The Way Forward for Human Rights

Background

Louise Arbour

Louise Arbour was appointed High Commissioner for Human Rights by the Secretary-General and approved by the General Assembly, effective 1 July 2004.

Ms. Arbour was born on 10 February 1947 in Montreal, Que

bec. She began a distinguished academic career in 1970, cul

minating in the positions of Associate Professor and Associat

e Dean at the Osgood Hall Law School of York University in

Toronto, Canada, in 1987. In December of 1987, she was app

ointed to the Supreme Court of Ontario (High Court of Justic

e) and in 1990 she was appointed to the Court of Appeal for

Ontario. In 1995, Ms. Arbour was appointed by Order-in-Co

uncil as single Commissioner to conduct an inquiry into certa

in events at the Prisons for Women in Kingston, Ontario.

In 1996, she was appointed by the Security Council of the United Nations as Chief Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda. After three years as Prosecutor, she resigned to take up an appointment to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Ms. Arbour graduated from College Regina Assumpta, Montreal in 1967 and completed an LL.L (with distinction) from the Faculty of Law, University of Montreal in 1970. Following the Quebec Bar Admission Course, she was called to the Quebec Bar in 1971 and the Ontario Bar in 1977. Ms. Arbour has received honorary doctorates from twenty-seven Universities and numerous medals and awards. She is a member of many distinguished professional societies and organizations and has served on the boards of many others. She has published extensively on criminal law and given innumerable addresses on both national and international criminal law.

Background of the talk

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights is

charged with one of the noblest and most formidable

challenges imaginable: promoting and protecting all

human rights for all people.

What progress, if any, is being made on the glob

al human rights agenda? How is the threat of terr

orism -- and the need to fight it --affecting the str

uggle to protect human rights everywhere? How

should war crimes and possible genocide in place

s like Darfur be prosecuted? These are just some

of the questions discussed in this episode of Worl

d Chronicle with Louise Arbour, the United Nati

ons High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Words and Expressions

flux

If something is in a state of flux, it is constantly changing. e.g. Education remains in a state of flux which will take some time to settle down.

fiat

If something is done by fiat, it is done because of an official order given by someone in authority. e.g. He has tried to impose solutions to the country's problems by fiat.

attuned If you are attuned to something, you can understand and appreciate it. e.g. He seemed unusually attuned to people's feelings.

parameter

Parameters are factors or limits which affect the way that something can be done or made.

e.g. That would be enough to make sure we fell within the parameters of our loan agreement.

infringement

An infringement is an action or situation that interferes with your rights and the freedom you are entitled to.

e.g. They see it as an infringement on their own freedom of action.

redress

a sum of money paid in compensation for loss or injury

e.g. You must seek redress in the law courts for the damage to your car.

normative

Normative means creating or stating particular rules of behaviour.

e.g. Normative sexual behaviour in our society remains heterosexual.

rapporteur

a recorder appointed by a committee to prepare reports of the meetings

e.g. He is the United Nations special rapporteur on torture.

scrutinize

examine carefully for accuracy with the intent of verification

e.g. Her purpose was to scrutinize his features to see if he was an honest man.

obsolete

outdated; old; no longer in use or valid or fashionable

e.g. Our service is obsolete, requiring root and branch reform.

supercede

take the place or move into the position of

e.g. Alternatively, the terms for this offer may supercede the terms that are part of any other such offer.

deficit

the property of being an amount by which something is less than expected or required

e.g. The current trade deficit indicates a serious imbalance between our import and export trade.

virtuous

A virtuous person behaves in a moral and correct way. e.g. Louis was shown as an intelligent, courageous and virtuous family man.

ratify

approve and express assent, responsibility, or obligation

e.g. Over ninety countries ratify an agreement to ban the use of these chemicals.

vis-à-vis

You use vis-à-vis when you are considering a relationship or comparison between two things or quantities.

e.g. Each currency is given a value vis-à-vis the other currencies.

distressing

If something is distressing, it upsets you or worries you. e.g. It is very distressing to see your baby attached to tubes and monitors.

heinous

evil, monstrous; If you describe something such as a crime as heinous, you mean that it is extremely evil or horrible.

e.g. They are capable of the most heinous acts.

genocide

Genocide is the deliberate murder of a whole community or race. e.g. They have alleged that acts of genocide and torture were carried out.

perpetrator

someone who perpetrates wrongdoing; If someone perpetrates a crime or any other immoral or harmful act, they do it.

e.g. The perpetrator of this crime must be traced.

prosecution

the institution and conduct of legal proceedings against a defendant for criminal behavior

e.g. There have been several successful prosecutions for drug smuggling recently.

ambivalence

If you say that someone is ambivalent about something, they seem to be uncertain whether they really want it, or whether they really approve of it.

e.g. I've never lied about my feelings, including my ambivalence about getting married again.

dismantle

To dismantle an organization or system means to cause it to stop functioning by gradually reducing its power or purpose. e.g. Public services of all kinds are being dismantled.

cameo

A cameo is a short description or piece of acting which expresses cleverly and neatly the nature of a situation, event, or person's character. e.g. He played a cameo role, that of a young Aids patient in hospital.

forensic

Forensic is used to describe the work of scientists who examine evidence in order to help the police solve crimes.

e.g. Forensic experts searched the area for clues.