The Human Rights Council this morning concluded its high-level segment and held its general segment.
In the high-level segment, some speakers said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was not only an attack on the Ukrainian people and their freedom and fundamental rights but also an attack on the United Nations Charter. What was at stake here was nothing less than the gravest human rights violation of the right to life and the right of the Ukrainian people to determine their own fate. Russia was urged to stop the military attack and immediately withdraw all troops as its reckless attacks on civilians had led to severe casualties and grave violations of human rights. Other speakers called on the Council to work even more creatively and imaginatively to better address root causes, strengthen prevention efforts and facilitate dialogue, while ensuring an even-handed approach, non-politicisation and non-selectivity.
Speaking were Kabo Neale Sechele Morwaeng, Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration of Botswana; Annalena Baerbock, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany; Mayiik Ayii Deng, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of South Sudan; Jamahl Strachan, M.P, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Bahamas; Edgars Rinkevics, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Latvia; and Eivind Vad Petersson, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway.
In the general segment, some speakers said the pandemic had had a devastating impact on economies and had caused structural impact on all areas of life. Fragile progress on women’s employment had been almost wiped out by the pandemic, and violence against women had increased to alarming rates. Other speakers expressed hope for the peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine and favoured a solution guaranteeing the security of all.
Speaking were Cuba, Nepal, Israel, Burundi, UN Women, Algeria and Chad.
Speaking in right of reply were the United Kingdom, India, Cabo Verde, Cyprus, Venezuela, Republic of Korea, Israel, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Cuba, China, Armenia, Syria, Japan, Argentina, Mauritius, Pakistan, Iran, State of Palestine, Algeria, Morocco and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
The webcast of the Human Rights Council meetings can be found here. All meeting summaries can be found here. Documents and reports related to the Human Rights Council’s forty-ninth regular session can be found here.
The Council will next hold an urgent debate on the situation of human rights in Ukraine stemming from the Russian aggression.
High-level Segment
KABO NEALE SECHELE MORWAENG, Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration of Botswana, said the attention given to the response to the global pandemic was in synch with Botswana’s aspirations in human rights and in upholding its obligations and such treaties as were relevant. The human rights pillar in the international human rights system was important, in particular in ensuring the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms of all around the globe. Botswana continued to make strides to ensure the comprehensive implementation of all international Covenants and Conventions to which it had acceded, including the Conventions against Torture, on the Rights of the Child, and on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Botswana actively participated in the processes agreed by the Council, and in that regard maintained a standing invitation to all Special Procedure mandate holders.
Botswana recognised the Universal Periodic Review as a fundamental tool in the promotion of human rights globally and continued to implement accepted recommendations. In implementing its human rights obligations, Botswana was highly appreciative of the technical assistance received from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The continued conflict situations around the world were of concern, and Botswana was committed to the principle and practice of protecting civilian populations. All States should stand against human rights violations and persecutions wherever and whenever they occurred in order to fulfil the collective spirit of the founding resolution of the Council. Botswana recognised the important role played by the Human Rights Council in promoting human rights throughout nations, founded on the universal respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and recognised the unique position of the Council in the United Nations framework as an enabler for addressing the gaping socio-economic gaps between nations, which had been worsened by the pandemic.
ANNALENA BAERBOCK, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany, said that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was not only an attack on the Ukrainian people and their freedom and fundamental rights but also an attack on the United Nations Charter. What was at stake here was nothing less than the gravest human rights violation, the right to life and the right of the Ukrainian people to determine their own fate. Human rights were coming under pressure worldwide. Russia’s aggression highlighted this all too clearly. All must stand up to this attack. Human rights were universal and they established an international order that everyone needed. That was why all must also critically assess their own actions and must learn from each other. Democracy was never static and criticism should be taken as an invitation to change for the better.
The Human Rights Council had a key role to play in the joint effort to safeguard human rights, Ms. Baerbock said. This Council should be a place to listen, which was why Germany strongly supported the call from Ukraine for an urgent debate. The voices of human rights defenders must be heard. Unless women were safe, no one was safe. In the spirit of a foreign feminist policy, Germany wanted to strengthen the rights of women and girls, including their representation and resources. More transparency was also needed and that was why Germany encouraged the High Commissioner to publish a report on the detention of members of the Muslim Uyghur and called on Beijing to allow unfettered access. The promotion of human rights was not an interference in internal affairs. Grave violations of human rights must be prosecuted. That was why the accountability mechanism must be extended for Belarus, South Sudan, Syria and Myanmar. A commission of inquiry for Ukraine was also urgently needed to investigate all violations of human rights by Russia since its military aggression. Later this year, Germany would ask for the Council’s support to serve for another three years on the Council.
MAYIIK AYII DENG, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of South Sudan, said South Sudan had prioritised the respect for human rights in the State’s Transitional Constitution in 2011. The Bill of Rights within the Constitution contained guarantees of freedom from torture, children’s rights, women’s rights, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, the rights of persons with specialised needs, and the rights of the elderly. The Revitalised Agreement on the resolution of the conflict in South State further explicitly emphasised the Government’s prioritisation of respect for human rights. South Sudan had implemented most of its various chapters and would soon implement further the few matters that remained.
Although South Sudan immediately slid into war after its independence in December 2013 and again in July 2016, recovering from those, the Government was working to advance and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms. A report from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan recognised an 18 per cent decrease in human rights incidents, and a 42 per cent decrease in victims of human rights incidents in 2021 compared to the same period in 2020. The report commended South Sudan’s National Action Plan on Gender-Based Violence, the establishment of the Gender-Based Rights Court, and the continued cooperation of the Government with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. South Sudan appealed to the Human Rights Council to shift consideration of the situation in South Sudan from agenda item 4 to item 10. Such a move would enable South Sudan to benefit from capacity building, technical assistance and training. The few violations of human rights were due to the effects of the civil war, and a lack of capacity building and training to the security organs and law enforcement agencies.
JAMAHL STRACHAN, M.P, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Bahamas, said when the Bahamas stood for election to the Council, they had made a number of pledges and commitments and had worked to the best of their resources to fulfil these, including as a Vice-President of the 2021 Bureau of the Council. The Council was operating against a mounting tide of complex global economic, social and environmental challenges with increasing threats to the rule of law, to the exercise of fundamental rights and freedoms, to civil society space, and to multilateralism as a whole. The Council would need to work even more creatively and imaginatively to better address root causes, strengthen prevention efforts and facilitate dialogue, while ensuring an even-handed approach, non-politicisation and non-selectivity.
The Bahamas reaffirmed that the recent military escalation by the Russian Federation on the Ukrainian territory was unlawful and should be reversed, and called for the immediate cessation of hostilities, protection of all civilians, and the upholding of the rights and freedoms of the people of Ukraine. Beyond the pandemic, climate change was resulting in seemingly endless recurring patterns of recovery and rebuilding which were directly threatening human rights and compounding debt burdens, placing a disproportionate burden on the most vulnerable in societies and posing a tangible threat to hard-won development gains. There should be more innovative partnerships, financing and debt solutions, including debt-for-climate adaptation swaps and access to affordable finance to realise the right to development. It was time to get off the roundabout of rebuilding and recovery.
AWWAD BIN SALEH-AL-AWWAD, President of the Saudi Human Rights Council, said that Saudi Arabia had an ambitious long-term vision as they wanted to see real transformation and live up fully to their international engagement. Questions relating to civil status and the Penal Code had been resolved, and they were strengthening the rights of older people to make it easier for them to enjoy their rights. The Government of Saudi Arabia had taken a plethora of measures to combat human trafficking, among others a national plan for 2020-2022 that sought to strengthen the human rights of women in particular. Women’s rights were protected through many pieces of legislation so as to make sure that they could participate in the economic, social and cultural life of the country. The representation of women in Saudi Arabia was quite significant, and in very recent years, they had seen up to 35 per cent of women in high decision-making posts.
More must be done by the international community to tackle the situation of human rights in Yemen, Palestine and Sudan. Peace must be brought back to Afghanistan, a peace based on dialogue that respected the rights of the Afghan people. Finally, Mr. Saleh-Al-Awwad highlighted that the Government of Saudi Arabia remained resolved to protect and promote human rights, and called on the United Nations Human Rights Council to be impartial, rejecting double standards and hidden agendas.
EIVIND VAD PETERSSON, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, State Secretary, said that Norway sent its unwavering support to the people of Ukraine. Norway strongly condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine, which was unjustified, unprovoked and irresponsible. Norway also condemned Belarus for facilitating the attack. The attack was a serious breach of international law, including human rights law and international humanitarian law. Norway called on Russia to stop the military attack and immediately withdraw all troops. Russia’s reckless attacks on civilians had led to severe casualties and grave violations of human rights. The rights of the freedom of speech of journalists must be protected. Independent monitoring was important to limit and prevent further human rights violations. Norway supported establishing an independent international commission of inquiry, to investigate violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Ukraine.
Human rights activists were essential voices, defending human rights such as labour rights. More needed to be done to protect them. Free, independent and fact-based journalism protected against abuse of power. Norway would work to protect freedom of expression online. In Europe, violence against women had increased during the pandemic. The world needed to continue to work to protect women’s rights by improving the legal framework.
General Segment
Cuba said the Cuban Government had issued a statement on 26 February on events in Ukraine and favoured a solution guaranteeing the security of all. In addition to the events in Europe, there were also the devastating effects of COVID-19, which had affected the whole world, compounded by the deliberate and opportunistic resurgence of the 60-year old blockade by the United States, which was a grave attaint against the human rights of the Cuban people, aiming to strangle the Cuban economy, bolstering the destabilisation programme. The viciousness of the blockade had reached greater levels, undermining access to basic food and basic inputs, as well as impeding the search for a vaccine, undermining the life of the population and sowing despair and chaos.
Nepal said that despite the pandemic challenges, Nepal had upheld its commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights as its constitution guaranteed, among other things, fundamental human rights and good governance. Nepal would continue to engage with human rights bodies and mechanisms, and it was now preparing a comprehensive plan of action to implement the recommendations of its Universal Periodic Review. Nepal would continue to welcome all Special Rapporteurs. Nepal underlined the importance of promoting cooperation and dialogue and was committed to inclusive policies.
Israel said that for Israel, the days of the Commission had never ended as item 9 of the Commission had simply become item 7 of the Council and the bias against Israel had continued. Some countries saw Israel as an exception. In May 2021, the Council had voted for a commission of inquiry attacking Israel with an unprecedented mandate in size and scope. This commission of inquiry had a never-ending mandate and its commissioners were tainted by bias. This session, Israel would once again be attacked. If the Council did not want to return to the dark days of the Commission, it must start by getting rid of the relics of the past and reject item 7.
Burundi said today, a lot of progress was being made by the new Government in Burundi, working painstakingly to strengthen and improve human rights, including good governance, freedom of the press, economic, social and cultural rights, and national reconciliation. Burundi commended the decision by the European Union to lift all sanctions unjustly imposed on it, as had the United States. The Council should initiate a new resolution on the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Burundi – there was no need for that mechanism to be in force anymore.
UN Women said the pandemic had had a devastating impact on economies and had caused structural impact on all areas of life. Fragile progress on women’s employment had been almost wiped out by the pandemic, and violence against women had increased to alarming rates. Multilateralism was needed more than ever to reach the gender goals as well as improve peace, security and the climate emergency. There was an opportunity to rebuild better, but equal, by including women in all decision making, thus accelerating the pace of change.
Algeria said the new Algeria was implementing further independence of the judiciary and promoting democratic participation. The new constitution reaffirmed judicial independence, separation of powers and protection of freedoms. A Constitutional Court was being set up as well as the High Council of Youth and the Civil Society Observatory. Algeria condemned the institutional repression of the Palestinian people and reiterated the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination.
Chad said that on 20 April 2021, Chad’s President had been killed in a war against the State. In the aftermath of this, a transitional military council had been established, with a mandate to promote recovery. A Government was then established. It had drawn up a roadmap, including a timeline to hold a national dialogue. Chad called on all of its partners to show solidarity to ensure that this endeavour was successful. Chad would fully cooperate with the Council to promote human rights in the region.
A representative of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions said the next forum to review migration would take place in May 2022 and would be an opportunity for all stakeholders to reaffirm the centrality of human rights in promoting safe migration. The emphasis placed by the Secretary-General on the importance of inclusive societies, opportunities for regularisation and sustainable integration, and the role of local actors in implementing the Global Compact was appreciated. Key priorities included access to justice for migrants whose rights had been violated, prioritised border management, and human rights.
A civil society representative said the concerns of the indigenous people of the region of La Guajira exemplified the situation of many indigenous communities across the world. The La Guajira region was populated with 65 per cent indigenous and Pre-Columbian people. These people had been driven out of their own land and lived in situations of dire vulnerability. In this region, rich in coal and gas, wind and sun, multinationals were given priority over the welfare and wellbeing of indigenous people. Transnational companies must be held to account so that they fully respected the human rights of indigenous people and sustainably contributed to the development of these regions.
A civil society representative said the COVID-19 pandemic had had effects on human behaviour. For some these had had long-term negative scars. In a big part of the developing world, these missing two years would be part of the future forever. Even in environments where digital learning was implemented, things as simple as reading facial expressions and group play had been taken away by masks and social distancing. Many social interactions that played a key role in child early development were missing. The impact on children with less resources available was considerable.
A civil society representative said that in the past decade, distance learning had helped with access to education and allowed disenfranchised people to face less structural barriers. In the mountainous regions of the Himalayas, government education programmes did not reach the most isolated schools, even 6 months after the opening of the school year. The COVID-19 pandemic had been the biggest shock to education in history. Millions of learners, especially women and girls, were under the scope of opportunity offered by distance learning. Building back better post COVID19 meant closing the digital divide.
A civil society representative said that the COVID-19 pandemic had led to exclusion, abandonment, hate speech, health problems, and loss of life for aged people. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights had identified gaps in protections of the rights of the elderly and called for accelerated progress towards an international binding instrument to promote and protect human rights in old age. Treaty bodies should review their practices to include aged persons’ agendas. A United Nations Convention should be adopted to ensure that the rights of aged persons were protected.