HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL HEARS STATEMENTS BY 19 DIGNITARIES AS IT CONTINUES ITS HIGH-LEVEL SEGMENT

The Human Rights Council this morning continued its high-level segment, hearing statements by dignitaries from 19 States, who spoke about human rights concerns in a number of countries and regions around the world, national efforts to promote and protect human rights, and the importance of enhanced international cooperation in addressing current challenges.

Kairat Abdrakhmanov, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, said Kazakhstan was at the threshold of essential constitutional reforms focused on further democratizing the country’s political system and modernizing its economy. Toward that end, the commitment to sustainable development was already an integral part of the national agenda, and formed an essential part of its major development programmes.

Alfonso Dastis, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Spain, noted that respect for human dignity and human rights continued to be an obligation to which the international community must adhere. Since the promotion of human rights required constant vigilance, the Human Rights Council was more necessary than ever. One of the most important international tasks was the negotiation of global pacts on refugees and migrants.

Edgars Rinkēvičs, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Latvia, said that the strength of the Human Rights Council lay in its ability to provide a timely and effective response to urgent human rights violations. Those who defended the rights of others often became the victims of oppression and persecution themselves, a trend that undermined the aspirations of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Rui Jorge Carneiro Mangueira, Minister of Justice and Human Rights of Angola, said that while achieving peace and security was one of the obligations of the international community, terrorism should never be used as an excuse for interference in the internal affairs of States. At the same time, there was a need for more dialogue and technical support for the promotion and protection of human rights.

Ditmir Bushati, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Albania, said that protecting human rights had always been an uphill struggle. But time had proven that the respect for human rights and their universality, justice, education and equality were strong interlocking elements that would continue to build fair and resilient societies, sustainable peace and development.

Didier Reynders, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belgium, urged the Council to pay attention to the rights of victims and bring perpetrators to justice. Human rights and international human law that aimed to protect the most vulnerable meant fighting against impunity and ensuring that victims would not be re-victimised. Human rights protection was a legal and moral obligation, even in the midst of internal conflicts, and in that respect a broad approach was needed.

Mangala Samaraweera, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, said many of the universal values that the international community subscribed to were being challenged in the name of “populism”. Turning to the situation in Sri Lanka, he said it was necessary to have the courage to acknowledge the truth, and that the Sri Lanka of the future should be one where justice reigned, human rights were valued, and every individual’s dignity was upheld.

Linas Antanas Linkevičius, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, brought attention to the journalists who were being persecuted, detained and killed and the resolution that Lithuania had initiated on the protection of journalists in situations of armed conflict, which had been adopted unanimously in 2015. Touching upon the growing trend to polarize the Council, he said any attempt to undermine the organ’s accountability mechanisms and Special Procedures was not an example for future generations.

Michael Linhart, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of Austria, said that despite attempts to undermine or even abolish the rights-based international order, the Human Rights Council fulfilled an important role as the central human rights organ of the United Nations. Casting a spotlight on one area of great concern, he said that despite a number of encouraging developments, the situation of minorities in the world today was alarming as millions of people were being persecuted for their religious or ethnic identity.

Ramtane Lamamra, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Algeria, said it was urgent for the international community to continue working to achieve its ideals. At the same time, reform of the United Nations to make it more representative included reform of the human rights sector. He went on to call for the United Nations to more closely monitor the situation in Western Sahara, drawing attention to the plight of the Sahrawi people, who were suffering from the occupation of their lands.

Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation of Botswana, said all countries should use their moral capital to stand up against injustices everywhere. She raised alarm about the effects of war, violence and displacement, inequality and discrimination, xenophobia and racism, which threatened to wipe out the progress of the past seven decades from the parchment of human rights architecture.

Igor Crnadak, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, said that human rights were the most powerful driving force of peace and development, while dialogue and understanding represented fundamentals of a democratic society. He condemned the discrimination of migrants and refugees, saying the international community could not allow people’s basic human rights to be ignored or violated.

Jean-Claude Gakosso, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Congo, said the world was faced with situations of conflict in many areas, crises which were aggravated by the persistence of violent proselytizing. Meanwhile, the international community needed to rise to the challenge of a world with stagnant economies and uneven growth.

Bandar bin Mohammed Alaiban, Minister and President of the Human Rights Commission of Saudi Arabia, underlined the Human Rights Council’s role in the promotion and protection of human rights around the world. Terrorism was a major threat to human rights and an international instrument was needed to specifically define it. Turning to Yemen, he expressed concern that the Houthi militia continued to prevent any attempt to establish peace, prevented humanitarian assistance and used children as soldiers.

HA Kim Ngoc, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam, encouraged the Council to promote further discussion on issues affecting people’s daily lives, including the right to food, adequate housing, decent work, health and education. Much needed to be done to improve people’s socio-economic rights and close the development and gender gaps, while mitigating the impacts of climate change on human rights.

María Luisa Navarro, Vice Minister of Multilateral Affairs and Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Panama, said radical attitudes were dividing the world and undermining the sustainability of the efforts of the United Nations. While no country was perfect, the international community could not carry on invoking concepts of sovereignty, internal security, or traditional customs to justify discrimination, or to silence dissent.

Abdulla Faisal Al-Doseri, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bahrain, reiterated the determination of Bahrain to cooperate with the Human Rights Council and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and said that his country had faced several challenges due to foreign interference, which had led to violence and terrorism.

Carlos Raúl Morales Moscoso, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, reiterated the conviction that there was no development without fiscal sustainability. He stressed the need to enhance the protection of the rights of indigenous peoples, and of human rights defenders.

Karl Erjavec, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Slovenia, said that when used properly, multilateralism was a powerful tool that could contribute substantively to addressing many of the global challenges facing the world today. In that connection, it was the Council’s crucial responsibility to respond to the challenges to human rights and dignity worldwide.

The Human Rights Council is holding a full day of meetings today from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. At noon, it continued with its high-level segment.

High-level Segment

KAIRAT ABDRAKHMANOV, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, said Kazakhstan had made great progress over a short period of time, and attached great importance to the values and principles of human rights. Having ratified all major universal human rights instruments, Kazakhstan needed to adapt some of those standards to its national, cultural and political particularities. As the first Central Asian country to sit in the United Nations Security Council, Kazakhstan would support that Council’s efforts in settling conflicts, such as hosting negotiations over the Syria crisis. Kazakhstan was at the threshold of essential constitutional reforms focused to further democratise the country’s political system and modernize its economy. Power would be redistributed by strengthening the role of Parliament and the Government’s accountability to it. Among five priorities for modernization, one was the acceleration of technological modernization. Commitment to sustainable development was already an integral part of the national agenda, and it formed an essential part of the country’s major national strategies and development programmes.

ALFONSO DASTIS, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Spain, noted that respect for human dignity and human rights continued to be an obligation to which the international community had to adhere to. In the quest for peace and security, and with view to the humanitarian crisis in Syria, Spain had made the humanitarian dimension of conflicts its priority. Spain had supported resolution 2286 on medical care in armed conflict. In October 2015 the Spanish Presidency of the Security Council had adopted resolution 2242 which renewed the agenda on women, peace and security. The empowerment of women remained at the centre of action in Spain’s human rights agenda. In the same manner Spain maintained an active approach to the fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance. The protection of the most vulnerable population had also been given special attention, in particular the rights of children and the rights of persons with disabilities. One of the most important international tasks was the negotiation of global pacts on refugees and migrants. The Council had to continue to pay due attention to the most serious abuses of human rights. As long as human right violations continued, the Council had to use all its mechanisms. Otherwise, the international community would be shirking its responsibility.

EDGARS RINKĒVIČS, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Latvia, said that the strength of the Human Rights Council lay in its ability to provide a timely and effective response to urgent human rights violations. In the case of Syria, the scale and severity of abuses and violations of human rights and international humanitarian law had been staggering. A shameful lack of accountability for people involved in human rights abuses would complicate the process of reconciliation and peace. Latvia welcomed the adoption of a General Assembly resolution that it had co-sponsored for an international, impartial and independent mechanism to assist with the investigation and prosecution of those crimes. Latvia also welcomed the efforts of the Office of the High Commissioner to monitor the situation of human rights in Ukraine and expressed particular concern about the continued deterioration of the human rights situation in Crimea. Those who defended the rights of others often became the victims of oppression and persecution themselves, a trend that undermined the aspirations of the Sustainable Development Goals.

RUI JORGE CARNEIRO MANGUEIRA, Minister of Justice and Human Rights of Angola, said a number of perturbing factors were hovering over the future, such as the flows of migrants and refugees, and conflict. In some regions of the world, civil and political rights were being curtailed. Achieving peace and security was one of the obligations of the international community, and Angola therefore supported the combat against terrorism, which should nevertheless never be used as an excuse for interference in the internal affairs of States. Mainstreaming human rights meant introducing them to educational systems, and Angola had introduced human rights education in all curricula to extend the culture of human rights in the country. As part of Angola’s strengthening of cooperation with United Nations human rights bodies, the country had submitted reports related to numerous conventions it was signatory to, including three reports related to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Rather than adopting Special Procedure mandates which were often selective, there was a need for more dialogue and more technical support for the promotion and protection of human rights. More support was also needed for migrants and refugees.

DITMIR BUSHATI, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Albania, said that protecting human rights had always been an uphill struggle. But time had proven that the respect for human rights and their universality, justice, education and equality were strong interlocking elements that would continue to build fair and resilient societies, sustainable peace and development. Despite continued global progress, the situation of human rights in many parts of the world had deteriorated, such as in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and conflict caused by the terrorist activities of ISIS. Albania was also concerned about the deterioration of human rights situations in countries such as South Sudan, Burundi, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Myanmar and the eastern part of Ukraine. An increasing populist and polarizing rhetoric about refugees and religion-based differences had become central to political debate. Flagrant Islamophobia had become the vehicle of assertive politics of intolerance by a growing number of political groups. Violent extremism and terrorism had a severe impact on a range of fundamental human rights and Albania reaffirmed its commitment to lead and be part of initiatives of the Human Rights Council aimed at preventing and countering violent extremism.

DIDIER REYNDERS, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belgium, said that Belgium would stand for a second term in the Council as it endeavoured to make the body more effective. In that vein, Belgium remained committed to the promotion and protection of human rights. The world was being shaken by terrorist attacks and Belgium called for everyone to keep in mind the victims of extremism. In the fight against terrorism, Belgium knew that human rights and international humanitarian law must be respected. Fighting against terrorist acts alone was not a lasting answer. Belgium hoped that the Council would pay attention to the rights of victims and bring perpetrators to justice. Encouraging the international community to fight discrimination, the Minister said that in addition to a draft resolution on regional arrangements, Belgium was preparing a national action plan to combat racism. At the same time, Belgium was a constant advocate for the respect of international humanitarian law. The protection of civilians in armed conflict was absolutely vital. Human rights and international human law aimed to protect the most vulnerable meant fighting against impunity and ensuring that victims would not be re-victimised. Human rights protection was a legal and moral obligation, even in the midst of internal conflicts and in that respect, a broad approach was needed.

MANGALA SAMARAWEERA, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, said many of the universal values that the international community subscribed to were being challenged in the name of “populism”. Turning to the situation in Sri Lanka, the Minister said that 15 months had passed since Sri Lanka took the historic step of co-sponsoring resolution 30/1. To those seeing that as an act of treachery and betrayal of the nation, he said it was necessary to have the courage to acknowledge the truth, and that the Sri Lanka of the future should be one where justice reigned, where human rights were valued, and where every individual’s dignity was upheld. He reviewed progress made in the legislative field as well as other areas since he had last addressed the Council, among other things noting that the national human rights action plan for the period 2017-2021 had been approved by the Cabinet of Ministers. Another important undertaking had been the public consultations carried out by the Consultation Task Force on Reconciliation Mechanisms, which would design the mechanisms for other reconciliation processes. Regarding the Constitution Drafting Process, it was essential for non-recurrence of conflict. With effort and perseverance, the reconciliation process could be made a success, making Sri Lanka a prosperous country united in its diversity and upholding human rights and the rule of law.

LINAS ANTANAS LINKEVIČIUS, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, stated that the media played a crucial role not only in society, but in decision-making. Unfortunately, journalists were still being persecuted, detained and killed not only in situations of armed conflict, but in peacetime as well. Accordingly, Lithuania had spearheaded the important topic of safety of journalists during its membership of the United Nations Security Council 2014-2015 and it had initiated a resolution on the protection of journalists in situations of armed conflict, which was adopted unanimously in 2015. Mr. Linkevičius noted that three years had passed since the beginning of the illegal occupation campaign by the Russian Federation in eastern Ukraine and the annexation of the Crimean peninsula. Lithuania drew attention to the escalation of hostilities in eastern Ukraine and the persecution of Crimean Tatars. The same pattern was also witnessed in the Russian-occupied Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which were turned into grey zones in terms of human rights and were separated by barbed wires and Russian soldiers from the rest of Georgia. The Council had a duty to act appropriately by strongly condemning human rights violations, and being more vocal about States that did not respect international law and tried by any means possible to avoid accountability.

MICHAEL LINHART, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of Austria, said that despite attempts to undermine or even abolish the rights based international order, the Human Rights Council fulfilled an important role as the central human rights organ of the United Nations. Austria was disgusted over recent reports of secret executions of civilians in the Sednaya prison in Syria, urging for those horrendous human rights violations not to go unpunished. Accountability must be at the heart of joint efforts. On that issue, Austria was fully cooperating with the Commission of Inquiry on Syria and would be supportive of the independent mechanism. For its part, Austria actively strove to improve its own human rights record, engaging with civil society and trying to learn from others. To demonstrate action, Austria would undergo an evaluation of its implementation of human dimension commitments, which would also ensure wide civil society participation. Despite a number of encouraging developments, the situation of minorities in the world today was cause for great concern as millions of people were persecuted for their religious or ethnic identity. Another area of great concern was the growing threat to media freedom and the safety of journalists worldwide. The rising number of journalists killed, threatened, intimidated or arbitrarily arrested was unacceptable.

RAMTANE LAMAMRA, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Algeria, said the United Nations in December had celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the two Covenants which were a great inspiration to the whole system. Much remained to be done, and it was urgent for the international community to continue working to achieve its ideals. Reform of the United Nations to make it more representative included reform of the human rights sector. Algeria had crowned its reform efforts with success, with constitutional reform which had strengthened the State governed by the rule of law. Good governance was important because citizens had to decide who would represent them. International observers were invited to examine all stages of an upcoming domestic electoral process. Defence of human rights was an international endeavour. A law had been adopted to plunder the rights of Palestinians and build new settlements on occupied Palestinian territory. The Sahrawi people were suffering from the occupation of their lands, and saw themselves deprived of achieving their legitimate expectations. The United Nations should more closely monitor the situation in West Sahara. Forms of Islamophobia were becoming increasingly rooted in certain societies. Dialogue and cooperation had to be encouraged, as that was the only way people could be helped toward a better future.

PELONOMI VENSON-MOITOI, Minister of International Affairs and Co-operation of Botswana, said that in the circumstances of the emergence of new human rights violations, all countries and especially those with a lesson to share, should use their moral capital to stand up against injustices everywhere. Effects of war, violence and displacement, inequality and discrimination, xenophobia and racism threatened to wipe out the progress of the past seven decades from the parchment of human rights architecture. What was required was the political will to move forward. The message about the mutually reinforcing pillars of development, peace and security, and human rights needed to be repeated. The international community needed to renew its resolve to strengthen the human rights pillar as a contribution to the realization of global aspirations. That would require a proactive approach to anticipate events before they happened. Prevention was better than cure. With its mandate over civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, the Human Rights Council was in a unique position to contribute immensely to the realization of the 2030 Agenda. Botswana had an abundance of faith in the sincere intentions of the international community to invest their reservoir of good will and resource pool to better the livelihoods of many that were facing a bleak and uncertain future.

IGOR CRNADAK, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, said that human rights were the most powerful driving force of peace and development. Concerning the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030, they were core to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s development work and a standard to which they had committed so that their people could enjoy dignity, freedom and equality. Dialogue and understanding represented the fundamentals of a democratic society. As a multinational, multi-religious and multicultural community, Bosnia and Herzegovina was dedicated to the principle of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. In that regard, furthering mutual dialogue reinforced the development of tolerance in society. The strengthening mechanisms for the protection of human rights should be a commonly-accepted aim. A society based on equality, and one that appreciated diversity and respected human rights, was a healthy and prosperous one. The Minister condemned the discrimination against migrants and refugees, saying that the issue lay close to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s heart given its tragic past and experiences. In that context, the international community could not allow people’s basic human rights to be ignored or violated.

JEAN-CLAUDE GAKOSSO, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Congo, said the world was faced with situations of conflict in many areas, crises which were aggravated by the persistence of violent proselytizing. The international community needed to rise to the challenge of a world with stagnant economies and uneven growth. The Government of the Congo had taken measures to maintain a climate of peace and international understanding, promoting dialogue and participatory democracy. Congo supported the renewal of the mandate of the independent expert on the Central African Republic crisis, Ms. Keita-Bocoum. The issue of migration had been part of human history since the beginning of time, but at present the movements were unprecedented and required special attention. Migration was also a major challenge in regard to international conventions; so many migrants’ lives were lost, and that harsh reality should speak to the collective conscience of policymaker worldwide. Reviewing progress made in Congo, the Minister enumerated several Councils which had been created, such as the Consultative Council on Youth. The abolition of the death penalty was also notable. Regarding sustainable development, the creation of a Blue Fund would contribute to mitigating climate change.

BANDAR BIN MOHAMMED ALAIBAN, Minister and President of the Human Rights Commission of Saudi Arabia, underlined the Human Rights Council’s role in the promotion and protection of human rights around the world. Saudi Arabia continued to cooperate with the Council’s various mechanisms and bodies, and to implement the Universal Periodic Review recommendations. It protected and promoted human rights based on the tenets and principles of the Islamic Sharia. Terrorism was a major threat to human rights and Saudi Arabia had thus continued to fight it. In cooperation with the international community, it had provided protection from the scourge of terrorism by setting up an Islamic alliance against terrorism. An international instrument was needed to specifically define terrorism. Saudi Arabia attached special attention to development and it supported all efforts to help States achieve sustainable development. The international community had to undertake its responsibility and put an end to the impunity of the occupation force in Palestine. It was of great concern that the Houthi militia continued to prevent any attempt to establish peace and stability in Yemen. They prevented humanitarian assistance and used children as soldiers. Saudi Arabia had greatly contributed to humanitarian assistance in Yemen. As for Syria, the regime continued to kill and destroy the Syrian people, and to waste resources. The current Syria talks in Geneva were welcome and should ensure that the suffering in Syria stopped. Horrific crimes had been committed in Myanmar, including against the Muslim minority.

HA KIM NGOC, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam, encouraged the Human Rights Council to promote further discussion on issues affecting people’s daily lives, including the right to food, adequate housing, decent work, health and education. During its three-year membership, Viet Nam had been relentless in helping make the Council an effective body capable of meeting the expectations of the international community. Pursuing a comprehensive approach on human rights issues, it had worked closely to boost engagement and cooperation. In that connection, Viet Nam had strongly supported the Universal Periodic Review process with a belief that the spirit of dialogue and cooperation must be preserved as this was what made the mechanism effective. Much needed to be done to improve people’s socio-economic rights and close the development and gender gaps, while mitigating the impacts of climate change on human rights. Last year alone, severe recurring weather took the lives of 248 people in Viet Nam and reduced GDP by 1 per cent while seriously affecting access to food, water, education, hospitals and other social services. Despite those challenges, Viet Nam had kept its commitments to the protection and promotion of human rights.

MARÍA LUISA NAVARRO, Vice Minister of Multilateral Affairs and Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Panama, said radical attitudes were dividing the world and undermining the sustainability of the efforts of the United Nations. It was imperative that the Council reaffirmed its principles and defended its work against political interference. Panama reminded all Member States that international treaties and covenants compelled signatory States to comply with them. Consistency was needed between principles and the conduct of States. While no country was perfect, the international community could not carry on invoking concepts of sovereignty, internal security, or traditional customs to justify discrimination, or to silence dissent. For Panama, the Human Rights Council was a vital forum for dialogue to promote common principles; the country would advocate the protection of life as a supreme human right. The activity of the Council must be limited to the promotion and protection of human rights. The Council’s limited capacity in the face of emergency situations was worrisome, and the procedures for early warning and the space afforded to civil society were subjects that deserved more dialogue and cooperation. Panama offered its full support for streamlining the programme of the Human Rights Council.

ABDULLA FAISAL AL-DOSERI, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bahrain, reiterated the determination of Bahrain to cooperate with the Human Rights Council and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights concerning the reforms in the country. That commitment flowed from the obligations under the national constitution and programmes of the Government. The Government had established structures for human rights, such as the National Human Rights Commission and many monitoring and investigation units. Bahrain had a very good ranking in various United Nations reports, especially with respect to the right to education, housing, and the rights of the child and women. The Government had accomplished the Millennium Development Goals before 2015 and it hoped to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Bahrain faced several challenges due to foreign interference, which had led to violence and terrorism. Some people were trying to manipulate human rights for their own political ends. Bahrain tried to use all the legal arsenal to face those challenges. Bahrain supported efforts to make Syria a place of tolerance, and to find a political solution for the ongoing conflict. Every effort had to be made to avoid the collapse of Syrian institutions. As for Palestine, it was necessary to implement the two-State solution. Bahrain was committed to operations led by Arab States to support the Yemeni people and to guarantee the peace, safety and territorial integrity of Yemen. Bahrain also condemned the suffering of the Rohingya people in Myanmar.

CARLOS RAÚL MORALES MOSCOSO, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, said that Guatemala was working with the public prosecution service to fight impunity for corruption, and reiterated the conviction that there was no development without fiscal sustainability. In December 2016, Guatemala had celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the signing of its peace agreements. Guatemala remained committed to addressing the root causes of that conflict. Progress had been made on the legislative front, including the adoption of the anti-femicide act and the gender-based violence act; the political agenda to 2026 was being drafted, and it aimed to strengthen the institutions in order to fully implement the peace agreements. The judiciary and the legislative branch had embarked on justice sector reform, with the support of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Guatemala, in order to strengthen institutions to fight corruption. The result of this work was a proposal for the Constitutional reform which was before Parliament. Guatemala expressed its support for the New York Statement on Refugees and Migrants, stressing that the Global Compact on safe, orderly and regular migration must be finalized in order to further protect the rights of migrants and refugees. Guatemala also stressed the need to enhance the protection of the rights of indigenous peoples, and of human rights defenders.

KARL ERJAVEC, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Slovenia, said that, when used properly, multilateralism was a powerful tool that could contribute substantively to addressing many of the global challenges facing the world today. It was the Council’s crucial responsibility to respond to the challenges to human rights and dignity worldwide. He thanked representatives of civil society for their tireless work and condemned reprisals against individuals on the basis of their engagement with the United Nations system. As a member of the Council, Slovenia continued to pay special attention to the rights of children, women and older persons, human rights education, the protection of vulnerable groups, and the fight against discrimination. Despite positive trends, Slovenia’s Government also remained concerned about the resumption of executions in various parts of the world. In that respect, Slovenia called on all countries that had not yet done so to ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Minister also highlighted the preventative role of the Council in international peace and security, saying that the Council’s early warning capacities should be engaged in the prevention pillar of the responsibility to protect.



For use of the information media; not an official record

HRC17/005E