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| Ambassador Maria, Ms Michelle (UN-Malaysia) & Denison |
By Ambassador Maria Isabel Rendon
Ambassador of Argentina to Malaysia
Thirty years after democracy was restored, Argentina is currently in the process of strengthening different aspects of its human rights policy, and this process is being attentively observed by the international and regional communities.
Social inclusion
policies centred on respect for social and economic rights; the integration of
migrants into national development from a human rights perspective (regardless
of their migration status); recent groundbreaking laws approved in Congress, such
as the Gender Identity, Decent Death, Equal Marriage and Mental Health Laws;
and transcendental public policies for cultural change, such as the National
Plan Against Discrimination (with more than 200 concrete steps to eradicate
discriminatory rules and practices, already being implemented) are some of the
concrete contributions of Argentina to international human rights law, in a
world which is still debating many of these issues without yet reaching a
consensus.
The foundation pillar
for the construction of such a progressive human rights agenda in Argentina has
been the eradication of impunity in relation to the crimes against humanity
perpetrated in times of State terrorism. This process started through an
internationally unprecedented step, acclaimed by the international community
and the Human Rights Movement.
Over two decades
after the recovery of democracy, hundreds of trials were re-opened all over the
country in 2005. Since the opening of judicial proceedings, 1053 people have
been prosecuted, 559 new cases have reached the oral stage, 430 people have
been convicted of varying degrees of participation following oral and public
proceedings and 45 people have been acquitted.
Within this context,
many witnesses around the world have given their testimony before Argentine
courts through video conferences held at Argentine consulates.
Political
Leadership
This significant
shift after many years of impunity is the result of the maturity achieved by
the Argentine people and its institutions, the painstaking work carried out by
the human rights movement in its legitimate search for justice, and the
political determination of former President Néstor Kirchner, whose efforts are
continued by current Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.
All of these factors
made it possible for the three branches of government, for the first time since
the restoration of democracy and in response to a new social contract, to
remove all existing legal obstacles with a view to identifying and punishing
those responsible for systematic and mass violations of human rights.
These actions were
taken within the framework of ordinary proceedings, through the application of
ordinary criminal law and international human rights law with constitutional status in Argentina and with full respect for the guarantees of
due process.
This new stage in the
fight against impunity has given Argentina renewed legitimacy and leadership at
the international level, and has placed our country at the forefront of
important initiatives on matters such as genocide prevention, education on and
remembrance of the Holocaust as a way of preventing massive atrocities, the
elaboration of rules and regulations on matters related to the enforced
disappearance of persons, the right to the truth, and the use of forensic
genetics in the field of human rights.
At the regional
level, the Institute of Public Policy on Human Rights of MERCOSUR (IPPDH)
started working in 2011, establishing an institutional framework for the
exchange of good practices in this field at the regional level for the first
time.
Genocide
Prevention
In March 2012, the
Latin American Network for Genocide Prevention was launched in Buenos Aires, in
association with the Auschwitz Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (AIPR),
and in the presence of representatives from the whole region, as well as
African observers from human rights institutions.
This network is one
of a kind in the world, and it aims at creating a community of public officers
who are sensitive to and informed about the issue. Its ultimate goal is to
incorporate and develop, through training and regional cooperation, education
on the prevention of genocide and mass atrocities as a priority on the Latin
American regional agenda.
Moreover, and in
connection with this issue, Argentina is working jointly with Switzerland and
Tanzania to organize regional fora for the prevention of genocide. Fora were
organized in Buenos Aires in 2008, Arusha (Tanzania) in 2010, Berne
(Switzerland) in 2011, and Cambodia in 2013.
From
mass violations to promoting human rights
Argentina has a
tragic history of systematic and mass human rights violations, but today it is
internationally recognized for its active role in the promotion of various
human rights issues such as memory, truth, justice and reparation, as well as
for making significant progress at the world level in connection with issues
such as social inclusion, migration policies and the fight against
discrimination.
All this progress has
made it possible to design a State policy on human rights by building a bridge
between the past and the future of Argentina, with a view to consolidating the
creation of a fairer and more egalitarian society.
--------------------------------Source: Extract from the speech delivered by Ambassador Maria at a function on Dec 5, 2013 in Kuala Lumpur to commemorate 30 years of Democracy & Human Rights in Argentine
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