On the occasion of the 5th Anniversary of the National Human Rights Commission of the Republic of Korea
I wish to express my congratulations to the National Human Rights Commission of Korea on the occasion of its 5th Anniversary on 25 November 2006.
It was in September 2004, on one of my first official missions as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, that I visited your Commission in connection with the very successful hosting of the 7th International Conference of National Human Rights Institutions. The Commission was already then actively engaged in carrying out its mandate, which it has deepened and expanded since. It has experienced growth in terms of activities, case handling and international cooperation signifying its increasingly important role in Korean society.
This 5th Anniversary of the Commission marks another milestone and allows for some reflection on the hard work done, the accomplishments made to get here, and draws a natural attention to the challenges ahead.
As one of the leading and most active National Human Rights Commissions in Asia, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea sets standards for other institutions in the region. It is dynamic; it serves an important role as bridge-builder between government and civil society; and it guarantees human rights awareness, for example, through the human rights education programmes, while being actively involved in advancing regional cooperation between National Human Rights Institutions in Asia.
The Commission has done important work in delivering human rights. It has secured accessibility for the rights holders to seek remedies in relation to alleged human rights abuses; it has enhanced the promotion and protection of values in your society; and has ably contributed to developing partnerships regionally and internationally.
In the time ahead it will be important for the Commission to keep close to the changes and movements in society so as to be able to continuously capture peoples’ human rights needs. Investments made today in education, empowerment of various actors and in mainstreaming human rights into the work of government, civil society and with partners will be rewarded tomorrow with a more balanced and enriched society for the inhabitants of the Republic of Korea. As your vision embraces: A world where human beings live in dignity.
I would like to congratulate the various members and staff who have contributed to the growth of your Commission as an ever strong and credible voice in the promotion and protection of human rights in the Republic of Korea. I wish your Commission good fortune for the next 5 years and beyond. My office looks forward to continued support in our common cause to rights holders and looks forward to our continued common work.
Louise Arbour
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
