UN HRC54: Statement for Item 2 General Debate
Statement for Item 2 General Debate. Delivered by the UK's Ambassador to the WTO and UN, Simon Manley.
High Commissioner,
18 months on from its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia continues to demonstrate total disregard for human rights, human life, and the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity enshrined in the Charter.
Vast numbers of Ukrainian civilians have been detained, deported, tortured and executed. Russia’s latest so-called “elections” on sovereign Ukrainian territory are being conducted at the barrel of a gun. A desperate attempt to seize and consolidate control through violence and repression. You can’t hold elections in someone else’s country.
President Putin can end this war today, end the suffering he has wrought upon the Ukrainian people.
High Commissioner,
It has been over a year since your office published its report on Xinjiang, which found evidence of large-scale internment camps, credible reports of torture, and widespread mistreatment which may constitute “crimes against humanity.”
As you rightly said, strong remedial action is required, yet China has still shown no willingness to engage with the recommendations. We would welcome an update on how your office is taking forward the report’s findings, and again urge China to uphold its international obligations.
The humanitarian and security situation in the Sahel worsens at an alarming rate. As we have seen in Mali, Burkina Faso, and now Niger, the erosion of democracy exacerbates conflict, violence, population displacement, and human rights violations. We firmly support the efforts of regional partners to resolve the crisis. We stand in solidarity with the people of Niger in upholding peace and democracy.
The rise in laws designed to target LGBT+ persons, including in Uganda, threatens the enjoyment of their rights and are deeply concerning. As enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone is entitled to human rights and freedoms, without distinction of any kind. The strongest, safest and most prosperous societies are those in which everyone can live freely, without fear of violence or discrimination, and where all citizens are treated fairly and can play a full and active part in society.