaotic situation?
I think that it always makes sense to continue human rights work.
However chaotic the context it is important to envisage a future built
on human rights concepts. Peace building should begin in the midst of
a conflict. And we have seen in situations such as Cambodia, Colombia,
the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, even in the midst of the
conflict you have to try to develop the human rights foundations. I
am profoundly convinced that we must have in our mind the future of
an Iraq that is grounded in human rights.
How does the human rights staff feel?
The staff are first in deep shock because many of their colleagues
in the UN have been killed or injured. The staff is in deep shock because
the High Commissioner has been killed. The staff is grieving, but the
staff is also determined that the human rights work must go on. The
message is very clear, the United Nations should never go backwards,
and human rights work should never stop. They want Sergio’s death
to strengthen our work.
And you, how do you feel?
I have had to deal with the practical aspects of the situation, with
Sergio’s relatives, to go and take him out of Baghdad and accompany
him to Rio and back here. It was demanding. But my deep feeling is that
we cannot let this intimidate us. The death of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights in Iraq must have meaning for the future
of the Iraqi people. I know that the Iraqi people would want our High
Commissioner’s death to give life to human rights in Iraq. My own
feelings are of sadness, grief, grieving, and solidarity with my colleagues;
but I am in fighting spirit for human rights. We must let the work go
on. We must redouble our efforts for human rights everywhere.