Berset calls for respect for human rights in Geneva
Published: Tuesday, Dec 12th 2023, 12:10
Updated At: Tuesday, Dec 12th 2023, 12:10
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At the meeting to mark the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at the United Nations (UN) in Geneva, President Alain Berset called for it to be upheld. Berset called for the fight against human rights violations.
The current picture is mixed. Although there has been progress in the fight against impunity for serious human rights violations, there have also been setbacks, the President of the Swiss Confederation told several heads of state and numerous ministers at the United Nations (UN).
As the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East have shown, several regions have suffered from a policy of hatred, stigmatization and discrimination.
Human rights "are still inadequately implemented and too systematically violated in many countries", continued Berset. The President of the Swiss Confederation therefore called for "concrete commitments" and the fight against increasing authoritarianism. Human rights can never be taken for granted and their protection must be constantly "reaffirmed".
"Global public good"
The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, also lamented "failures in the implementation of human rights". He described them as a "global public good" and called on the heads of state and government to commit to them. Human rights are "our best solution" in the face of a world full of tensions, he added.
Türk also called for "radical change" to combat inequalities in areas such as climate, the economy and the digital world. He called on governments to overcome the divisions between societies and find compromises.
For her part, Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar received applause when she refused to choose between Israelis and Palestinians. "I choose team humanity," she affirmed.
Her Senegalese counterpart Macky Sall complained that the international community was not in a position to achieve a ceasefire in the Palestinian territory. And Polish President Andrzej Duda, referring to the Russian massacres in Ukraine, said there was "still a lot to do".
Commitment to human rights
By Monday, more than 150 countries and international organizations had pledged to promote human rights, from women's rights to legal reforms and efforts to combat climate change.
For example, Switzerland has pledged to improve the protection of women and girls from violence and to extend the protection of people with disabilities. It also wants to do more to promote human rights on the international stage. In addition, Switzerland's contribution to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is to be increased to a total of CHF 5.5 million per year over the next two years.
On Tuesday, Berset took the opportunity for several bilateral meetings - including with Macky Sall, who is rumored to want to become the next UN Secretary-General.
Switzerland and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (Unhcr) co-hosted the conference. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was proclaimed in the aftermath of the Second World War at the UN General Assembly in Paris on December 10, 1948.
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