At American Jewish Committee, Annan Urges Strengthened Partnership

Affirming that the United Nations and the Jewish community have moved closer together in recent years, Secretary-General Kofi Annan today voiced hope for a deeper partnership in the struggle for human rights and peace in the Middle East and elsewhere, as he addressed a major American Jewish organization that he said had longstanding ties to the world body.

"Our common objectives of preventing genocide and protecting human rights binds us together in a global mission," he told the centennial dinner of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) in Washington, D.C., according to the text of his speech. "With this thread that connects our organizations, I hope we can weave a strong and lasting fabric of peace."

Mr. Annan recalled that the AJC, as an advocate for Jewish civil rights and for "human dignity in the broadest sense," was one of the few non-governmental organizations present at the UN's creation, with its representative, Jacob Blaustein, one of the most influential figures in that effort. The institute that bears Mr. Blaustein's name continues to play a vital part in the UN's human rights work, he said.

He said that the UN, for its part, is fully engaged in the struggle against anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination and this year held an "overdue observance" of the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camps, which will become an international day of remembrance for victims of the Holocaust.

In addition, he said, the State of Israel was increasingly enjoying the same rights and responsibilities as every other UN Member, participating in the 'West European and Other' regional group in New York: "Indeed, I hope within my lifetime, just as in this country, where Jews are accepted without question as full citizens, by all their fellow citizens, so Israel will be accepted without question as a member by the whole family of nations."

For that to happen, the UN would keep pursuing th
enormous obstacles, of a negotiated peace in the Middle East, maintaining that, "while interim measures might bring interim relief, a true and lasting peace can be achieved only through a genuine agreement."

In the area of human rights, he expressed hope that civil society organizations like the AJC will use their influence to enlist Member States' support for a strong start for the Human Rights Council, despite the United States' decision not to present itself as a candidate, so that the new body will be able to avoid the pitfalls of the old Commission, which was often accused of focussing selectively on violations in a few States while ignoring others.

In related news, on 12 May the UN Department of Public Information will present a briefing to promote and facilitate the development of educational curricula on the Holocaust by Member States, for the purposes of both remembrance of the World War II tragedy and the prevention of future genocide.

The briefing is being organized by the Department's "Holocaust and the United Nations" outreach programme in the context of the recently adopted General Assembly Resolution that urges Member States to develop such educational programmes and requests the Secretary-General to establish a programme of outreach on the subject.

Source: United Nations

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