UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

55th Session

Item 10 General Debate on Technical assistance and capacity-building

3 April 2024

EU statement

Thank you, Mr. President,

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the European Union.

The candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Republic of Moldova^* and the EFTA country Liechtenstein, member of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this statement.

The EU thanks the High Commissioner for the reports presented to the Council. Technical cooperation is a critical component of the OHCHR’s mandate and we commend the Office’s unwavering commitment to assist States in their efforts to respect, protect and fulfil human rights for all, make progress towards the SDGs, and help building national resilience for long-term or ‘upstream’ prevention.

The EU is deeply concerned about the UN liquidity crisis impacting the human rights bodies and mechanisms, including OHCHR, and exacerbating existing challenges stemming from insufficient, unpredictable and unsustainable funding. The EU and its member states remain committed to supporting the Office, and we urge all United Nations Member States to fulfil their financial responsibilities and obligations.

The European Union welcomes Georgia’s commitment to implementing its obligations under international human rights law through the ongoing cooperation with the OHCHR. We welcome the progress made on gender equality. The EU notes that some challenges persist as regards the exercise of the right to freedom of assembly and expression, with the violent attacks targeting participants of Tbilisi Pride both in 2021 and in 2023 being of particular concern. The EU emphasizes the importance of safeguarding the rights of LGBT persons and those belonging to marginalized groups, combatting discrimination, and addressing hate speech. The EU recalls Georgia’s commitments to strengthening the rule of law, fundamental rights, the independence, integrity and accountability of the judiciary in line with the EU-accession process. It also welcomes the adoption of the second National Strategy for the Protection of Human Rights in Georgia 2022-2030 and the Human Rights Action Plan 2024-2026 which address a wide range of human rights issues.

We remain steadfast in our support for Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty within its internationally recognised borders. The EU reiterates its call for immediate and unimpeded access for OHCHR and international and regional human rights organizations and mechanisms, to Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia so that they may contribute to further advancement with respect to  human rights, as well as to confidence-building. We are seriously concerned about the persisting human rights violations committed therein reported by the High Commissioner and echo his calls for accountability.

The European Union welcomes the Philippines’ commitment to implementing its obligations under international human rights law. We welcome the work conducted under the first-ever national-level UN Joint Programme (UNJP), signed between the Government of the Philippines and the United Nations and launched in July 2021, with strong support from civil society, the national Commission on Human Rights, as well as the international community (including 400.000€ contributed by the EU). After some delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, all six Technical Working Groups started their work. We regret that the UNJP will end in July 2024, while not all program objectives have been achieved yet, particularly regarding domestic investigative and accountability mechanisms. We strongly encourage the Government of the Philippines to continue and consolidate the achievements, ensuring a leading role for the Philippines Commission on Human Rights and close participation by civil society. The EU remains ready to support the Philippines in its efforts ahead.

The EU welcomes the cooperation between Ukraine and the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission. The technical advice provided by the Mission over the years has been instrumental for strengthening Ukraine’s policy and legal framework on human rights. In the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the Mission plays a particularly vital role in conducting independent and impartial monitoring, and presenting evidence-based reports. These endeavours are an important contribution to the ongoing efforts aiming at accountability for all international crimes and human rights violations stemming from the Russian war of aggression. The EU encourages Ukraine to continue its cooperation with the Mission, in view of ensuring that the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine is based on human rights and promotes the dignity and rights of all without discrimination of any kind.

With regard to the situations in Central African Republic, Colombia, Mali, South Sudan, Haiti and Democratic Republic of Congo, we would like to refer to our statements during the respective interactive dialogues.

I thank you.

* North Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.