Human Rights Council – 52nd session

Joint Statement by Group of Friends AAU

27 February 2023

I am pleased to deliver this statement on behalf of the 'Group of Friends of Accountability following the aggression against Ukraine.

In recent days, we have marked the somber one-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russia’s aggression is a clear violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and constitutes a blatant violation of international law, including the UN Charter, which has been once more clearly condemned by the General Assembly last week.

In his statement, Foreign Minister Kuleba, reminded us, once again, of the terrible suffering inflicted on the Ukrainian people, who continue to bravely stand their ground and fight for their freedom, dignity, and identity.

The UN Secretary-General and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights have underlined on different occasion that the war against Ukraine continues to be marked by gross violations of international human rights law and serious violations of international humanitarian law, for which the perpetrators must be held accountable.

In this regard, we commend the efforts and initiatives taken to ensure full accountability for the most serious crimes of international concern, including the work of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, as well as the establishment of the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression. We also commend the independent monitoring missions of the OSCE Moscow Mechanism, the Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, and the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine.

Furthermore, discussions on the establishment of an appropriate justice mechanism for the crime of aggression is ongoing.

The Group of Friends will support these and future efforts to bring perpetrators to justice, including for crimes against children such as reported abductions of Ukrainian children to Russia, as well as to restore a sense of justice for the manifold victims of the war. We acknowledge this journey can sometimes be long and costly, but we will be there to sustain the process. No matter how long it takes.

Because when we pursue perpetrators of international crimes, we defend the very rules our international system depends on. And we hopefully deter anyone from committing such violations in the future, whether in Ukraine or elsewhere.

 

Human Rights Council – 52nd session

Joint statement on the territorial integrity of Ukraine

27 February 2023

I have the honour to deliver this joint statement on behalf of the 27 EU Member States, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America.

We are reacting to the statement on behalf of the Russian Federation delivered by a representative of the so-called administration in the territory of Ukraine temporarily controlled by Russia.

We recall the relevant UNGA resolution(s) [A/RES/76/179, A/RES/77/229 / A/RES/ES-11/4] which recognise(s) the status of this territory as an integral part of Ukraine.

We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, extending to its territorial waters. We reiterate our strongest condemnation of Russia’s aggression and its attempts to acquire Ukraine’s territory by force in flagrant violation of international law, including the UN Charter. We firmly and unequivocally reject, do not and will never recognize the attempted illegal annexation by Russia of Ukraine's regions of Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

We therefore urge Russia to refrain from letting any representative of the so-called administration in the territories of Ukraine temporarily controlled by Russia intervene on its behalf within the Human Rights Council, or in any other international fora.

 

Human Rights Council – 52nd session

Annual high-level panel discussion on human rights mainstreaming: A reflection on five years of UN Youth 2030: mapping a blueprint for next steps.

Joint Statement on behalf of India, the EU and a group of countries

28 February 2023

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of India, the European Union and its Member States, and a group of other countries across.

We welcome the focus of this year's High-level Panel Discussion on Human Rights Mainstreaming on Youth. Young persons are powerful agents of change for our societies, and for the well-being of our planet. We recognise the significant contribution of young persons towards building a more inclusive, just, and sustainable future. Young persons worldwide are essential partners especially in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda; the Paris Agreement; the Women, Peace and Security Agenda; the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda; and the World Programme for Human Rights Education.

Yet global crises and instability disproportionately impact young persons, especially girls and young women, and young persons in vulnerable situations who increasingly face multiple and intersecting challenges which impair the enjoyment of their human rights. The climate crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated gender inequalities and increased the digital divide in education. We believe that youth advocacy can be a force for a sustainable recovery.

Mr. President,

We call for a digital transformation in education that ensures access to inclusive quality education for all without discrimination of any kind.

We also call for the further promotion of full, equal and meaningful participation of young persons, including girls and young women, young persons in vulnerable situations, and youth organisations, in decision-making at all levels. We stress the need for the protection of young activists and human rights defenders across the world.

Only by engaging and working for and with youth, supporting them in standing up for their human rights and creating the conditions allowing them to play an active role, can we achieve enduring peace, security, justice, climate resilience, and sustainable development for all.

 

Human Rights Council – 52nd session

Biennial high-level panel on death penalty

Joint Statement by Costa Rica on behalf of a group of countries

28 February 2023

I deliver this statement on behalf of a cross regional group of countries.

In light of today’s discussion related to limiting the death penalty to the most serious crimes– we recall States’ obligations under the ICCPR, under which countries that have not yet abolished the death penalty, can only apply it for offences that amount to “the most serious crimes”, and observing the procedural guarantees prescribed in the Covenant. All detainees are entitled to the right to a fair hearing by an independent tribunal, the presumption of innocence, access to a lawyer and other minimum guarantees for the defence, and the right to review by a higher tribunal.

We are deeply concerned by the use of the death penalty in Iran. Several hundred people were reportedly executed in Iran between 2022 and 2023, including juvenile offenders.

In recent months, Iran has handed down or sought to impose death sentences against dozens of individuals arrested in connection with their participation in protests following the death in custody of Jina Mahsa Amini. 

We are concerned by the nature of the offences for which the death penalty was applied, the speed of the trials, lack of transparency, and credible reports that  defendants did not have proper access to lawyers of their choosing and were subject to torture or other inhumane treatment.

The death penalty must not be instrumentalised by any State to punish individuals participating in protests and to strike fear into the population with the aim of chilling dissent.

We note the High Commissioner’s call on Iran “to respect the lives and voices of its people, to impose an immediate moratorium on the death penalty and to halt all executions”, and urge Iran to cooperate with all UN human rights mechanisms, including the Council’s Fact-Finding Mission.

 

Human Rights Council – 52nd session

Joint statement: Interactive Dialogue with the High Commissioner on Nicaragua

3 March 2023

On behalf of 53 countries, Canada thanks the High Commissioner for his update, which sheds light on concerning developments in Nicaragua and evidences the importance of renewing the OHCHR’s monitoring mandate.

Whilst we welcome the recent release of 222 political prisoners, and thank the facilitating States, we condemn the Government of Nicaragua’s decision to strip these individuals and 94 other Nicaraguans of their Nicaraguan citizenship and political rights. Nationality is a right, which cannot be revoked without appropriate process.

We are troubled by the testimonies of mistreatment of released political prisoners. We urge the authorities to cease arbitrary detention and release all remaining political prisoners, including leaders of the Catholic Church.

We are further alarmed by the deteriorating human rights situation of Indigenous Peoples and Afro-descendants in Nicaragua, who face increasing repression, persecution and discrimination.

We reiterate our concern over Nicaragua’s refusal to cooperate with international human rights mechanisms. We call on the authorities to grant them access in order to address and investigate allegations of human rights violations and torture, and to renew cooperation with the OHCHR.

The trend to bar and expel foreign representatives from the country only isolates Nicaragua. We call on Nicaragua to open a dialogue in good faith with the international community.

Mr. High Commissioner, what more can this Council do to bring accountability for egregious human rights violations in Nicaragua?

 

 

Human Rights Council – 52nd session

International Women’s Day

Joint Statement delivered by Mexico and Finland on behalf of a group of countries

8 March 2023

I have the honor to deliver this statement on International Women’s Day on behalf of Finland, Mexico and a group of states.

This year we celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which affirms that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Hence, this seems to be the right time to reflect on how much has been done, and actually achieved to effectively ensure that all women, adolescents and girls around the world fully enjoy and exercise their human rights.

The Declaration clearly establishes that everyone, has the right to education; to equal pay for equal work; to freedom of opinion and expression; to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion; to freedom of movement, among others.

Then why, after 75 years of building upon this foundation and having developed a set of international treaties and standards aiming to achieve equality for all, are we still observing that human rights and fundamental freedoms of all women, adolescents and girls continue to be contested and eroded.

Almost a century ago, we all agreed that equal rights are key to ensuring freedom, justice, and peace. Such a universal principle was, is and will always be applicable. We cannot allow this bedrock to be challenged. 

This is a wake-up call. We must be vocal on emphasizing why the respect, protection and fulfillment of women and girls’ rights, including full, equal, and meaningful participation in all spheres of political and public life are indispensable for sustainable peace and development. We must ensure that women are at the table in all political decision-making processes.

We shall not allow crisis situations, conflicts, health emergencies or any other global challenges to exacerbate gender-based discrimination and violence, or other harmful practices. It is indispensable to overcome any social and institutional patterns that could lead to women, adolescents and girls’ exclusion or marginalization.

It is time to redouble our efforts to effectively implement our human rights obligations, and we should start by transforming our norms, structures and legal and policy frameworks. For example, States should invest in creating comprehensive care systems to adequately value care work and redistribute it so that women, adolescents and girls can fully enjoy their rights and educational, professional and economic opportunities.

We must protect and amplify the voices of all women and girls human rights defenders and activists. Their role has been – and continues to be – crucial to make progress on this agenda. It is necessary to take concrete actions to prevent sexual and gender-based violence, both online and offline, support victims and survivors, and guarantee their access to justice and effective remedy.

We must address multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, meeting specific challenges of structural and dynamic consequences of the interaction between two or more grounds of discrimination. For instance, efforts should be channeled to address the digital gender divide and promote all women and girls’ access to new and emerging digital technologies on equal grounds.

We should ensure adequate means for women, adolescents and girls to exercise sexual and reproductive health and rights with comprehensive strategies encompassing health, autonomy, education and justice.

Equality is the core of the Universal Declaration, and there is no space for regression. We cannot allow discrimination, disinformation, fear, or detrimental trends to hold women and girls back and hinder their rights. We must keep working constructively to advance standards and put in place practical measures that can translate into tangible changes into the daily lives of all women and girls’, including by placing women and girls at the forefront of decision-making processes.

 

Human Rights Council – 52nd session

Item 2: Dialogue with the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Statement by Australia on behalf of a group of countries

28 February 2023

I have the honour to deliver the statement on behalf of a group of 31 countries.

On 4 August 2020, more than 200 people were killed and a further 7,000 people injured when one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history razed the Port of Beirut and caused unimaginable damage to the city’s schools, houses, health facilities and infrastructure supporting essential services.

We express our solidarity with all the victims and their families, who, nearly three years later, continue to wait for truth and justice. 

We are concerned Lebanon’s investigation into the cause of the explosion has not yet concluded, hampered by systemic obstruction, interference, intimidation, and a political impasse, and in the context of severe financial and economic crises.

We urge Lebanon to abide by its international human rights obligations to take all necessary measures to safeguard, in law and in practice, the full independence and impartiality of the Lebanese judiciary.

We call on the Lebanese authorities to uphold the right of the victims to effective remedy and to adequate, effective, and prompt reparation for harm suffered.

These steps are vital for accountability and access to justice for the victims of the explosion and their families, and fulfilment of the rights of the Lebanese people.

We also emphasise that the right of the people in Lebanon to peacefully express their call for justice and accountability must be respected. 

All of us joining this statement today hope that understanding and addressing the root causes of this disastrous event will prevent the occurrence of a similar tragedy in the future.

A swift, independent, impartial, credible, and transparent investigation into the explosion must be carried out.

 

Human Rights Council – 52nd session

Item 2: Dialogue with the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Joint Statement by the Group of Friends of SOGI

8 March 2023

This statement is delivered on behalf of the 29 states of the Group of Friends of the SOGI Mandate.

Over the last few years, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has carried out important work on the protection of the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) and gender-diverse persons.

We invite your Office to continue such efforts, while supporting Member States and all stakeholders in the implementation of resolution 50/10, adopted by the Council in June 2022, which enshrines important advances in the recognition of intersectional forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, while expressing concern about the impact of legislation, policies and acts that discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, both online and offline.

Finally, we take this opportunity to acknowledge the essential and important work carried out by the current Independent Expert, Mr. Victor Madrigal-Borloz, for the protection of LGBT and gender-diverse persons’ rights around the world.