Human rights cannot be sacrificed in search of justice, Robinson Mary
Regional, Culture, 4/27/2002

High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson affirmed "the importance of upholding fully human rights and humanitarian law standards in combating terrorism," she noted, pledging her Office's full support for "any initiative the Commission may think appropriate in order to signal clearly that human rights should not be sacrificed in the fight against terrorism."

Mrs. Robinson also voiced concern over "a possible trend seeking to weaken the protection role that this Commission has been exercising." She said this was evident in voting patterns on country situations marked by a preference for excluding action if consensus was not possible.

"The core role of the Commission in protecting human rights through drawing attention to violations and abuses must be retained, but it is clear that in the future it needs to be matched by a much more significant commitment to provide resources for technical cooperation and advisory services to assist countries in building and strengthening their national capacity in the rule of law, the administration of justice, and adherence to human rights norms and standards," she said.

UN Secretary General had stated "States must also take the greatest care to ensure that counter-terrorism does not, any more than sovereignty, become an all-embracing concept that is used to cloak, or justify, violations of human rights," adding Justice must be both "the means and the end."

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