UN Secretary-General António Guterres and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk at the Human Rights Council

SCRIPT

“The pain and the slaughter of so many people in the Middle East, Ukraine, Sudan, Myanmar, Haiti and so many other places around the world are unbearable. And when we discuss, in the coming weeks, country by country, we must remember their faces and their anguish,” Türk said.

“At a time of such atrocious violations, is it naïve to demand that all States uphold their human rights commitments? Or is it crucial – the most important, the most consequential, the most urgent task that any of us could possibly undertake? “

The High Commissioner noted how Member States and many partners came together at the December high-level event to commemorate 75 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It was, he said, an important moment of reflection on the successes and failures to implement human rights, and how we can do better in the future.

By the end of that two-day event, 153 Member States had issued concrete pledges, alongside civil society groups, UN bodies, businesses and others: over 770 pledges, in all. They ranged from commitments to increase women's leadership and employment equality, to tackling extreme poverty, ensuring transitional justice, and improving access to education, healthcare and social protections.

“Today, I am pleased to launch "Human Rights: A Path for Solutions", the distillation of our commemoration year, in the hope it will inform the Summit of the Future. It sets out eight messages to guide renewed action for peace; economies that work for people and planet; effective governance; and guardrails for digital and scientific progress. It broadens the way we think about rights, in ways that can transform societies and our global community,” Türk said.

The UN Human Rights Chief also flagged two overarching concerns that have potential impact on all countries.

“First, negotiations on treaties on pandemic prevention and on cybercrime, as well as on plastic pollution; and global discussions about the regulation of artificial intelligence – all these talks that are currently underway are not sufficiently taking into account human rights obligations, and the human rights harms that could be done,” he said.

The High Commissioner said he was disturbed by attempts to undermine the legitimacy and work of the United Nations and other institution, including via disinformation that targets UN humanitarian organizations, UN peacekeepers and the Un Human Rights Office.

“The UN has become a lightning rod for manipulative propaganda and a scapegoat for policy failures. This is profoundly destructive of the common good, and it callously betrays the many people whose lives rely on it,”Türk said.

The UN, he added, is uniquely equipped to enable States to discuss and resolve pressing global issues – and this convening power is particularly vital now, when the magnitude of conflict, planetary peril and digital transformation requires urgent solutions.

Also speaking on Monday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said we urgently need a new commitment to all human rights – civil, cultural, economic, political and social – as they apply to peace and security, backed by serious efforts at implementation and accountability.

“States have the primary responsibility to protect and promote human rights. To support states in meeting their obligations, I am launching a system-wide United Nations Agenda for Protection, together with the High Commissioner for Human Rights,” he said.

“Under this Agenda, the United Nations, across the full spectrum of our work, will act as one to prevent human rights violations, and to identify and respond to them when they take place.

That is the Protection Pledge of all United Nations bodies: to do their utmost to protect people.”

END

In Geneva:

Ravina Shamdasani - + 41 22 917 9169 / ravina.shamdasani@un.org

Liz Throssell + 41 22 917 9296 / elizabeth.throssell@un.org

Jeremy Laurence - + 41 22 917 9383 / jeremy.laurence@un.org

Marta Hurtado - + 41 22 917 9466 / marta.hurtadogomez@un.org

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