The Human Rights Council this morning began its high-level segment, hearing from the Presidents of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Montenegro and Colombia.  Addresses were also heard from the Prime Ministers of the Czech Republic and of Yemen, as well as from Ministers representing 15 other countries.

Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, said it was time for the international community, in particular the United Nations, to punish the perpetrators of crimes and violations of international law in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and further compel them to implement the peace plan resulting from the Nairobi and Luanda processes. 

Milo Đukanović, President of Montenegro, said this year’s debate was taking place in the context of the continuation of the one year-long war of Russia against Ukraine and the tectonic quakes and consequences for global security, geopolitics and economics. The Russian aggression was a test for the entire world. 

Gustavo Petro Urrego, President of Colombia, said the Government of Colombia had set itself the objective of overcoming violence with the profound conviction that peace needed to be the foundation of a new social contract that promoted the overcoming of injustices and historical exclusions. 

Petr Fiala, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, said all people had the same rights and freedoms, which could not be divided, and these rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights should be promoted. People in many countries, such as Ukraine, Russia, Iran, Afghanistan, Myanmar or Cuba were still suffering from human rights violations, and the international community should not be silent about it.

Maeen Abdulmalek Saeed, Prime Minister of Yemen, said the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was historic, and the basis for international efforts for setting the standards of international human rights instruments.  The main approach to addressing human rights violations was through addressing the functions of national bodies, activating monitoring and accountability mechanisms, and empowering the judiciary to investigate human rights violations.

Also speaking were Mukhtar Tileuberdi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan; Ivica Dačić, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Serbia; Don Pramudwinai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Thailand; Tran Luu Quang, Deputy Prime Minister of Viet Nam; Wopke B. Hoekstra, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands; Julio César Arriola Rámirez, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Paraguay; Antonia Urrejola Noguera, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Chile; Abdellatif Ouahbi, Minister of Justice of Morocco; Abdulla Shahid, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Maldives; Dan Jørgensen, Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy of Denmark; Ilia Darchiashvili, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Georgia; Arnoldo Andre, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Worship of Costa Rica; Pekka Haavisto, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland; Aïssata Tall Sall, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of Senegal; and Maria Ubach Font, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Andorra.

Speakers, among other things, reiterated the call for effective multilateralism as the best available tool to overcome major challenges.  To do so, the international community needed to address the root causes of the degradation of the human rights situation around the world.  The challenges, both old and new, conventional and unconventional, required to think more progressively and innovatively how to bridge the growing disconnection between standards and reality, while resisting the temptation to take measures and actions that could become part of the problem, not the solution.  The international community had the opportunity, but also the duty, not only to reiterate commitment to its tenets, but also to give new momentum to collective efforts aimed at preserving, protecting and promoting human rights. 

The Ministers said it was a sad fact that in the twenty-first century the world continued to face violations of basic human rights everywhere.  Dialogue and cooperation were the best way for all countries to seek a common voice, identify priorities, share resources, and deliver on the targets under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  It was essential to strengthen the Council and all mechanisms and procedures that ensured its operation.  States must respect the decisions taken within the body, as this would ensure the efficacy of all measures put in place to ensure human rights, as it was one of the most important bodies ensuring a comprehensive human rights agenda, moving the world towards a fairer, more inclusive society.  

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Human Rights Council (UN HRC).