Statement of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, at the 31st session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, 29 February 2016
联合国人权事务高级专员扎伊德·拉阿德·侯赛因在人权理事会第三十一届会议上的致辞

Distinguished Presidents of the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly – and President Lykketoft, we are delighted and honoured to see you with us this morning

尊敬的人权理事会和大会主席——还有吕克托夫特（Lykketoft）主席，我们很高兴也很荣幸看到诸位今天上午与我们齐聚一堂。

Excellencies, 
Colleagues, Friends,

各位阁下，同事们，朋友们，

I am honoured to address this Council on the eve of its second decade. This is an anniversary that calls for more than rhetoric: it cries out for action, and decisive and cooperative leadership in defence of vital principles.

我很荣幸能在理事会即将进入第二个十年之际在这里发言。这个纪念日需要的不仅是口头文章：它大声呼吁着行动，以及在捍卫关键原则时果断而富有合作性的领导力。

Human rights violations are like a signal, the sharp zig-zag lines of a seismograph flashing out warnings of a coming earthquake.  Today, these jagged red lines are shuddering faster and higher.  They signal increasing, and severe, violations of fundamental rights and principles. These shocks are being generated by poor decisions, unprincipled and often criminal actions, and narrow, short-term, over-simplified approaches to complex questions. All now crushing the hopes and lives of countless people. So the compression begins, once again.  This resurgent broad-based malice, irresponsibility and sometimes eye-watering stupidity, altogether acting like steam at high pressure being fed into the closed chamber of world events.  And unless it is released gradually and soon, through wiser policy making – where the interests of all humans override this strengthening pursuit of the narrowest, purely national, or ideological, agenda.  Otherwise - as the reading of human history informs us – its release, when it comes, will be as a colossus of violence and death. 

人权侵犯就像一个信号，像地震仪上剧烈波动的线条，闪现出着地震即将到来的警告。今天，这些曲折的红线波动得越来越快，越来越猛烈。它们预示着越来越多严重的侵犯基本权利和原则的事件。这些冲击由糟糕的决策、无原则且往往是犯罪的行为造成，也是由狭隘、短期、过度简化的复杂问题解决办法造成。如此种种压碎了无数人的希望和生活。因此，压力就开始累积，又一次开始累积。这种故态复萌的广泛恶意、不负责任以及时而令人惊讶的愚蠢，像高压水柱般一齐射入装满全球要事的密闭空间中。除非通过更明智的政策制定来逐步且迅速地释放压力——在这样的决策中，全人类的利益要高于这种对极其狭隘、纯粹是民族或意识形态性质的议程的强烈追求。否则——正如我们通过翻阅人类史所得知的——到了压力释放的时候，会带来无数的暴力和死亡。

Mr. President,

When the key drafters, representing States, wrote the UN Charter and drew up the protective fortress of treaties and laws making up our international system, they did not do so because they were idealists only. They did it for security, and because they were pragmatists.  They had experienced global warfare, dispossession and the oppression of imperialism. They had lived “balance-of-power” politics, and its consequences – thrown violently into imbalance as it was by the feral nationalisms and ideologies of the extreme left and right. They knew, from bitter experience, human rights, the respect for them, the defence of them, would not menace national security – but build more durable nations, and contribute (in their words) to “a final peace”. And so, after the cataclysm of global war and the development of nuclear weapons, they created the UN, and wrote international laws, to ward off those threats. 

主席先生，

当代表各国的关键起草者撰写《联合国宪章》，当他们拟定了一套保护性壁垒，也就是组成了我们国际系统的条约和法律时，他们不是因为自己仅仅是理想主义者才这样做。他们是为了安全，也因为他们是务实派。他们经历过全球战争、强取豪夺和帝国主义的压迫。他们经历过“权力制衡”的政治及其后果——这种政治猛烈地坠入不平衡，就如野蛮的民族主义和极左与极右意识形态造成的后果。他们从苦涩的经验中了解到，人权、尊重人权、捍卫人权，不会威胁国家安全——而是打造更持久的国家，（用他们的话说）为“最终和平”做出贡献。如此一来，在全球战争泛滥以及核武器发展之后，他们创建了联合国，撰写了国际法律，以抵挡这些威胁。

Today we meet against a backdrop of accumulating departures from that body of institutions and laws which States built to codify their behaviour. Gross violations of international human rights law – which clearly will lead to disastrous outcomes – are being greeted with indifference. More and more States appear to believe that the legal architecture of the international system is a menu from which they can pick and choose – trashing what appears to be inconvenient in the short term.

今天，在我们举行会议之际，各方逐渐偏离各国曾为了规范其行为而建设的一套机构和法律。严重违反国际人权法的行为——它明显会导致灾难性后果——正被人漠然视之。越来越多国家似乎相信，国际体系的法律架构是他们可以挑挑拣拣的菜单——舍弃短期似乎会带来不方便的部分。 

This piecemeal dismantling of a system of law and values that States themselves set up to ward off global threats is deeply alarming. Instead of taking a reasoned and cooperative approach to settling challenges – including the rise of violent extremism, the growing number of armed conflicts, and the movement of people seeking safety – many leaders are pandering to a simplistic nationalism, which mirrors the simplified and destructive 'us' versus 'them' mind-set of the extremists, and fans a rising wind of prejudice and fear. This bid to find unilateral quick fixes for issues that have broad roots is not only unprincipled, it is illusory – and it contributes to great suffering and escalating disarray.

各国自己建立起一套法律和价值观体系用以抵御全球性威胁，它的破碎瓦解极其令人警惕。许多领导人非但没有采取理性而富有合作性的方法来平息挑战——包括暴力极端主义兴起，武装冲突与日俱增，人们为寻求安全而迁移——反而在迎合简单的民族主义，它反映出极端主义者简单且具有破坏性的“我们”对抗“他们”的心态，煽动日益猛烈的偏见和恐惧之风。针对存在广泛根源的问题寻找单方面便捷补丁的努力不仅毫无原则，也是种幻想——它助长了巨大的痛苦，加深了混乱。

Mr President,

The protection of human life and dignity is crucial at all times. Warfare does not put a stop to these and other fundamental obligations of international human rights law. During armed conflict or occupation, a complementary body of law – international humanitarian law – provides additional protection, to safeguard the rights of those fighting, as well as civilians, the sick and wounded, and people who have laid down their weapons. It must be applied by all parties: States – including all foreign forces, in the case of external intervention – and non-State armed groups. 

主席先生，

对人类生命和尊严的保护时时刻刻都很重要。战争不会使诸如此类的国际人权法基本义务停止。在武装冲突或占领时期，一套补充性的法律——国际人道主义法——提供了额外的保护措施来维护交战者、平民、伤病员以及缴械人员的权利。它必须适用于所有各方：各国——包括外部干预情况下的所有外国部队——以及非国家武装团体。 

These two great bodies of law are being violated shockingly, in multiple conflicts, with complete impunity. In Syria, previous to the temporary cessation of hostilities which began last weekend, this has been the case for five long years. Neighbourhoods, schools, and packed marketplaces have been hit by tens of thousands of airstrikes. Thousands of barrel bombs have been thrown out of helicopters onto streets and homes. Mortar and artillery fire, and IEDs, have been used without regard for civilian life.

这两大法律体系在多场冲突中令人震惊地遭到违反，且完全有罪不罚。在叙利亚，在上周末敌对行动临时停止之前，这种现象持续了五年之久。社区、学校和拥挤的集市都已被数万次空袭击中。直升机向街道和住家丢出了数千枚桶式炸弹。迫击炮和火炮以及简易爆炸装置的使用无视平民生命。

Hospitals, medical units and healthcare personnel are afforded special protection under international humanitarian law. But at least ten hospitals and other medical units have been damaged or destroyed in Syria since the beginning of January -– more than one every week – and on several occasions a second strike has hit rescue operations. The repetition of these murderous attacks suggests that some parties to the conflict are targeting medical units deliberately, or with reckless disregard. They deprive huge numbers of people, many already suffering the effects of intense bombardment, of their right to health, and endanger their right to life.

医院、医疗单位和保健人员受到国际人道主义法之下的特殊保护。不过，叙利亚自1月初以来已有至少十所医院和其他医疗单位被破坏或摧毁-——每周超过一所——有几次，第二轮空袭击中了救援行动。这些杀人袭击的反复上演说明，某些冲突方正在蓄意针对医疗单位，或是毫不在意。他们剥夺了大量人口的健康权，危及其生命权，这其中许多人已经遭受过猛烈轰炸的影响。

Similarly, the deliberate starvation of people is unequivocally forbidden as a weapon of warfare. By extension, so are sieges, which deprive civilians of essential goods such as food. And yet over 450,000 people are currently trapped in besieged towns and villages in Syria – and have been, in some cases, for years. Food, medicine and other desperately-needed humanitarian aid is repeatedly obstructed. Thousands risk starving to death.

同样，蓄意使人挨饿也是被明令禁止作为战争武器的。这可以推广到围困行动，它剥夺了平民的基本物资，如食物。然而，逾45万人目前滞留在遭到围困的叙利亚村镇——有些情况下已长达数年。食物、药品和其他急需的人道主义援助不断受阻。数千人面临饿死的风险。 

And yet Syria is far from the only armed conflict in which civilians have endured frightful attacks. Multiple medical facilities, religious sites and schools have been repeatedly attacked and bombed in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, South Sudan, and Yemen. Mindful as we all are of the attack against the Khaleq market in Nahem which left scores of civilians dead only two days ago. The damage done by these violations – in bloodshed, and needless suffering and deaths from treatable illnesses and wounds – is dreadful.  I add my voice to that of the distinguished President of Médecins Sans Frontières: the normalization of such attacks is intolerable.

然而，叙利亚冲突远不是唯一一场有平民遭受可怕攻击的武装冲突。在阿富汗、伊拉克、利比亚、南苏丹和也门，众多医疗设施、宗教场所和学校多次遭到袭击和轰炸。我们都注意到仅仅两天之前纳赫姆（Nahem）喀勒克（Khaleq）集市受到的袭击，事故导致数十名平民死亡。这些侵犯造成的破坏——流血、不必要的痛苦以及本可治愈的疾病和伤势造成的死亡——十分可怕。我要和尊敬的无国界医生组织（Médecins Sans Frontières）主席一同呼吁：这种袭击的常态化是不可容忍的。

It is extremely alarming that so many conflicts, crises and humanitarian emergencies are currently raging, with repeated violations of the norms that protect people's rights and lives. In Afghanistan, Burundi, the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo; the countries around Lake Chad which have suffered the attacks of Boko Haram; in Iraq; Libya; Mali; the Occupied Palestinian Territory; Somalia; South Sudan; Sudan; Syria; Ukraine and Yemen, millions of lives are threatened, and millions of homes are destroyed. Survivors, particularly the most vulnerable, are forced to flee, and become exposed to further violations. Economies are being broken. Health systems and infrastructure are being destroyed. Children go hungry, unschooled, and many suffer multiple forms of violence.

极其令人警惕的是，那么多的冲突、危机和人道主义紧急状况目前愈演愈烈，其中多次违反了保护人民权利和生命的准则。在阿富汗、布隆迪和刚果民主共和国东部；遭受博科圣地（Boko Haram）袭击的乍得湖周边国家；在伊拉克；利比亚；马里；巴勒斯坦被占领土；索马里；南苏丹；苏丹；叙利亚；乌克兰和也门，数百万人的生命受到威胁，数百万家庭被摧毁。幸存者，尤其是最脆弱的幸存者，被迫逃亡，暴露在进一步的侵犯面前。经济正在被打乱。卫生制度和基础设施正在受到破坏。儿童挨饿，无法入学，许多人受到多重形式的暴力。

The effects of these prolonged conflicts and emergencies will be endured for generations. And yet they continue – and even cease, apparently, to shock. 

这些长期冲突和紧急事件的影响将会由几代人来承受。然而它们还在造成冲击——甚至似乎不会停止冲击。 

Whether they are the result of deliberate targeting or systemic incompetence, every single attack on civilians and protected civilian objects must be fully, transparently and independently investigated.

不论它们是蓄意针对或系统性能力缺失的后果，每一起对平民和受保护民事目标的单独袭击都必须接受充分、透明而独立的调查。

Mr President,

Conflicts in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere have unleashed a toxic brew of malevolent forces, including the commission of sickening crimes and atrocities, and the emergence of human trafficking gangs. These are the circumstances that migrants are increasingly fleeing. The trauma they have suffered is appalling; they deserve the international community's sympathy and compassion. To keep building higher walls against the flight of these desperate people is an act of cruelty and a delusion.