Ladies and gentlemen,

The idea that each individual human being has certain fundamental rights is not new. The dream of freedom from violence, bondage and slavery is as old as mankind itself. But it is during recent generations that this idea has been transformed from a dream into a contract - a contract between the ruler and the ruled; between the state and the individual human being.

Human rights are legally binding instruments to which governments have committed themselves. Human rights are not abstract aspirations or sources of theoretical dispute. Human rights hold the key to progress in any society.

Combating poverty is one of the most acute challenges on the global agenda. This challenge has obvious human rights implications. – Poverty undermines and hampers the realisation of all human rights. Development and increased respect for human rights are two sides of the same coin.

My Government has recently presented a Plan of Action for Human Rights in a White Paper to our national assembly. We have identified a number of areas where we need to make greater efforts to respect and promote human rights. We need to put our own house in order. Every nation does.

I fully appreciate that this is a considerable undertaking for you in Nigeria, but I am impressed by the progress being made. Free and fair, democratic elections and the release of political prisoners testify to your commitment. In addition, the framework for an independent judiciary has been put in place. And Nigeria has a well deserved reputation for a vigorous, fearless and articulate press. In establishing the rule of law, that sounds like is a good start.

Still, the reasons for the grave concern with which we viewed Nigeria not so long ago, are to some extent still here. You may be aware that Norway was in the forefront of international criticism of human rights abuses in Nigeria. The news of ethnic and religious clashes, the crisis in the Niger Delta, as well as high crime rates, are disturbing. Poverty - in all its faces - is also a major human rights challenge. It was therefore particularly gratifying to meet with President Obasanjo and Human Rights Commissioner Paul Nwokedi yesterday.

You are indeed busy putting your house in order.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Norway looks forward to having Nigeria as a neighbour at the 56 ^th> session of the United Nations Human Rights Commission, just over a month from now. Let me share with you some comments on four of the most important topics before the Commission.

The first is development. The United Nations has defined development as the process of expanding people’s choices. Expanding people’s choices means respecting all human rights. Human rights cannot be confined to civil and political rights. Social and economic rights are equally important, and part of an indivisible whole.

Secondly, ethnic bias, bigotry and racism pose grave challenges to every nation. They must be addressed – nationally as well as internationally. The World Conference on Racism, to be held in 2001, is an opportunity to address all aspects of this huge challenge.

Thirdly, the rights of the child are central to all. The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the most widely ratified of all the human rights conventions. Our children deserve a better life. Yet, we can do more to act accordingly, especially in terms of assisting those children who suffer the most. Implementing the ILO convention on the worst forms of child labour is one key task, among many.

Fourthly, Religion is often described as a source of racism, or the germ of conflict. This might be true, as when belief is turned to prejudice. But religion or belief can also be a powerful force for the resolution of conflict. Bringing different religious communities together may be an important measure for reconciliation.

We look forward to working with Nigeria on these and other issues in the UN Commission. In order to increase and improve technical assistance in the field of human rights - and to secure a targeted and meaningful human rights perspective for development - we would like to see a strengthening of the capability of the Office of the High Commissioner. The same goes for other relevant parts of the UN system. I am therefore glad to recognise the presence of UN representatives in this hall.

Ladies and gentlemen,

These are times of challenges and opportunities for all nations. There are encouraging trends at the turn of the millennium. Increasing awareness and acceptance of human rights as a mutual concern between nations - as well as in the world of business - are promising developments.

Yes, we also see escalation of unrest and violence. Yes, we see increasing instability in several nations. And sure enough, we see widening disparities between - as well as within - nations. But there are important positive developments as well. I truly believe that the world community has the knowledge and tools to prevent these trends from becoming dominant. International human rights are both pools of knowledge and tools for action.

Accountability must be applied at home before we can demand it from others. My Government made it clear from the outset that if, in a given situation, human rights and business interests would get in the way of each other, then human rights would prevail. Initially, there was some grumbling on the part of business leaders. Today, however, I believe we to a large extent have put this sense of conflict of interest behind us.

For a long time, human rights and business have been seen as contradictions. However, I tend to agree with the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, who at the 1998 World Economic Forum in Davos said : …let us choose to unite the power of markets with the authority of universal ideals.

Such corporate social responsibility is hard to define, but commonly taken to address issues as diverse as corruption, environmental consciousness, labour standards and wage disparities - in addition the more formal rights. Increasingly, business is beginning to take that all-important step - from taking on a sense of responsibility towards accepting a sense of accountability.

Business leaders have gotten used to be held accountable by their shareholders. They now begin to report to their stakeholders – be they the employees and their families, the local community, the district, business partners and suppliers, customers, local and central authorities, or others.

The market’s sense of quality now extends beyond the product - to how and under what circumstances it is made. Consumers and investors demand a cleaner act, in environmental as well as ethical terms. This regards combating child labour and ensuring core labour standards, to name but two of our demands. Business must realise that workers who are treated justly are better workers; that a local community with a thriving and vocal civil society is a better business location.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I have not made these points in order to shirk government responsibility. Human rights are citizen's rights vis-à-vis their government. Still, as governments, we also have a duty to cooperate with all actors in order to promote the realisation of rights. In these endeavours we must seek allies both among other states and among civil society and the private sector.

The latter is all the more important as official development assistance (ODA) has been shrinking, while private capital flows have increased dramatically. Today, private flows are about five times higher than ODA, although very unevenly distributed.

To help compensate for the skewed distribution of private investments, I can - and I will - make sure that Norwegian development assistance be retained. We will also do whatever we can to encourage private investments in the developing world, especially in the poorest countries.

But - ladies and gentlemen,

I cannot direct the forces of globalisation. Nor can the President of Nigeria.

We can, however, contribute to building new alliances between civil society, business and government. It is only through cooperation between these three that we can make the globalisation of accountability a reality. By walking step by step, turning stone by stone, we can make it.

We want to contribute to such efforts in Nigeria. The Norwegian Government is therefore ready to provide up to 1,8 million US dollars, or up to NOK 15 million, over three years for human rights and democracy-building in this country. In these endeavors we will seek partners in the Nigerian civil society.

In closing, ladies and gentlemen,

I think we should once again seek inspiration in the words of Kofi Annan - who once said: Human rights… are foreign to no culture and native to all nations. Tolerance and mercy have always and in all cultures been ideals of government rule and human behaviour. Today, we call these values human rights.

Thank you.