This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
Human Rights Commissioner in Scotland
17/02/2003
The UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights,
Bertrand Ramcharan, was welcomed at a Human Rights
Conference in Edinburgh today.
Justice Minister Jim Wallace took the opportunity to
re-affirm that every citizen in Scotland should be
protected, and will be protected, no matter the current
international climate.
Mr Wallace said:
"We are privileged to be able to welcome the UN Deputy
High Commissioner for Human Rights and our other speakers
to Scotland today. This is a unique occasion.
"It is the first time Scotland has hosted an event of
this type and it offers an exciting opportunity to debate
our proposals for a Scottish Human Rights Commission and
the future of human rights in Scotland.
"This is an exciting day for Scotland and an excellent
opportunity for us to raise our profile in human rights on
both a national and international level.
"I would like to take this opportunity to re-affirm that
Scotland is a country which has a long tradition of
migration. Over the centuries many different nationalities
have come to Scotland and made significant contributions to
the development of Scottish life.
"Yet the number of racist incidents reported in Scotland
is around 3,000 per year. A staggering statistic for a
modern and forward thinking country. Given the present
international climate it is even more important that we
take this seriously.
"It is the Government's job to protect the public from
the threat of international terrorism and that will be
done. But there is no excuse for those who might wish to
use this as a reason to attack British Muslims or refugees
and asylum seekers.
"I want to make one thing very clear. Everyone who lives
in our community is entitled to our protection and will
receive it.
" Human rights has implications for everyone living in
Scotland and we are delighted to be joined by people
working in many different fields providing services to,
among others, children, older people, asylum seekers and
refugees, carers and women.
"The breadth of interest indicates the extent to which
human rights can affect us all and I therefore welcome the
very wide range of voluntary and community organisations
who are attending today to make their views known.
Dr Ramcharan said:
""The process which the Scottish Executive has embraced
to establish a Scottish Human Rights Commission seeking the
views of civil society, parliamentarians, government
officials and external national institutions
representatives and experts is one worthy of recognition
and an excellent example for others intending to establish
national human rights institutions to emulate.
"The establishment of a strong, independent national
human rights institution based on international standards
will only reinforce the national human rights protection
systems which Scotland is building."
Guest speakers at the conference included Dr Ramcharan,
Rosslyn Noonan, Chief Commissioner of the New Zealand Human
Rights Commission, and Maurice Manning, President of the
Republic of Ireland Human Rights Commission.
The conference formed part of the Executive's
consultation process on detailed proposals for a Scottish
Human Rights Commission.