U.S. refuses to publicize human rights record at UN GENEVA (APN) — The Fifth Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights, which con- cluded last week, considered re- ports of states on their implemen- tation of the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which entered into force in 1976. It is indicative that while. the Soviet Union was the first of the big powers to ratify the Covenant, the United States has neither be- come party to the covenant nor made public its domestic record on these issues. Why do the leading powers of ‘the two opposite social systems display entirely different attitudes to the implementation of one of the most important international covenants on human rights? The answer can be found in the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights itself. It has been ratified by 52 countries to date. As Dis- tinct from UN resolutions, which are usually not binding, this co- venant commits the signatories to undertake legal obligations to en- sure a wide range of human rights within their territories, including equal and effective legal protec- tion against discrimination based onrace, color, language and relig- ion. The parties to the Covenant must also guarantee freedom of conscience, speech, press; as- sembly, equality of men and oa The Coccnant obliges all par- —____tiesto_it_to harmonize their na- na tional iesislation with their inter- . itments in the field. = fe) human rights. In 1950, or 26 years before the Covenant on Civil and Political . Rights was adopted by the United Nations, a California court ruled that the legislation of the state was discriminating against Black Americans and Chicanos and recognized it as unlawful. The court referred to Article 55 of the’ UN Charter, which says that states shall promote “‘universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinc- tion as to race, sex, language, or Teligion.”’ The reaction of the U.S. Con- gress to the court ruling can be seen from a statement made by Senator William Bricker. He said if U.S. courts abided by the UN Charter, thousands of federal laws and the laws of individual states would become nullified au- tomatically. On the basis of the Bricker Amendment, the U.S. Senate passed a law in 1952 which pro- hibits the United States from ’sign- ing any international covenant on - human rights: if it commits the U.S. to undertake legal obliga- tions with regard to its own citi- zens and is intended to promoté internal social change. The U.S. has the same position today. It has ratified only three out of the 19 international cove- nants on human rights adopted by the UN. U.S. officials acknowl- edge that they cannot accept many provisions in UN docu- ments, including those banning the advocacy of racism and oblig- ing signatories to ensure equality of people in the economic, social and cultural fields and the right to work. (Signatories must also guarantee equal pay for work of equal value and protection from ~»»-unemployment.) Unlike the U%S., the “Soviet ~ Union and, other socialist coun- tries are parties to virtually all’ “major. UN. covenants on. human . rights. It is indicative that ‘the Soviet Union, for example, did not have to substantially modify. its laws before the covenants’ ratification, because Soviet laws ensure a much wider range of rights and freedoms to its citizens than the UN documents envisage. ‘Soviet laws have always pro- vided for giving priority to the norms of international law over . home laws in case of Aerrepaioy. This is recorded in Article 129 of the Fundamentals of Civil Legis- lation of the USSR and the union republics. Chairman, of the Human Rights Committee of the UN’s UNESCO Commission, Profes- < sor T. Burgental has said that until the United States became 2 party-to UN international agree- ments, it would be unable to con- duct a really efficient human rights policy. In short, the preparedness of a state to assume concrete obliga- tions to ensure international stan- dards of human rights on its ter- Dad 2 marked the 3rd SnnRGTaary of the proclamation of Laos a republic. Its people are actively laying the foundations for the develo} meni of a socialist society. Other socialist countries have lent financl& and technical assistance. Above is the hydro electric power station % Namngum built with aid from the Soviet Union. \ ritory is an objective and convinc- ing indicator of its sincere and honest approach to the problem ; of human rights as a whole. \ GDR-FRG ratify boundaries By FILS DELISLE Tribune Berlin Correspondent BERLIN — A new series of agreements have been signed be- - tween the German Democratic Republic and the Federal Repub- lic of Germany, this time fixing the official border between the two German states. Here in socialist Berlin, in Bonn, in the socialist countries and Western Europe the agree- ments have brought declarations of approval. They were seen on all sides as a development that advanced normalization in GDR-FRG relations, removed but has no real status. Everyone understands that it is impossible . to fix a border with a’ state that does not exist. At issue in the short stretch of the Elbe River which still remains in dispute is the West German claim that it must have the whole of the river, that is to say, all the -way over to the GDR shore. There is of course no river border anywhere in the world where one - side claims ‘the river all the way over to the neighboring state’s shoreline. The GDR, in accor- dance with historical usage and international law, proposes that one important source of frictions ~the-Elbe-River'stretch of the bor- and disagreements between East -and West, contributed to stabiliz- ation of the situation in Central Europe and positively influenced continental détente. Except for a _ short stretch where the Elbe River separates the two countries, the entire bor- der now has official status both in Bonn and socialist Berlin. That demolishes the frivolous, — but dangerous — thesis of those in the FRG who are still stubbornly try- ing to pretend that the GDR: exists. Corporate power in Canada. A reader writes that he has read that Marxism-Leninism in Today’s World | der should run down the middle of the river., It is taken for granted that with goodwill and recognition — of the principles of international law on both sides, this issue will _also be successfully negotiated. The new agreements follow by lessthan a fortnight another set of GDR-FRG and GDR-West Berlin pacts on the construction of new highways for commercial trans- port and tourist traffic between the FRG and West Berlin. Since the latter lies some 110 miles in- By ALFRED DEWHURST US: _corporations are the Trojal side the GDR, the roads musX necessarily cross the territory ¢ the GDR and be maintained by &* For the FRG’s share of the gré projects, which will be of obviowl material benefit to its industry an its citizens, the FRG will cont bute something like $2-billion. 4 these agreements and_ project including opening up by the G DI . of a canal system for river tré port boats operating netwecti LK FRG and West Berlin, contra¥ positively with some of the neg tive developments that keéA complicating East-West rel& tions. One of these is the fact thi the Lord Mayor of West Berlit Dietrich Stobbe, is now install as president of West Germany) Federal Council or secot parliamentary chamber. Thi | defies common sense and intern tionallaw. As Mayor of West Bé lin, Stobbe is a citizen and-an oll cial of a territory which in no wa belongs to the FRG. How, then, is asked, can he be the president of a parliamentary chamber in country where he does not resié and to which his city does not long? Z \. there are 18 corporate companies in Canada with assets over one billion dol- lars and 23 financial institutions in the same category. He encloses a list of these institutions and corporations and their individual assets which, unfortunately, space does not allow us to list. * * ok It is clear, however, to those who peruse the financial pages of newspap- ers, that if ever a country has been in- flicted with corporate power it is Canada. A handful of giant corporations control the economy all the way from the extrac- tion of natural resources through man- ufacturing and transportation to mer- chandising: and most important, finance. There are three main aspects to corpo- rate control. One is economic. The sec- ond, political. The third, centralization. The economic and centralization factors. are perhaps more visible than the politi- cal. * * * A feature of historic and contempor- ary importance is the domination of - foreign capital in the Canadian economy. In the beginning British capital domi- nated. Today it is U.S. capital. But U.S. capital is markedly different than the ear- lier British investment, which took mainly the form of bonds and loans. U.S. _ investment quite early took the form of : ownership. PACIFIC TRIBUNE~JANUARY 5, 1979—Page 4 - Canadian capitalists, as a class, have _benefitted considerably as a result of foreign investment, particularly from U.S. capital investments, even though the lion’s share of profits from the development of Canada’s economy has gone to U.S. monopolies. With the assistance of Canadian cor- - porate interests and successive govern- ments, U.S. multi-nationals have penet- rated Canada to a degreé most dangerous to Canadian independence and sovereignty. For example, Canada’s Gross National Product in 1971 amounted to $117-billion. Of this amount ° sales of Canadian subsidiaries of U.S.- owned multi-nationals amounted to $56.5-billion — one half of the Canadian GNP. There are over six thousand U.S.- controlled firms in Canada. Many of these are amongst the country’s largest firms. The cumulative impact of the polit- ical activities of these firms, through their Canadian executives and big share- holders, gives the U.S. corporate elite a decisive voice on the Canadian political scene. Joined together with their Cana- dian counterparts, the total corporate power incorporated therein is awesome indeed. The total corporate establishment, heavily weighted with U.S. corporate in- put, plays the dominant role in shaping the advice and, one may add, instruc- tions, which various levels of govern- -ment receive from the corporate elite. Such *‘advice’’ is not only directly given in secret conclave with an influential minister, but also indirectly through cor- porate influence in such bodies as the Canadian Manufacturers Association, » Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade. In addition leading corporate executives play an active part in various government advisory committees. We should add also the political pres- sure exerted directly by the U.S. government (likewise a creature of the corporate elite) on. the Canadian ‘Government for the purpose of advanc- ing its corporate interests in Canada. In such areas as trade relations, peace and cooperation with countries other than the USA, the conduct of Canada’s foreign affairs is affected con- siderably by the large degree of U.S. economic control over Canada. The ex- tent and concentration of U.S. owner- ship in Canada negatively affects Cana- da’s image abroad as an independent country pursuing policies based on its own distinct needs and interests. Many countries, the USA included, tend to re- gard Canada as a northern extension of the USA. _horse of U.S. imperialism in Canad _ the Canadian economy. They interfere with our nationa priorities, distort our economic patte income distribution and even redisirigy tion of the national income. They a able to manipulate our monetary, fiscé and trade policies. The corporate elite uses its extensi¥ political power to attack living stal dards, democratic rights and vital . terests of the working people. They rai prices at will to the consumers and d 10 \ tate low prices to the producers. The} pursue policies harmful to the public if terest and the all-sided development As a consequence, thé working class\ all anti-monopoly sections of the popula tion are compelled in defence of the Own interests and rights to fight bac against the power of the giant corpora tions, as well as the government and sta power which invariably supports corporate elite. Centralization and concentration capital in the hands of a small group a huge corporations results in the creatia of a state (of the corporate elite) withina State. That is the reality of Canada at thi time. The task is to change the preser reality to one of a new economic orde that puts people before profits.