Mr / Mme (Vice-) President,

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

The candidate countries Türkiye, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Ukraine, Republic of Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina* and Georgia, the EFTA country Liechtenstein,  member of the European Economic Area, as well as Armenia align themselves with this statement.

The European Union reaffirms its strong support and commitment to the Universal Periodic Review as a valuable and unique mechanism for promoting and protecting human rights in all countries.

With the fourth cycle underway, we stress the importance to continue with the 100 per cent rate of participation and urge all States to stay fully engaged in the process.

Mr / Mme (Vice-) President,

The UPR is a multi-stakeholder process that is closely linked to and complementary with the work of treaty bodies, special procedures and other human rights mechanisms. 

The contribution of the civil society is essential in the preparation of the UPR sessions, the implementation of their outcomes, and in contributing to the quality of the national reports. 

The EU will therefore maintain its firm stance in opposing and condemning any threat or act of violence, intimidation, harassment, transnational repressions and reprisals against individuals and civil society organizations who have cooperated with the UN and its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights, be they online or offline. The EU will continue to defend the valuable work of civil society organizations, human rights defenders, journalists and human rights lawyers. 

We also recall the importance of national mechanisms for implementation, reporting and follow-up in the implementation of the UPR recommendations. National parliaments, National Human Rights institutions as well as many other segments of society are essential in ensuring that the UPR process has a real, positive impact on the ground.

Finally, please allow me to reiterate the full EU support to the UPR as well as call on all states to approach the process in good faith, ensuring that human rights commitments translate into real improvements for people around the world.

Thank you.