Statement by Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Distinguished President,
Excellencies,
Colleagues and friends,

I am honoured to be here today to mark the 50th Regular Session of the Human Rights Council.

As we speak, the world continues to be thrust ever deeper into crisis – intensifying conflicts, profound inequalities and climate change as overhanging threat to our very existence.

More than ever, the work of this Council is pivotal. And it is urgent.

It is a privilege to support it and to be a part of it.

In just sixteen years, the Council has grown into a forum that addresses virtually every human rights issue through open, honest and transparent dialogue. Its activities have increased exponentially – the Council has held 49 regular sessions, 34 special sessions and seven urgent debates. It has adopted 1,372 resolutions.

The importance of the Council within the United Nations architecture is markedly clear.

Each session, the Council hears from a growing diversity of voices, a trend we must continue. Increased participation by small island developing states and developing countries for example - including in the roles of President or Vice-President - is representative of the meaningful multilateralism that this Council stands for.

Excellencies,

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed challenges many of us have never seen in our lifetimes. The Council has stood up to the test, keeping human rights on the world’s agenda and maintaining its ability to respond to urgent issues.

In the last more than two years, members maintained agility and responsiveness to enhance virtual and hybrid modes, which work during the pandemic demanded. Today, panel discussions benefit from remote participation of experts from all over the world, allowing for even stronger and more informed conversations on some of the most crucial issues of our time.

I also want to make specific mention of the special procedures, which I consider to be a central cog in the UN’s human rights machinery. In the past ten years, the Council has created ten new special procedure mandates, and I am pleased to see the number of States extending invitations to them has increased at the same time. I am also happy to note that gender balance has been achieved among mandate holders – currently, half are women.

As we mark the 50th session of the Council, the Universal Periodic Review also deserves mention – all 193 Member States have voluntarily participated in its three cycles, making it the best possible entry point into the consideration of human rights worldwide. All countries – whether small or large, or economically strong or weak – receive the same level of attention and scrutiny. The UPR is a powerful and irreplaceable mechanism, and I hope it will only continue to grow in importance.

Excellencies,

Far too often, commentators will debate whether the Council should focus its attention on specific world regions, or on civil and political, rather than economic, social and cultural rights, or vice versa. I welcome - and myself stand by - the position of a growing number that these are sterile discussions.

By their very nature, human rights are universal. No human rights violation should be left aside, and all situations considered by the human rights mechanisms or the Council should warrant attention by the international community.

Today, let us aim to ensure we remain relevant in our ever-changing world. Let us continue to treat all matters with equal importance – whether it is gender equality, the impact of new technologies on human rights, the fight against corruption, the right to food or healthcare, or the issues facing unaccompanied migrant children – our responsibility is to take time to consider these issues with urgency, and with effectiveness.

My Office, particularly the Council Secretariat, will continue to provide dedicated support to the Council and its subsidiary bodies. However, there is a limit to what can be absorbed. The commitments made by almost all States in placing human rights at the forefront of the UN activities need to also be matched with funding and resources.

Today, as we celebrate all of the achievements that the Council has made, we call on you for your support.

The Human Rights Council has played an integral role in responding to and preventing further human rights violations around the world.

Let us continue its powerful legacy.

Thank you.