The Silent Revolution

Abstract

In the spring of 1963, I had my first experience in the field of international human rights protection and was disappointed. The Commission on Human Rights was meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York and I represented Costa Rica, which made its debut at the Commission.
Among the papers that the secretariat gave to the members of the Commission was a large manila paper envelope with a suggestive legend: "Reserva-do". I opened it with great curiosity. There was a note by the Secretary-General, who put in the hands of each member of the Commission many communications he had received, from various parts of the world, in which individuals or groups complained of human rights violations which, according to them, had been committed by United Nations Member States.
I began to review one by one of those communications, with a note of suspense fearful of encountering a complaint against the Government of my country, but also certain that this possibility was very remote, because of Costa Rica's record of respect for fundamental freedoms. Soon I was discouraged: a European person claimed that she had been arbitrarily detained by the Government. My growing concern when I came up with another complaint: a union claimed that the police had illegally entered its headquarters. Concerned, I contacted the Government, urging an answer which, thank God, was not expected: in both cases the Complaining were unfounded and evidence of this assertion was provided. I was relieved, of course. I am particularly pleased to know that the Government authorized me to invite the Commission on Human Rights to move to Costa Rica and investigate what happened.