Thank you, Mr. President,

I have the honour to deliver this Statement on behalf of the European Union.

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

In a time of unprecedented global challenges and escalating conflicts, we emphasize the central importance of multilateralism for the protection and promotion of human rights worldwide. Multilateralism is not only a principle of international co-operation, but also a fundamental tool for addressing the global challenges we face. 

The Preamble of the VDPA of 1993 recognized the concept of rule of law as a principle of international law in the following terms: “Considering the major changes taking place on the international scene and the aspirations of all the peoples for an international order based on the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, including promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all and respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, peace, democracy, justice, equality, rule of law, pluralism, development, better standards of living and solidarity,”

With the adoption of the Vienna Declaration and Plan of Action (VDPA), all States reaffirmed that human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated. The VDPA reiterates that human rights and fundamental freedoms are the birthright of all human beings and calls upon States not to create a hierarchy of rights. The universal nature of these rights and freedoms belong to our common humanity. It is the duty of States, regardless of their political, economic and cultural systems, to respect, protect and fulfil all human rights. This fundamental principle of the international human rights architecture is of utmost relevance.

In an increasingly globalized world, where human rights are under attack on all continents equally, it is essential that states work together to defend common values and find solutions.  Multilateralism enables us to address these complex problems through cooperation, dialogue and shared responsibility. The Human Rights Council itself is a prime example of the success of multilateral institutions. Through close co-operation between member states and civil society, we can regularly highlight human rights violations, set human rights standards and establish effective mechanisms for monitoring and enforcement and achieve justice and accountability. 

In addition, multilateralism strengthens solidarity between states and promotes the exchange of best practices, allowing us to achieve a social and international order in which human rights can be fully realized. We must therefore continue to promote commitment to multilateralism to ensure that everyone's human rights are respected and protected.

I thank you.