A/77/PV.25 General Assembly

I would like to welcome His Excellency Mr. Federico Villegas, President of the Human Rights Council (HRC), and thank him for his briefing earlier today on the work and the challenges that the Council is facing in 2022 (see A/77/PV.24). Kazakhstan fully stands for the rule of law at the national and international levels, with the Charter of the United Nations as one of the cornerstones of the global multilateral system. Our country considers the Human Rights Council as the key United Nations mechanism for ensuring the protection and promotion of the fundamental human rights and dignity of every human being. Throughout its 16 years of existence, the Council has proved to be the main forum for dialogue on the thematic issues of all human rights. The Council has also demonstrated its ability to respond rapidly to human rights violations in various parts of the world. Kazakhstan fully supports the work of the Human Rights Council. In the face of today’s multiple challenges, Kazakhstan is convinced that the work of the Council will continue to be guided by the principles of universality, impartiality, objectivity, non-selectivity, constructive international dialogue and cooperation. We believe that dialogue, consultation and constructive partnerships, including through the sharing of best practices and assistance in capacity-building, are crucial and constitute an effective instrument of the Council. It will contribute to enhancing the promotion and protection of all human rights  — civil, political, social, economic and cultural — which are universal, interdependent, indivisible and mutually reinforcing. Kazakhstan also believes that in order for the Council’s work on country situations to be more effective, it should focus primarily on technical cooperation and capacity-building instead of increased monitoring and investigation activities. In that sense, the dialogue and constructive engagement of the Council’s country- specific mechanisms with States should be at the heart of its activities. With regard to other HRC mechanisms, we welcome the commencement in November of the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). We believe, as many others do, that the UPR mechanism is truly the most effective, impartial and depoliticized tool of the HRC, that it has its own dynamics and, most importantly, that it is universally recognized. As a member of the HRC for the term 2022–2024, Kazakhstan engages with all United Nations Member States through the UPR. We are also preparing to undergo our own fourth review cycle in 2024–2025. Kazakhstan has ratified eight core international human rights instruments and their six optional protocols, thereby recognizing the competence of four treaty bodies to accept individual petitions from citizens concerning violations of their rights. Our country has been actively cooperating with the special procedures mechanism. Our country is one of the countries that has issued a standing invitation to the special procedures of the Human Rights Council, which confirms our strong commitment to promoting and protecting all human rights. During our membership on the Council, we have been pursuing a number of priorities, including gender equality, the universal abolition of the death penalty and freedom of religion and belief. We are fully committed to the United Nations human rights mechanisms and will therefore continue our close cooperation with United Nations bodies and special procedures to promote human rights at the national and international levels.

We thank the President of the Human Rights Council, Mr. Federico Villegas, for presenting the Council’s annual report (A/77/53 and A/77/53/Add.1) and for his briefing earlier today on the activities of the Council (see A/77/PV.24). Human rights considerations are deeply ingrained in the inclusive development efforts in India that have lifted millions out of poverty. Women’s leadership and political participation, especially at the grass-roots level, have played a pivotal role in that context. Our approach to the realization of human rights globally is inspired by our own experience of being a pluralistic and vibrant democracy. As an ancient civilization of immense diversity and the world’s largest democracy, India has abiding faith in the spirit of multilateralism for the effective realization of all human rights. The strength of the Human Rights Council as an intergovernmental subsidiary body of the General Assembly lies in its emphasis on dialogue, cooperation, transparency and non-selectivity in the promotion and protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for everyone. In that regard, India has always favoured an inclusive and constructive approach. Realizing the right to development as a distinct, inalienable human right is important in that context. Over the past 16 years, the Human Rights Council has strengthened consensus on a wide range of thematic issues. The Council also has a role in building consensus around frontier issues such as the protection of human rights in cyberspace and the impact of artificial intelligence, genetics and other emerging technologies on human rights. Terrorism has emerged as one of the major threats to the full enjoyment of all human rights. The Council has to take an unequivocal and resolute position against terrorism in order to prevent and combat threats to human rights, fundamental freedoms and democracy. The human rights agenda, including the Council’s contribution to preventing human rights violations, must be pursued in a fair manner, with due respect for the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, such as national sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference in the internal affairs of States. The selective focus of the Council on certain human rights issues and situations is counterproductive to the Council’s mandate of the global promotion and protection of all human rights. We place an emphasis on the spirit of constructive dialogue and cooperation, which should guide the work of the Council. With regard to country-specific initiatives, it is of paramount importance that such initiatives enjoy the support of the Member State concerned so that they lead to the desired impact on the ground. The Universal Periodic Review mechanism counts as a significant success in the work of the Human Rights Council due to its constructive and participatory nature, as opposed to the selective naming-and-shaming approach. India presented its Universal Periodic Review in each of the three cycles. We will undergo the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review next week. It is our firm belief that human rights issues cannot be approached in isolation, while ignoring the complex and intricate relationship among human rights, development, democracy and international cooperation. We will also work towards addressing constraints on national capacities to implement human rights obligations, instances of politicization of human rights and perceived intrusiveness beyond mandated activities, as those remain areas of concern. Our efforts will be to find practical measures to protect and promote economic, social and cultural rights and civil and political rights in a comprehensive and balanced manner. While special procedures are an important mechanism for fostering genuine dialogue towards strengthening the capacity of Member States, it is important that mandate holders remain independent and impartial. Country-specific special procedures have largely been counterproductive. We believe that a more balanced geographical representation in all United Nations human rights bodies and mechanisms is necessary to promote objectivity and effectiveness. That approach would also bring in diversity, grass-roots knowledge and empathy, which, in turn, would contribute to constructive engagement with Member States and other stakeholders. The Human Rights Council should continue to rationalize and prioritize its work to make the most efficient use of limited resources. India’s experience demonstrates that a democratic pluralistic society with a secular polity, an impartial and independent judiciary, a vibrant civil society, free media and independent human rights institutions help to ensure effective guarantees for the protection and promotion of human rights. As a member of the Human Rights Council, India remains committed to bringing a pluralistic, moderate and balanced perspective to help build bridges across multiple divides in the human rights discourse and practice.

In assessing the work of the Human Rights Council (HRC) at the current time, particularly this year, we need to look back to its origins, its mandate and its objectives, as set out in resolution 60/251. I would like each delegation to answer a series of questions for itself today. Can we say that the Council carries out its work without distinction and in a fair and equal manner? Can we agree that its work is guided by the principles of universality, impartiality, objectivity and non-selectivity, as well as constructive international dialogue and cooperation? Is it fair to say that the Council contributes equally to the promotion and protection of all categories of human rights, that is, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development? Are outreach, advice and technical assistance the core activities of the HRC? Are dialogue and cooperation tools used by the HRC to help to prevent human rights violations? As members will understand, those issues are all at the heart of the HRC’s mandate. If, after reading the report of the HRC (A/77/53 and А/77/53/Add.1) presented to us today, delegations cannot answer any of those questions in the affirmative, that is the first sign that the HRC is not fulfilling its functions. In our view, it is impossible to answer any of those questions in the affirmative. We must note that the ongoing politicization and instrumentalization of the HRC undermine the credibility of the body and strips it of any vestige of objectivity and impartiality in its views, documents and decisions. The Human Rights Council needs to change its approach to country and thematic issues. Promoting idealized standards that do not take into account a State’s level of development or its economic and social needs and the needs of its people is idle work, not aimed at improving the lives of individuals. Human rights should not be used by certain States as a tool to exert pressure on sovereign States. Unfortunately, the HRC is increasingly becoming a vehicle for such pressure instead of a forum for dialogue and consensus-building. At a time when illegitimate sanctions policies are widely used to interfere in the internal affairs of independent States, the Council should be exceptionally vigilant in ensuring that human rights be respected everywhere. Sanctions have the effect of worsening the human rights environment both in the States against which they are imposed and in those whose Governments actively use them. It is also important to remember that the financial burden on the United Nations regular budget continues to increase due to the politicized decisions of the HRC. Servicing an ever-growing number of monitoring mechanisms that work for themselves and duplicate each other is nothing short of a waste of funds that could be used in other, more promising areas of the Organization’s work. Belarus supports effective cooperation in the field of human rights based on constructive engagement, dialogue and respect for human rights. That is why the 2022 report on the work of the Council is unacceptable to our country. Belarus will not agree with the consensus adoption of the document, since most of the country resolutions included in it are the clear political agenda of a group of States, which promote their interests by forceful methods without taking into account the interests of participants in multilateral relations.

My country’s delegation aligns itself with the statement made by the Permanent Representative of the sisterly Republic of Yemen (see A/77/PV.24). I deliver this statement in my national capacity. At the outset, I would like to thank His Excellency Mr. Federico Villegas, President of the Human Rights Council (HRC), for his valuable briefing. I would like to reaffirm the unwavering and firm position of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in support of international law and the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. I also stress that my country supports all entities, internally and internationally, that are entrusted with protecting and promoting human rights and stands ready to cooperate with them. We appreciate the efforts of the HRC in that regard. We welcome the adoption by the HRC of resolution 51/39, entitled “Technical assistance and capacity-building for Yemen in the field of human rights”, which is included under agenda item 10. That affirms the readiness of Member States and the international community to support the efforts of the Yemeni National Commission and its reports issued in accordance with international standards. We commend the efforts of the legitimate Yemeni Government and its cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. We also stress the need to continue and strengthen the support provided by the Office of High Commissioner to the Government of Yemen in the areas of capacity-building and the provision of technical and logistical assistance to the National Commission of Inquiry to enable it to continue to investigate allegations of violations and abuses committed by all parties to the conflict in Yemen, in accordance with international standards and HRC resolution 51/39. We condemn the violations committed by the Houthi terrorist militias against civilians of the brotherly Yemeni people, from which the elderly and children have not been spared, and their continued violation of the principles of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, including by recruiting children, starving civilians and besieging cities and governorates. We call on the international community to put pressure on those militias to respect international law and international efforts to reach a political solution to ensure that the Yemeni people achieve security and stability. My country reaffirms that the Palestinian question is our first priority and will remain so until the brotherly Palestinian people get all their legitimate rights, foremost of which is the creation of their independent State, with East Jerusalem as its capital. We welcome the efforts of the Human Rights Council, which is supporting the human rights of the Palestinian people. My country reaffirms the importance of the Rohingya issue and is following with great concern the suffering endured by that Muslim minority and other minorities in Myanmar and beyond. My country commends all the international efforts aimed at supporting the Muslim Rohingya minority at the United Nations, whether through the Human Rights Council or the work of the Third Committee of the General Assembly, as well as the efforts deployed by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. In conclusion, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reiterates our readiness to cooperate with the United Nations, its agencies, its mechanisms and all international efforts to protect and promote human rights and achieve well-being and prosperity for humankind as a whole.

During this year, as a Human Rights Council member, the United States engaged robustly and supported resolutions furthering the respect for and the protection of human rights globally. The devastating impact of Russia’s brutal, unjustified war against Ukraine led us to work with Ukraine and a cross-regional group of Human Rights Council members to establish, in March, a commission of inquiry into violations and abuses in Ukraine. In April, that body sent a strong message by voting with support from every world region to suspend Russia’s rights of membership in the Human Rights Council. In October, we joined a cross-regional group of Human Rights Council members to create a Special Rapporteur to monitor and report independently on Russia’s domestic human rights situation, including the repression of journalists and civil society, all of which has enabled Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine by stifling dissent. During the June Human Rights Council session, the United States strongly supported the mandate renewal of the United Nations Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. We worked with partners to secure the inclusion of new language on intersectionality, the decriminalization of consensual adult same-sex conduct and the importance of non-discrimination. The United States also worked with allies and partners to expand an inclusive gender focus in seven resolutions in which those issues feature prominently and hosted two side events on the subject. We joined the then record-breaking 47 countries that signed a joint statement expressing shared concern over the People’s Republic of China’s human rights violations and abuses in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong. We set a new record, with 50 signatories, on a similar statement in the Third Committee yesterday. On 31 August, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights issued its assessment on the human rights situation in Xinjiang, which independently confirmed what numerous Governments and civil society organizations have documented. It is likely that crimes against humanity have been committed against the mostly Muslim Uyghur population of Xinjiang. We were disappointed by the Council’s narrow October vote not to put further discussion of the findings of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the March 2023 Human Rights Council agenda. Nevertheless, the United States, in collaboration with a diverse range of Member States, will continue to spotlight the dire human rights situation in Xinjiang and in other parts of the People’s Republic of China. We continue to oppose the Human Rights Council’s biased approach towards Israel, including through stand-alone Israel-specific agenda item 7. As we have stated repeatedly, including in our June Human Rights Council joint statement on behalf of a cross- regional group, we firmly oppose the open-ended and vaguely defined nature of the Human Rights Council’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel. We believe more can and should be done to ensure elected members of the Human Rights Council embody the highest ideals on human rights. We look forward to working with the newly elected members and hope they will uphold the values of the Council and use their terms to advance respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. Over the past year, as a voting member, we have amplified the voices of civil society and advocated for their meaningful inclusion, underscoring the United States commitment to the protection of human rights defenders and the promotion of their work. We co-sponsored the Human Rights Council resolution 49/18 on human rights defenders and joined 68 countries in a statement supporting defenders working on environmental issues. We approach our Human Rights Council membership with humility and introspection. Countries must strive constantly to ensure human rights are respected and protected not just abroad, but at home as well. In August, the United States presented its most recent periodic report to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD/C/USA/10-12) in Geneva, highlighting many actions and measures taken across our Government to address racial and ethnic discrimination in the United States, and engaged closely with civil society and the Committee. We recognize there is much more work to do to advance equity and support for underserved and marginalized communities, and we are committed to doing it. We will continue to work diligently with allies, partners and civil society to ensure the Council reflects and reinforces the universal values, aspirations and norms that have underpinned the United Nations system since its founding over 75 years ago. As we enter the second year of our term, we look forward to working with international partners to protect, defend and advance human rights globally.

We welcome the President of the Human Rights Council, Mr. Villegas. He is not at this meeting, but we still welcome him. We have looked at the report on the Human Rights Council’s work for 2022 (A/77/53 and A/77/53/Add.1), and we regret to note that the past year has not brought any positive changes to the work of the Council and has not contributed to strengthening the dialogue of the international human rights community, which means that the Council has failed to make any significant contribution to improving the human rights situation in the world and in individual countries. It therefore appears that the Council has failed to address its mandate. We believe that this situation is unacceptable, and that correcting it requires political will and a genuine desire on the part of States to provide support to those who really need it. Over the past year, under pressure from Western States, the Human Rights Council has adopted a number of blatantly political resolutions. In particular, in October, the Human Rights Council, on the initiative of 26 European Union member States, adopted resolution 51/25 on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation. The text of the document is mainly based on the well-known fiction of the West, related to the purported persecution in our country of civil society representatives, activists, human rights defenders and sexual minorities. The so-called concerns listed in the resolution not only fail to reflect the actual state of affairs, but they cannot in any way justify the Council’s creation of the post of special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation, which, of course, is the end goal of this anti-Russian document. It is increasingly clear that the West is continuing its efforts to dominate the United Nations human rights agenda. Its goal is to transform the Council into a restricted club made up of supposedly authentic democracies, with the goal of setting the rules of the game for the rest of the world, the violations of which will be ruthlessly punished. We are in no doubt as to the destructive potential that this confrontational and one-sided decision will have for the overall human rights work of the United Nations. We find it telling that out of the 47 member States on the Human Rights Council, 30 countries refused to support the document drawn up by the European Union. Russia resolutely rejects the resolution and the false accusations that it contains. We will ignore the special mechanism established by the Human Rights Council and refuse to cooperate with it in any way envisaged by the Council. At the same time, we will continue to defend our priorities in the Human Rights Council, the first of which has been and remains the strengthening of constructive international dialogue, on an equal footing, on the promotion and protection of human rights. We are convinced that the main task of the Human Rights Council is to ensure the commitment to universal human values enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, not the immediate interests of a narrow circle of Western political elites.

My delegation would like to thank Ambassador Federico Villegas for his statement and briefing (see A/77/PV.24). Iran aligns itself with the statement made by the representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defence of the Charter of the United Nations (see A/77/PV.24). Initiated and developed by the valuable contributions of all civilizations and cultures, human rights should be seen as the common heritage of humankind. My Government views the protection and promotion of human rights as an indispensable aspect in ensuring national security, stability and prosperity. Iran welcomes the renewed multilateralism, but, unfortunately, it is increasingly being undermined by a growing resort to unilateralism and attempts to ignore the purposes and principles set out in the Charter of the United Nations, with the application of unilateral, coercive measures. We condemn any attack on multilateralism, which violates human rights by hindering the well-being of populations in targeted countries, particularly women and children. Intensifying unilateral coercive measures against populations in developing countries continues to hamper their ability to mitigate the multilayered socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic. The United States must be held to account for the massive, systematic and gross violations of human rights perpetuated as a result of these unlawful and brutal sanctions. Iran believes that constructive dialogue and cooperation should be the bedrock of the Human Rights Council’s work. It is essential to safeguard the United Nations human rights machinery against political biases that could compromise the fundamental principles of universality, impartiality, objectivity and non-selectivity in its functions. In that regard, the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), as a transparent and universal mechanism, based on collaboration, interactive dialogue and the equal treatment of all States, examines the human rights situation in all United Nations Member States, including Iran, on a regular basis and provides an avenue for improving human rights through the adoption of appropriate measures. The Iranian Government has consistently demonstrated constructive and voluntary cooperation within the framework of the UPR. In the work of the Council, it is unfortunate that politicization and manipulation have increased mistrust and have undermined the effectiveness of its work. In that way, human rights discourse has been framed and weaponized by a certain group of States to score points in their political conflicts with their adversaries. Regrettably, the same countries still prefer to resort to the dysfunctional and counterproductive practice of proposing a country-specific resolution that has no value but increases confrontation within the Council. In reiterating its principled position on the non-recognition and rejection of country-specific mandates, the Islamic Republic of Iran disassociates itself from that portion (Human Rights Council resolution 49/24) of the Human Rights Council report (A/77/53 and A/77/53/Add.1). We believe that the special procedures mandate holders should also exercise their functions in full respect for the code of conduct contained in the relevant Human Rights Council resolutions, while reaffirming that impartiality and professionalism are critical to ensuring the effective functioning of the mandate holders. Nonetheless, my Government continues to interact in a genuine manner with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and other competent United Nations human rights mechanisms. My delegation believes that all States should have an equal chance to be represented in the United Nations human rights mechanisms. A more balanced representation, in terms of both legal and cultural systems, as well as geographically, would provide for better understanding among States and the United Nations human rights mechanisms. Finally, the Islamic Republic of Iran remains seriously concerned about the grave violations of human rights perpetrated by the United States, the Israeli regime, Canada and the United Kingdom and within European Union (EU) territory through the prevalent practice of resorting to apartheid, occupation, terrorism, violent extremism, racism, racial discrimination, hate speech, targeted attacks against Muslims and violence and discrimination against indigenous peoples. Acknowledging what was mentioned — the gravity of the human rights violations in those States — calls on us to take urgent action. To sum up, contrary to unfounded and unsubstantiated accusations made by the EU, I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate that the Islamic Republic of Iran has always been and remains fully committed to the promotion and protection of human rights, as well as to fulfilling its relevant obligations under its internationally recognized human rights mechanisms. I conclude my remarks by hoping that the Human Rights Council will advocate for multilateralism as the cornerstone of the United Nations system, afford equal attention to all human rights, including the right to development, and avoid permitting its framework to be exploited for political ends.

Ethiopia congratulates Ambassador Federico Villegas on his election as President of the Human Rights Council and looks forward to the constructive engagement with the Council under his presidency. The Ethiopian Government is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights. The profound reforms that we have embarked upon over the past four years and the results that we have achieved on all fronts, including in human rights, speak for themselves. However, to our dismay, Ethiopia has been unfairly treated in the Human Rights Council. For more than a year, unnecessary political pressure has been placed on Ethiopia by some members in the Council, and biased actions were taken against my country. The actions were taken against Ethiopia’s consent despite the steps that had been taken by the Government to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights, which went unheeded. The Government of Ethiopia has taken various measures to ensure accountability and redress with regard to the conflict. It has facilitated efforts and is implementing the recommendations of the joint investigation by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission. To that end, it has established an interministerial task force and is working tirelessly to implement the recommendations of the joint investigative team. Despite our objections and our consent, the Council established an international commission of human rights experts on Ethiopia, which is unproductive. That action is nothing but politically motivated. Furthermore, the allegation mentioned in that commission’s report is baseless and lacks objectivity, professionalism and impartiality. Ethiopia rejects the report, the commission and its mandate. Once again, it serves no purpose, as it fails to support the Government’s ongoing efforts to ensure accountability and justice, and it undermines international cooperation in the field of human rights. There is nothing in the report that has not already been recommended by the joint investigative team. It is a duplication of efforts and a waste of resources. Recently, the commission’s term was extended by a narrow vote, and we hope that this will be its last term. Ethiopia is taking measures to bring perpetrators of human rights violations to justice. The international task force that was established following the recommendation of the joint investigation team will soon be publishing its findings as to some areas affected by the conflict. While we are expediting the work in this regard, my delegation reiterates the commitment of the Government of Ethiopia to resolving the conflict peacefully under the auspices of the African Union and to working tirelessly for the promotion and protection of human rights.

My delegation has taken note of the report introduced by the President of the Human Rights Council (A/77/53 and A/77/53/Add.1) (see A/77/ PV.24). We would like to congratulate Mr. Volker Türk on assuming his new post as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. My delegation aligns itself with the statement made by the representative of Venezuela on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defence of the United Nations Charter. I would like to make the following observations in my national capacity. The Syrian Arab Republic believes in the need to respect the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter as the basis for a single global order that can address the various increasing challenges that humankind faces, foremost of which is the right of all peoples to enjoy their human rights. My delegation reiterates our steadfast position that rejects the politicization of human rights issues and mechanisms and their use to serve the interests of certain States Members of the United Nations while targeting others, including my country, Syria, in order to attain objectives that have nothing to do with international law, the United Nations Charter or human rights instruments. Those mechanisms claim to carry out neutral assessments of the human rights situations in certain countries, but in most cases they do not have the acceptance and approval of the country concerned, nor does the country concerned participate in those assessments. Moreover, reports issued by those mechanisms rely on secondary sources or so-called open sources that often lack credibility. Consequently, my delegation stresses the importance of avoiding the misuse of the United Nations to achieve objectives that run contrary to the purposes and principles enshrined in its founding Charter. My delegation reiterates our position in rejecting the work of the so-called Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, which was created without the consent of my country’s Government and even without consulting with it. We reiterate our rejection of the Commission’s mandate and its periodic and special reports as well as its conclusions and recommendations, because the Commission has always proved to be a politicized mechanism that lacks objectivity and professionalism. The most prominent evidence of that is its recent report where it tried to gloss over the terrorist character of groups on the Security Council’s sanctions list and improve the standing of armed separatist groups supported by the United States occupying forces, while putting those groups on an equal footing with the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic in relation to its commitment to protecting human rights. My delegation reiterates its steadfast and principled position rejecting, in particular, the so-called country resolutions that are adopted under item 4 of the Human Rights Council agenda, “Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention”. Those resolutions, including the resolution on the human rights situation in the Syrian Arab Republic, reflect a biased and unfair approach. In fact, the resolution on Syria is still used by the State that sponsored it as a basis for promoting its allegations and stories about the situation in my country, advancing non-consensual concepts and engaging the Council in issues that are outside its jurisdiction. The Human Rights Council continues to ignore reports on the negative effects of the unilateral coercive measures illegally imposed by the United States, the European Union (EU) and others on peoples of a number of Member States, including my own country, Syria, which proves the partiality and double standards of a number of Council mechanisms, and ignores the effects of aggression, foreign occupation and the use of terrorism as a means of achieving the political objectives of EU countries and the United States. They target the developing countries and prevent their peoples from enjoying all human rights, foremost of which is the right to life and the right to development in all its forms. My delegation reiterates its support for agenda item 7, entitled “Human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories”, as well as its related mandates and reports. That agenda item is organically linked to the continued violations of the Israeli occupation that constitute a stark embodiment of racism and hatred in their worst forms. Syria remains steadfast in its principled position of supporting the rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination and the establishment of an independent State on all their territories, with Jerusalem as its capital. In addition, the right of refugees to return must be ensured pursuant to resolution 194 (III) of 1948. The Syrian Arab Republic reiterates its call for granting the State of Palestine full membership at the United Nations Organization and ensuring that the Palestinian people enjoy all human rights, including the right to development. In conclusion, my delegation states that the Syrian Arab Republic is ready to continue to work with the Human Rights Council to scale up its efficiency as an international mechanism to promote global respect for human rights based on the principles of impartiality, objectivity and non-selectivity.

Chile wishes to thank the President of the Human Rights Council, Ambassador Federico Villegas, for introducing the Council’s annual report to the General Assembly (A/77/53 and A/77/53/Add.1 (see A/77/ PV.24)). This opportunity allows us to re-evaluate the achievements of the Council and to exchange views on the challenges that the Council is obligated to face, always with a view to strengthening this essential multilateral mechanism. My country will take a seat on the Human Rights Council for the period 2023-2025. We would like to express our gratitude for the broad support and trust of so many countries for our candidacy and to acknowledge that we are assuming our mandate with responsibility in an extremely challenging context for the human rights protection in the world, given the climate and human mobility crisis, war, and the economic and social consequences of the coronavirus disease pandemic. We believe in the Council’s preventive role and its special procedures in confronting potential human rights violations. The Council must be forceful in condemning such violations but also in assisting countries in strengthening and rebuilding national capacities, which will enable them to guarantee and protect the rights of all persons. Besides that, the Council is duty-bound to promptly, firmly and unambiguously respond to flagrant, systematic and widespread abuses and violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law wherever they occur, in coordination with other United Nations bodies. Chile would like to express its gratitude for the considerable contribution made by the various special procedures, treaty bodies and other States in the context of the Universal Periodic Review to strengthen the rule of law and promote human rights in our country. Similarly, we would like to thank the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights for its valuable work in promoting and protecting human rights around the world. There is now a perception that the Human Rights Council’s work is increasingly polarized when it addresses country-specific situations or thematic areas related to the development of international human rights law. That must not be a hindrance to regular discussions on ideas that prioritize constructive dialogue and consensus in addressing issues and overcoming differences and mistrust. Today millions of people are seeing their dignity undermined and their most basic human rights restricted for many reasons. It is the chief priority and responsibility of the members of the Council and the international community to protect and uphold the human rights of all persons, without distinction of any kind, whether they are migrants, older persons, women, boys, girls, indigenous peoples, LGBTI persons or persons with disabilities. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and enjoy all human rights and freedoms. Individual national contexts or cultural differences must not make us overlook States’ obligation to promote and respect the rights of all while leaving no one behind.

South Africa would like to thank the President of the Human Rights Council for his presentation of the Council’s annual report to the General Assembly (A/77/53 and A/77/53/Add.1). South Africa sees the Human Rights Council as an important multilateral forum where the members of the international community can work together in a constructive and meaningful way. As such, our country is keenly aware of the importance of creating an enabling environment aimed at the attainment of economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights. We are committed to the premise of making human rights and all fundamental freedoms realizable in practice for all people — an element acknowledged by Member States when we had the honour to be elected to serve on the Human Rights Council for the period from 2023 to 2025. To that end, South Africa intends to be a strong advocate for a balanced agenda for the Council that among other things reflects the primacy of achieving the realization of the right to development, the eradication of poverty and underdevelopment, as well as moral human rights issues, such as the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. South Africa therefore takes a principled stand against the politicization of human rights in pursuing a particular agenda that may seek to undermine multilateralism. We need a Council free of politicization, divisions, selectivity and double standards. We must look at each problem in its full compass of issues. When we address human rights matters, whether they are thematic or country-specific issues, let us look at the full dimension of each problem. South Africa will continue to work for the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. A world that continues to ignore the fundamental importance of the fight against the abomination of racism and racial discrimination is a society that is unwilling to accept its responsibility for past crimes and atrocities. We encourage States to reflect on the injustices that have come before and promote constructive engagement among States and peoples that have been the victims or beneficiaries of racial discrimination. South Africa remains committed to ensuring that the Human Rights Council retains a fair balance between thematic debates and country-specific issues. We will work to ensure that the Council considers the systemic human rights concerns facing humankind, while also considering very specific matters that fairly warrant its attention. I would like to conclude by reaffirming that South Africa will continue to work with all partners to promote and protect all human rights for all, throughout society. It is our firm belief that through the application of those universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated rights we will be able to fundamentally improve society at large.

First of all, my delegation welcomes the President of the Human Rights Council, Mr. Federico Villegas, to the Assembly. We congratulate him on his successful presidency and thank him for his presentation of the report on the work of the Council (A/77/53 and A/77/53/ Add.1). The Kingdom of Morocco reiterates its sincere congratulations to Mr. Volker Türk on his appointment as the new United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. We assure him, as well as the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, of our continued support and full cooperation. The Human Rights Council is a key component of the global human rights architecture. Its importance and relevance are front and centre in an international environment that is now marked by the many effects of the pandemic, obstacles to the realization of human rights, the impact of climate change and natural disasters such as drought and flooding on populations, including the most vulnerable, as well as the consequences of economic and political crises. Those challenges undermine the gains made in advancing civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights and jeopardize development and international peace and security. Morocco reiterates its firm and continued support for the mandate of the Human Rights Council, as laid out in its founding resolution 60/251, as well as in its institutional package. That mandate must continue to foster multilateralism and constructive dialogue, based on impartiality, objectivity and the interdependence of all human rights. The right balance must be maintained between civil and political rights on one hand, and economic, social and cultural rights on the other, within the Human Rights Council. We fully believe in the importance of more active and inclusive multilateralism to meet human rights-related environmental challenges. Together with Costa Rica, the Maldives, Slovenia and Switzerland, Morocco just recently secured the adoption in the General Assembly, following its adoption in the Human Rights Council, of the Assembly’s historic resolution 76/300, which for the first time recognizes access to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as a universal human right that must be enjoyed, promoted, protected and shared. That recognition by the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council validates all the efforts made by the core group over the years, both within the Human Rights Council and in other United Nations bodies. The Kingdom of Morocco has just been elected as a member of the Human Rights Council for the period from 2023 to 2025, beginning on 1 January. It will be Morocco’s third term on the Human Rights Council. We served from 2006 to 2008 as a founding member, holding the position of Vice-President, and then as a member of the Council from 2014 to 2016. Morocco’s election to the Human Rights Council is a testament to the reforms, especially on the institutional and legislative fronts, carried out under the instruction of His Majesty King Mohammed VI to encourage respect for and the protection and promotion of internationally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as a society based on the rule of law and good governance. Morocco’s election is also an acknowledgement of our tireless work in favour of a multilateralism based on solidarity and pragmatism and aimed at strengthening dialogue and international cooperation in support of the universal implementation of human rights values. During its term on the Council, Morocco will continue to work tirelessly for the universal scope of the promotion and protection of human rights and to maintain its productive cooperation with all United Nations human rights mechanisms, in particular the special procedures of the Human Rights Council and the treaty bodies. We will also continue our constructive efforts to strengthen the Human Rights Council and the United Nations human rights system as a whole. I would like to point here to Morocco’s role as an architect of the Universal Periodic Review mechanism, which will begin its fourth cycle in November, as well as Morocco’s status as one of the largest contributors to the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Financial and Technical Assistance for the Implementation of the Universal Periodic Review. Its role should be strengthened and supported, particularly through technical assistance and capacity-building for developing States. In that regard, it is important to note that at 1.15 p.m. on 3 November, at United Nations Headquarters here in New York, Morocco and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights will organize a side event on the theme “Supporting States, realizing rights: the fourth cycle of the universal periodic review and the fifteenth anniversary of the Voluntary Fund for Financial and Technical Assistance for the Implementation of the Universal Periodic Review”. The event will be an opportunity to take stock of the implementation of the recommendations received during previous reviews and to renew efforts aimed at strengthening that implementation. We are confident that the valuable contribution of the President of the Human Rights Council to that event will be highly appreciated. In conclusion, I would like to reaffirm that Morocco will remain fully committed to the promotion and protection of internationally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms and will continue to be a strong supporter of the mandate of the Human Rights Council, as the main United Nations body responsible for monitoring the implementation of one of the three pillars of our Organization.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea aligns itself with the statement delivered by the representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defence of the Charter of the United Nations (see A/77/PV.24). We would like to take this opportunity to express our firm, principled position on the promotion and protection of human rights. Human rights issues should be addressed in a way that promotes international cooperation and constructive dialogue on a fair and equal basis, taking into account the political, historical, social, religious and cultural particularities of each country. In no circumstances should human rights issues be abused for political purposes. In that context, we totally reject the annual resolution on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea that is forcibly adopted in the Human Rights Council (resolution 49/22). The anti-Democratic People’s Republic of Korea human rights resolution is manipulated for the sake of a sinister political plot that has no relevance to the genuine promotion and protection of human rights. We therefore feel no need to waste our breath on this resolution, which offers nothing but lies and plots and severely distorts the real situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. We will neither accept nor recognize the Special Rapporteur or the human rights resolution because they are typical products of the ongoing dishonest and hostile policy against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea pursued by certain forces. In order for the United Nations to remain truly faithful to its mission for the global promotion and protection of human rights, it should treat all Member States equally, in conformity with its vital principles of impartiality, objectivity and strict neutrality. It should also discharge its responsibilities correctly in order to prevent a recurrence of acts of injustice, the suppression of justice and untruths covering the truth, among other things. We believe that the Human Rights Council should shape the international human rights forum into one that genuinely promotes and protects human rights by ensuring impartiality, objectivity and non-selectivity as the basis for its activities. We strongly condemn and reject the European Union’s groundless accusations directed at the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which are a grave political provocation aimed at tarnishing our image and undermining our social system. We once again urge the European Union to cease all of its hostile acts committed under the pretext of protecting human rights and to clean up the serious human rights abuses and violations in their own member States rather than taking issue with the non-existent problems of others. In conclusion, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will continue to enhance its people’s human rights and actively join the international community in its efforts to realize the true protection and promotion of human rights.

Romania aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the European Union (see A/77/PV.24), and I would like to add some remarks in my national capacity. We commend the work the Human Rights Council has done since its inception, as clearly stated in the report before us today (A/77/53 and A/77/53/Add.1), as well as its central role in strengthening the human rights pillar of the United Nations. Contributing to the enhancement of the Human Rights Council’s efficiency and its proactive role should be one of the day-to-day commitments in our work, as that is key to enhancing its outreach globally. Romania is equally attached to the whole-of-United Nations human rights mechanism, the Universal Periodic Review, as well as to its accountability and investigation mechanisms, which all contribute to strengthening the United Nations human rights pillar. On 11 October, Romania was elected for a third term as a member of the Human Rights Council for the period from 2023 to 2025. We are very determined to focus on those main priority areas where we believe our experience and proven commitment can bring about positive transformations and have a meaningful impact on the work of the Council in order to foster democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Romania will continue to act coherently and speak with determination against all forms of discrimination. We plan to capitalize on our national experience in combating discrimination, racism, radicalization and hate speech and in fostering social integration in order to advance the tolerance and inclusion agenda throughout the work of the Council. We will continue to fight for achieving institutional gender parity and access to public life and decision-making positions, eliminating discrimination and stereotypes as well as pay gaps. Romania will continue to build on what has already been achieved and will be a reliable partner, including with regard to the exchange of good practices and sharing its experience in the areas of gender equality, non-discrimination and ruling out violence, abuse and harassment. We will encourage and rely on the new generations that are seizing the moment to reimagine economies, societies and political systems. We must act swiftly to improve the condition of women and ensure respect for their rights and freedoms all over the world, be it in Afghanistan or Iran. We will focus on defending a free, independent and pluralistic media space, traditional or digital, protecting journalists and other media workers from intimidation, harassment and violence, combating hate speech, offline and online, and fostering education for media literacy. It is our strong view that ensuring the full exercise of religious freedom is a means of combating intolerance and radicalization in all of its forms. We firmly reject any form of intolerance and violence that is ethnically or religiously motivated. We have the duty to firmly fight such developments. In the current international context, it is all the more important to act in order to put an end to the numerous human rights violations that we are currently facing. Against that background, every country has a duty and the full responsibility to do so. The Council has a crucial role to play in that regard. As we have all seen, Russia’s illegal and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine not only represents a major threat to global security, but it is also an attack against the very values of democracy and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine caused widespread human suffering, civilian casualties, damage to civilian infrastructure, the deprivation of their access to education and essential health services and large-scale displacement. In the areas under Russian military control, the aggression has also resulted in a serious deterioration of the human rights situation for the local population, ranging from summary executions, torture, arbitrary detentions, forced deportations, as well as restrictions on the freedom of movement and the freedom of expression. Romania has strongly condemned Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as Russia’s indiscriminate and deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure. Since the very beginning, Romania has provided resolute support to Ukraine and the resulting refugees through a multidimensional approach. More than 2.6 million Ukrainian citizens entered Romania, of whom more than 81,000 remained — mostly women and children. Among our most recent measures, I would like to mention the adoption of the national plan of measures on the protection and inclusion of displaced persons from Ukraine, under which they are beneficiaries of temporary protection in Romania. We did so because we believe that the inclusion of the Ukrainian refugees into the Romanian social protection and benefits system will offer them the best protection. Romania thereby became the first European Union country with a medium- and long- term vision for the protection of Ukrainian refugees. The Romanian authorities, in cooperation with its international partners and civil society, have done their utmost to ensure the protection of the most vulnerable refu­ gees, especially women and children, as well as to create a climate of normality through access to the labour market, education, health and help-lines, including through meas­ ures aimed at preventing trafficking in human beings. We will continue to work for a stronger, more cohe­ sive, inclusive and efficient Council, consistent with our commitment to multilateralism, the rules-based inter­ national order and a comprehensive approach towards peace and security, set in a wider global engagement for democracy and human rights.

We have heard the last speaker on this item. The exercise of the right of reply has been requested. I would like to remind members that state­ ments in the right of reply are limited to 10 minutes for the first intervention and five minutes for the second, and should be made by delegations from their seats. I now give the floor to the representative of China.

The Chinese delegation takes the floor in exercise of its right of reply in response to the statement made by the American delegation. The United States has once again misused a General Assembly meeting in order to fabricate disinformation against China, which China firmly opposes. The Third Committee of the General Assembly is in session as we speak. In that forum, the United States has lashed out as many as 11 times in order to provoke confronta­ tion with a malicious smear campaign against China, which China sternly rejects. The United States seems to care more about human rights in China than in its own country. Is it really so altruistic? Of course not. While the United States pays lip service to human rights, the real purpose is to thwart China’s development, with the ultimate aim of maintaining its hegemony. The United States rejects facts and truths, makes up endless lies and engages in coercive diplomacy. On 6 October, the Human Rights Council unequivo­ cally rejected draft decision A/HRC/51/L.6, concocted by the United States and other Western countries on the Xinjiang issue, and unequivocally refused to endorse the former High Commissioner’s so-called assessment of the Xinjiang issue. The plot was foiled and the manoeuvre defeated. But, being a sore loser, the United States went to the Third Committee of the General Assembly and to the Assembly itself in order to rehash the Xinjiang issue in another unprovoked attack against China by egging Canada on to spearhead a joint statement against China and organizing a so-called side event on Xinjiang, attended by a small clique of Western countries. This interminable, poorly executed show fails to conceal the United States political agenda of containing China by exploiting the Xinjiang issue. Rather, it serves to expose the United States. Today it is China that is in the cross­ hairs; tomorrow it will be some other developing countries. The joint statement delivered by the representative of Cuba, on behalf of 66 countries, represents and illustrates the clear position of the general membership against the politicization of human rights issues and interference in the internal affairs of other countries. The hypocrisy of the United States, pretending to defend human rights but actually pursuing and maintaining hegemony, has long been seen for what it is by the international community. It is the United States that committed the crime of genocide by massacring American Indians. Through its policies since its establishment, the United States has purpose­ fully and systematically slaughtered and plundered American Indians. That is the original sin that the United States cannot shake. No genocide took place in China’s Xinjiang province. But genocide did take place on the very soil beneath our feet, at United Nations Headquarters. It is in the United States where systemic racial discrimination is prevalent. The Lancet, a general medical journal, reports that between 1980 and 2018 some 30,800 people were killed through police brutality in the United States, with African Americans 3.5 times more likely to die than white Americans. During the coronavirus disease pandemic, the incidence of anti-Asian hate crimes in the United States soared, thanks to instigation by United States politicians. Hate crimes against Asians in New York city skyrocketed by a whopping 361 per cent in 2021, as compared to 2020. I ask the United States representatives for no more arrogance and prejudice. They should abandon their double standards without delay and stop telling other countries what to do. We all know full-well the human rights situation in the United States. We hope that the United States recognizes its own wrongdoings and owns up to them rather than fail to correct them and compound its mistakes.

The Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consid­ eration of agenda item 63.