Never fail in efforts for human rights.

Within the framework of the High-Level Session of the 55th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HURC) in Geneva on February 26, UN leaders emphasized urgent efforts to ensure human rights in the face of numerous current risks.

Khóa họp lần thứ 55 Hội đồng Nhân quyền LHQ: Không bao giờ được phép thất bại trước các nỗ lực vì quyền con người

The high-level meeting of the 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva emphasized ensuring human rights in the context of the current complex international situation. (Source: United Nations)

Ensuring human rights “in all circumstances”

Speaking at the Geneva Human Rights Council (Switzerland) at the start of its first high-level session of the year, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed that any further extension of Israel's ground operation in the southern Gaza Strip "will not only cause horror for the more than one million Palestinians sheltering there but will also 'drive the final nail in the coffin' of our aid programs."

During the meeting with the UN Secretary-General on the sidelines of the High-level Meeting, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son welcomed the Secretary-General's initiatives such as "Our Common Agenda" and the Future Summit in September 2024, and shared Vietnam's recent efforts such as adopting the Roadmap for Realizing the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, implementing climate change commitments at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP), including the implementation of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP).

At the session, the top human rights body also heard the UN chief point out how the rule of law and conflict norms are being undermined from Ukraine to Sudan and from Myanmar to the Democratic Republic of Congo and beyond.

The UN Secretary-General reiterated his long-standing concern that the UN Security Council is weakened, saying the most powerful body of the UN “is too often deadlocked, unable to act on the most important peace and security issues of our time.”

Mr. Guterres commented that the Security Council's lack of unity on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and on Israel's military activities in Gaza after Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023 "has seriously weakened the Security Council's authority."

The UN secretary-general is pushing for reforms to the “composition and working methods” of the 15-member body.

In his call for just and lasting solutions to these conflicts and other serious threats to human rights around the world, the UN chief stressed that the Future Summit in September would be an ideal opportunity for member states to “reinforce their renewed commitment to work for peace and security rooted in human rights.”

Mr. Guterres also pledged the UN's global support to all governments in this effort, and announced the launch of the UN Protection Agenda, in partnership with the UN human rights office, OHCHR.

“Under this Agenda, the United Nations will act as an organization that prevents human rights violations, and identifies and responds to them when they occur... The protection commitment of all UN agencies is: to do our utmost to protect people,” the Secretary-General said.

Action - what to do now

Welcoming the UN chief's initiative and offering to help promote people's fundamental rights “in all circumstances, no matter how challenging”, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned that the UN's efforts were at serious risk due to “continued actions aimed at undermining the legitimacy and work of the UN and other organizations”.

According to Mr. Türk, in recent times, there has been a lot of misinformation targeting humanitarian organizations and UN peacekeeping forces. This organization has become a place to blame for policy failures.

Meanwhile, warning that international humanitarian law and even the UN Charter are under increasing threat around the world, UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis stressed that it is time for all global citizens to join hands.

According to Mr. Francis, today, 75 years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted, conflicts, the impacts of climate change, including the existential threat of rising sea levels, have left 300 million people in dire need of humanitarian assistance, about 114 million of whom are refugees.

The President of the UN General Assembly stressed: “We cannot be heartless observers, much less be seen as accomplices to those who commit crimes… We must act.”

Referring to the crisis in the Middle East, Mr. Francis said that the suffering of innocent civilians in Gaza had reached “unbearable heights.”

UN General Assembly President Francis told representatives of 47 countries that more than 90% of the population of the affected region had been displaced and was now “on the brink of famine and trapped in the abyss of a public health disaster”.

And as the conflict continues in Gaza, “the most vulnerable are suffering the most”, “hostages and their families are living in misery; women and children are facing a desperate and uncertain future; innocent civilians are caught in the crossfire that unfairly threatens their lives”.

To help the most vulnerable, not only in Gaza but also in Ukraine, Haiti, Yemen, Sudan… The President of the UN General Assembly emphasized: “We must not let the victims down – the victims of human rights violations… We must never fail”.

Mr Francis also mentioned the need for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in Gaza and humanitarian corridors to provide aid to some 1.5 million homeless Palestinians.

The call by the President of the UN General Assembly came days after receiving a letter from the head of the UN agency for Palestinians - UNRWA, warning of a "major disaster" in Gaza and the West Bank, as Israel froze $450 million from dozens of donors.

“I urge states to maintain their contributions to the vital funding needed for UNRWA to carry out its binding responsibilities towards the Palestinian people,” said Mr. Francis. “Even amid the current extraordinary challenges, UNRWA has been and continues to be an indispensable lifeline of support for the Palestinian people.”

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