Permanent Mission of the Kyrgyz Republic to the United Nations

New York, December 10, 1998

Statement By the President of the Constitutional Court of Kyrgyzstan, Ms. Cholpon Bayekova

Mr. President,

The celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is an event of historic significance. It not only sums up the activity of Governments and the United Nations in the field of human rights, but also affords an opportunity to determine subsequent action in this area with a view to achieving universality and full and comprehensive implementation of all human rights and fundamental freedoms. It is noteworthy that this anniversary coincides with the fifth anniversary of the Word Conference on Human Rights, held in Vienna from 14 to 25 June 1993, which culminated in the adoption of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, and also with the fiftieth anniversary of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crimes of Genocide and with the establishment of the International Criminal Court. In this sense, 1998 will go down in history as the year of human rights. [...] We have acceded to all six of the main international human rights agreements, and also the Con

vention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. I AM ALSO PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY I SIGNED THE STATUTE OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT. [...]