Être. the Face of Human Rights

être. The Face of Human Rights. Art and Human Rights—an experiment foundation of our foreign policy. Switzerland’s leitmotiv is être. The Face of Human Rights. We can raise awareness by giving human rights an that of respect for human rights, peace, direct democracy, image, for instance by using the media of fine arts, film, The Cultural Foreign Policy Centre of the DFA is supporting and sustainable development. Following Switzerland’s accession to the United Nations, photography or language. the present exhibition “being — the Face of Human Rights” the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs presented an out of the conviction that art, more than any other means Hugo Loetscher, the well-known Swiss author who has exhibition to the United Nations Office at Geneva entitled Human rights are universal and indivisible. Respect of human expression, is capable of revealing not only given considerable thought to the essence of photography, “being” which was mounted at the Palais des Nations to for and the implementation of human rights are essential the absolute but the less easily definable and identifiable writes: mark the opening of the 60th session of the UN Commission for a life in dignity for each individual in the world. aspects of human rights. “Everything that is merely visual is inadequate. This on Human Rights. Everyone must be able to claim respect for their human deficit, however, is also the creative opportunity to show rights by the State. Diplomacy found itself confronted with totally new not only what the eye can see but also to reveal what In response to the lively interest shown in “being” by our challenges after the end of the Cold War. At a time when it can’t. The quality of a photograph is its power to enable representations and co-operation offices abroad, Political This exhibition portrays these rights with photographs the world was divided into blocs, each activity related to us, the viewers, to offset this deficient and to establish Affairs Division IV in collaboration with Lars Müller, the from the collection compiled by the agency, Magnum foreign policy moved within a clear system of coordinates a totality through our identification with the subject. Trans- curator of “being”, have developed a follow-up exhibition Photos in Paris. They not only capture human rights and had recourse to symbols and images that were valid lation is something that not only occurs between languages to tour the Swiss representations and co-operation offices violations but also record the reality of a life in dignity in every respect and were rapidly identifiable. but also between the senses and our inner being.”* abroad. and peace. Ten years later, it had become one of the most demanding Nicolas Bideau Human rights are comprehensive and universal. They are Wolfgang Amadeus Bruelhart tasks for diplomats to impart to their political work a Head, Cultural Foreign Policy Centre valid throughout the world and for everyone, and they Head of Human Rights Policy Section Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs distinct meaning and direction and to prove themselves are applicable to all areas of life. Human rights are rights within the newly defined system of international relations. that can be demanded. The “rights-based approach” In view of a world that is becoming more global in its in principle allows no compromise because either a given functioning and its flood of information, it is an especially situation is consistent with human rights or it constitutes difficult undertaking. a violation of them. What are the images and symbols that illustrate our pres- It is easy to talk about human rights. However, many ent foreign policy? We are well aware that pictures can people are still unable to assert their rights either because move us. A photograph often says more than a long they are unaware of them, or because they do not have discourse or a resolution with qualifying clauses. And the means to do so, or because they are prevented from they seldom require someone to interpret them. We need doing so by the State. the artistic content of photography to describe the nature of our work, and to point out the values that form the *In: “Durchs Bild zur Welt gekommen.”, Zurich 2001 How can people be made aware of their own rights? Human rights and human dignity necessary for the effective protection of their dignity. Half a century after the adoption of the Universal and Eastern Europe. After the tragedies in Former Although the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is Declaration of Human Rights we have to ask ourselves: Yugoslavia and Rwanda, it has become possible to punish What are human beings and what are they entitled to? not a legally binding document but merely the outline Have the international efforts to protect human rights the worst human rights offenders through international Societies have debated this question for centuries, but it of a “human rights project”, it became the starting point failed? The extent to which fundamental rights are courts. Human rights serve increasingly as a criterion was not seriously addressed in an international context for the protection of human rights that is now enshrined violated on every continent is indeed shocking. Human on which States base their relationship with other countries, until after the Second World War. The Universal Decla- in a wide range of legally binding conventions. rights, however, do not designate what is but what ought and they have an increasing impact in many spheres, ration of Human Rights which the UN General Assembly to be. They are not statements of facts. As normative ranging from extradition of criminal offenders to develop- solemnly proclaimed on 10 December 1948 “as a The seven UN Core Human Rights Conventions values, they provide us with a yardstick for measuring and ment cooperation or even international trade. Finally, common standard of achievement for all peoples and all – International Covenant on Economic, Social and evaluating reality. In this regard, human rights are never human rights provide oppressed people all over the world nations” gives a clear answer to this question: “All human Cultural Rights 1966 as important as at the time of their violation, for what with a vision and a justification for their demand for justice, beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. – International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 1966 remains for the victims of torture in their misery and agony freedom and equality. They are endowed with reason and conscience and – International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms is at least the knowledge that they are morally and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood”. of Racial Discrimination 1965 legally right and that the torturer is wholly in the wrong. What are human rights? Everyone is therefore entitled to all human rights set out – Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of International human rights are the legal instruments in the Declaration without discrimination based on gender, Discrimination Against Women 1979 In a historical perspective, international human rights of individuals in their relations with the state or state-like ethnic origin, religion, political or other opinion or similar – Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman protection may still be in its infancy, but much has been entities. They are guaranteed by international law for reasons. Thus, human rights are legal instruments aimed or Degrading Treatment or Punishment 1984 achieved: until the mid-20th century international law the purpose of protecting human beings, their fundamental at protecting the fundamental dignity and basic needs – Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 expressly allowed each state to decide, in the name needs, and their dignity in times of peace and war. of every individual. – International Convention on the Protection of the of sovereignty, whether it should grant or deny its citizens Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their certain rights. Today binding standards make it possible Walter Kälin and Judith Wyttenbach Human rights are grouped in different categories, ranging Families 1990 to denounce human rights violations not only morally but from basic guarantees to protect life and limb, including also legally, and States are no longer entitled to shield the prohibition of torture or arbitrary detention and the The three Core Regional Human Rights Conventions themselves against such criticism by invoking the argument right to a fair trial, to various freedoms such as freedom – European Convention for the Protection of Human of interference in their domestic affairs. Many States grant of opinion, assembly and religion as well as a whole range Rights and Fundamental Freedoms 1950 victims of human rights violations the right to bring their of economic, social and cultural rights, including the – American Convention on Human Rights 1969 case before international courts and quasi-judicial bodies. rights to work, food, health and education. In drawing up – African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights 1981 In the second half of the 20th century, the universal this list in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, recognition of international human rights contributed sig- the international community set forth in an international nificantly to advance the process of decolonization, document and for the first time in the history of humankind to defeat the military dictatorships in Latin America and a definition of the main rights of human beings that are elsewhere and to end the totalitarian regimes in Central What is the value of a human life? THE RIGHT TO LIFE Every human life is unique, and the protection of human right to life imposes an obligation on states to protect life is a priority. The right to life is the basis of life in people against killing by private entities.

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