A/HRC/38/19 20. Ms. Pavey said that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action and the human rights treaty system made discrimination in all its forms unacceptable. The recognition of that fundamental tenet by all States represented one of the most basic forms of respect for human rights. The impact of the Universal Declaration and the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action was not abstract. The accessibility of the present panel to persons with disabilities, the equal representation of female and male panellists and the participation of both Member States and civil society organizations in the work of the Human Rights Council were all proof of the realization of the principles and rights enshrined in the above-mentioned instruments. 21. At the end of the Second World War, finding common ground had appeared to be an impossible task, and yet, the adoption of the Universal Declaration had shown that the identification of common values was conceivable and actionable. IV. Summary of the discussion 22. Representatives of the following delegations made statements during the discussion: South Africa; Indonesia, on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations; Mexico, speaking on behalf of the sponsors of the initiative entitled “UN70: a new agenda”;1 Chile, speaking also on behalf of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay; Denmark, speaking also on behalf of Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden; European Union; Canada, speaking on behalf of the member States of the International Organization of la Francophonie; Republic of Korea, on behalf of Mexico, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Turkey and Australia; Belgium, speaking also on behalf of Luxembourg and the Netherlands; Australia, speaking also on behalf of Canada, Iceland, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland; China, speaking on behalf of a group of like-minded countries; Jordan, speaking on behalf of the Group of Arab States; Nepal, speaking on behalf of a group of countries; 2 Togo, on behalf of the African Group; Ethiopia; Brazil; Switzerland; Botswana; Israel; Egypt; Spain; Slovenia; Viet Nam; and Poland. 23. Representatives of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions and the following NGOs participated in the discussion: International Service for Human Rights, International Association of Democratic Lawyers, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and World Alliance for Citizen Participation. A. Issues raised during the discussion 24. All speakers recognized the fundamental importance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, while highlighting that their anniversaries provided an opportunity to reflect upon achievements, challenges and future opportunities. States recalled that the Universal Declaration had emerged as a point of consensus among nations after the atrocities of the Second World War. Many delegations stressed that the Universal Declaration was a common aspiration and standard for all peoples and nations of the world, and constituted a compass for international relations. Several speakers stated that the Vienna Declaration reaffirmed that all human rights were universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated. Many delegations recalled that the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action strengthened the interrelationship between peace, security, human rights and development. The instrument also: contributed to the promotion of the human rights of women, children and indigenous peoples; recognized that extreme poverty and social exclusion constituted a violation of human dignity; reaffirmed the right to development as a universal and inalienable right and 1 2 Colombia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Indonesia, Jordan, Mexico, New Zealand and Norway. Beneficiaries of the Voluntary Technical Assistance Trust Fund to Support the Participation of Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States in the Work of the Human Rights Council: Afghanistan, Antigua, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Nepal, South Sudan and Yemen. 5

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