HRC61 - HLS Iceland statement - Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland

The United Nations Human Rights Council 
High Level Segment 
Statement by the Foreign Minister of Iceland 
Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir 
23 February 2026 

Madam Vice-President, 

One year ago, I stood in this Council for the first time. Iceland had just taken its seat on the Human Rights Council, and I dared to be hopeful. Hopeful that when I returned, I would speak of a year that turned to a path of peace and progress. 

But that is not the world we meet today.

Wars still rage. International law and human rights are under attack. Regretfully not least bysome of the most important actors.
The very principles that underpin the international human rights system continue to be tested.

For four years, Russia’s illegal and unjustified full-scale invasion of Ukraine has caused devastating human suffering.The people of Ukraine continue to defend a rules-based order on behalf of Europeans, and we continue to call for a just and lasting peace, grounded in international law and accountability.

In Gaza, the situation remains catastrophic. Full, safe and unhindered access for humanitarian aid is crucial and so is allowing UNRWA and other UN agencies to carry out their mandate.

And the situation in the West Bank must not be overlooked. We condemn recent Israeli decisions which aim to expand and entrench Israel’s unlawful presence in the West Bank.

We must actively work towards a just and sustainable peace based on the two-state solution and the right to self-determination.

Dear colleagues,

We are witnessing a deeply troubling global backlash against fundamental human rights. 

In the past three years alone, five countries have passed laws criminalising consensual same-sex relations. Basic rights such as access to safe abortion and freedom of expression are under pressure. Fundamental principles are being eroded – and in some cases deliberately dismantled. 

This is not happening in isolation. It is a part of a wider erosion of democracy, human dignity, and the rules-based international order.

For a small state like Iceland, whose security and prosperity depend on these values – this is not an abstract concern. It is existential.

Madame Vice-President

Accountability is not optional, it is foundational. Because impunity fuels further abuse.

Over the past year on this Council, Iceland has sought to act accordingly.

We led the call for a special session on the Islamic Republic of Iran; we called for the establishment of an Independent Investigative Mechanism for human rights violations in Afghanistan; and we welcomed the Council's resolution on human rights violations in El Fasher in Sudan. 

At home, we continue to strengthen our human rights framework. Even though Iceland ranks among the highest in the world in equality, we are not immune to the backlash. 

It is vital that every country stands ready to examine itself andwe are looking forward to participating in the Universal Periodic Review next year. 

Iceland will continue to stand for universality and indivisibility of human rights. We support the Global Alliance for Human Rights, set in motion this morning by the High Commissioner.

And we will keep using our membership of the Council to advance protection and promotion of human rights for all. 

Dear colleagues,

I have just returned from Japan, where I visited Nagasaki. Being there, one cannot escape the weight of history. 

We must never forget what happens when humanity fails to defend its own values. 

Human rights are the building blocks of peace. And it is our duty to build a world of peace. 

My sincere hope is that when I stand here next year, we really have turned to the path of peace and progress. 

Let us stand united to make the world tomorrow more human, more safe and more just than the world today.