Geneva, 20/03/2002 (Agence Europe) - Addressing the 58th UN Commission on Human Rights on 19 March, on behalf of the EU, CFSP High Representative, Javier Solana stressed that the EU would be focusing on, "conflict prevention and crisis management, on poverty alleviation, and on a policy of engagement and dialogue". Mr Solana emphasised that concrete action in each of these three areas would help to consolidate human rights. He also pointed out that EU action would be undertaken in accordance with the principle and purposes of the UN Charter, "I make no apology for the amount of time, energy and resources that the EU - and I personally - have devoted to efforts to manage crises and avoid or end conflicts whether it be in the Balkans, the Middle East or Africa". In a reference to the Middle East, Mr Solana requested universal respect for Resolution 1397 adopted by the Security Council last week, to respect "the accepted norms of international humanitarian law". Mr Solana stated that in the current era of globalisation, we had to use the international institutions to their full potential to promote respect for international law, including the International Criminal Court. The High Representative concluded that, "Commitment to genuine multilateralism was the surest way of convincing even the weakest and poorest that their voice will be heard, that their rights will be protected…More than ever before, the EU places human rights at the core of its international relations. And more than ever before, we are developing the operational capabilities to defend those human rights when they are under threat."