Ambassador de Fine Skibsted, Chairman of the Minister’s Deputies
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great honour and a pleasure for me to be here with you today at this meeting of the Minister’s Deputies of the Council of Europe. I would like to thank H.E. Ambassador de Fine Skibsted and the members of the Council of Europe for the invitation to address you in my capacity as President of the United Nations Human Rights Council, on the major themes for the Human Rights Council in 2018.

Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates
Ladies and gentlemen,

As I am sure you all know, this year marks the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. But seven decades after the adoption of this universal document, we continue to bear witness to human rights violations and abuses the world-over. An unconscionable number of people are suffering on a daily basis from discrimination and violence, terrorism, corruption, lack of clean water and food security, the effects of climate change, and the general lack of enjoyment of their fundamental human rights.

Today, in this interconnected globalized world, the challenges we face are not challenges of just one State or one region but of the entire world. Dialogue and cooperation on all levels, and especially between the Human Rights Council and regional mechanisms like the Council of Europe, are essential in order to effectively confront these challenges and ensure the enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all.

The General Assembly recognized the importance of this cooperation when it created the Council and mandated it to work in close cooperation in the field of human rights with regional organizations. That is why one of the priorities for my Presidency is to strengthen the Council’s relationships and enhance its cooperation with regional organizations. This visit to the Council of Europe is my first step in doing so.

The work of the Council of Europe in promoting and protecting human rights and ensuring compliance of its member states is instrumental in protecting everyone, and especially the world’s most vulnerable, from human rights abuses and violations.

In this regard, I welcome all initiatives that foster collaboration between the Human Rights Council and the Council of Europe. For example, joint activities carried out by the Special Rapporteurs and other experts of the Human Rights Council and those of the Council of Europe. Also, the dissemination of the recommendations that stem from the Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review by the Council of Europe as part of its monitoring and cooperation activities.

I would like to take this opportunity to commend the active participation in the work of the Human Rights Council by the Geneva Office of the Council of Europe, headed by Her Excellency Ambassador Dragana Filipovic.

Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates
Ladies and gentlemen,

The Human Rights Council has made notable achievements in its short history. Over its first twelve years of work, it has developed into the leading United Nations forum where all stakeholders have the ability to raise their voices on human rights issues and situations that deserve our attention.  It has the necessary robust mechanisms in place to ensure that no human rights concern goes unaddressed and to raise the proverbial alarm bells on deteriorating situations.

For example, the Council’s Special Rapporteurs, Independent Experts and Working Groups  of experts play an active role in bringing to our attention, in a reliable and unbiased manner, information from the ground that risk going unreported. I am pleased to note that many Council of Europe members have issued standing invitations to Special Procedures mandate-holders, and I encourage those who have not yet done so to consider extending such an invitation.

Moreover, through the Universal Periodic Review, or the “UPR” as it is widely known, the human rights records of all 193 Member States of the United Nations are reviewed every four and a half years. This unique peer review mechanism, whose third cycle commenced last May, is one of the greatest achievements of the Human Rights Council. With 100% participation to date, the UPR is a true example of the principle of universality in the Council.

And of course the Human Rights Council would not be what it is today without the participation of civil society. The Council is unique within the United Nations system, in that it provides space for civil society to actively participating in its meetings and discussions. I am pleased to highlight that civil society participation continues to increase year after year, providing us with first-hand accounts of the human rights situation on the ground and keeping us connected to those we aim to serve.

Moreover, civil society plays an important and effective role in supporting implementation efforts of recommendations stemming from the Council and its mechanisms.

In this regard, another of my priorities for this year is to work to ensure that civil society has space to safely participate in the work of Council. I will address all allegations of reprisals that are brought to my attention, and I will continue to call on States to take measures to prevent and protect from all acts of intimidation or reprisal against those that seek to cooperate of have cooperated with the Human Rights Council.

Yes, the Human Rights Council has made many achievements over the past 12 years, but I think we can all agree that there is room for improvement.

The unsustainable workload of the Council has been an ongoing conversation for many years now. An overflowing agenda means that the Council does not have the space or the time to hold quality debates and engage in genuine dialogue. 

There is no doubt that the Council’s extremely busy agenda reflects the situation of human rights around the world today.

The number of initiatives that have been established and continue to be established every session has unfortunately led to a situation in the Council that demonstrates that quantity does not necessarily mean quality. In order for the Council to be effective in promoting and protecting human rights and making tangible positive impact on the ground, the Council must become more effective in its work.

Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,

On 26 February, the Human Rights Council will open its 37th session, beginning with remarks by the President of the General Assembly and the Secretary-General, followed by a high-level segment for which more than 95 dignitaries have already confirmed their participation, including a record number of Heads of State. This demonstrates the increasing importance that States are giving to the Council each year.

During the second week of the session, the High Commissioner for Human Rights will present his annual report to the Council and engage in interactive dialogue with delegations.

And throughout the session, a number of Special Rapporteurs and other mandate holders will present their reports and engage in dialogue with the Council, including on the issues of: foreign debt; adequate housing; human rights defenders; torture; terrorism; cultural rights; freedom of religion; environment; food; privacy; sale of children; violence against children; children and armed conflict; disabilities; albinism; minorities; and the human rights situations in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Iran, Myanmar, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and Mali.

The Special Rapporteurs of truth and justice and prevention of genocide will present their joint study on transitional justice.

The Council will also receive the reports of and engage in dialogue with the Fact-finding Mission on Myanmar, the Commissions of Inquiry on Syria and on Burundi, and the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan.

The other country situations that will be the objects our attention either from a monitoring perspective or through technical cooperation, are: Eritrea, the Central African Republic, Libya, Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Colombia, Cyprus, Guatemala, Honduras, Iran, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Haiti and Yemen.

The 37th session will include a total of seven panel discussions, including the annual high-level panel discussion on mainstreaming human rights throughout the UN system. The topic of this year’s annual high-level panel is “The promotion and protection of human rights in the light of the universal periodic review mechanism: challenges and opportunities”.

Two additional high-level panel discussions will also take place, one focusing on the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the other focusing on the human rights of children in Syria. The Council will also hold the annual full-day discussion on the rights of the child, the annual debate on rights of persons with disabilities, and a debate on promoting tolerance in the context of racial discrimination.

Also during the Council’s 37th session, the outcomes of the Universal Periodic Review of the 14 States that were reviewed last November will be adopted, and at the end of the session the Council will appoint 9 new mandate holders of the Special Procedures.

Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,

During the World Economic Forum that was recently held in Davos, Switzerland, the world was described as being “fractured”. Inside of the Human Rights Council Chamber in Geneva, we see this sentiment playing out in many of our discussions and debates.

We cannot deny that each one of us has our own priorities, but in focusing on our individual priorities we must not forget our common goals. We can reach these goals only through dialogue and cooperation. All other options will only lead to further divisions.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights tells us that all human beings, even those with whom you do not agree, are born free and equal in dignity and rights. It also tells us that we should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
That is why I call on all of you to take some time during this anniversary year to reflect on the significance of the Universal Declaration, recall the horrific history behind it and our promise of “never again”, and consider how we can all come together to mend those fractures.

I strongly believe that the Human Rights Council, with its guiding principles of universality, impartiality, objectivity and non-selectivity, constructive international dialogue and cooperation, provides the international community with the perfect platform to come together. We must commit ourselves to work together in order to achieve the full respect for all human rights of every person in all corners of the globe.

Thank you.