Luxembourg Reaffirms Equality, Human Rights at UNHRC Meeting

On Monday 28 February 2022, Luxembourg's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, participated in the 49th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, Switzerland.

This 49th session marked Luxembourg's first participation in the ministerial segment of the UNHRC in its capacity as an elected member of the Human Rights Council (HRC).

In his speech during the high-level segment, Minister Asselborn recalled Luxembourg's four main priorities for his mandate at the HRC. These priorities are support for the rule of law, civic space and human rights defenders, as well as sustainable development and climate action based on human rights, gender equality and the fight against discrimination and the protection and promotion of children's rights.

Minister Asselborn reaffirmed Luxembourg's commitment to respecting and promoting the purposes and principles set out in the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights during his term of office. In this context, he denounced the military aggression by Russia in Ukraine, pointing out that the most serious human rights violations are perpetrated during armed conflicts.

Minister Asselborn recalled that the war in Ukraine was unfortunately not the only armed conflict which threatened full respect for human rights at present, thus taking care not to forget the conflicts in Afghanistan, Yemen, Ethiopia and Palestine.

Minister Asselborn concluded: “Respect for human rights is one of the noblest ambitions ever expressed by humanity. At a time when war is once again showing its chilling grimace, it is more important than ever to demonstrate our resolve to uphold our supreme maxim that all human beings are born equal in dignity and rights.”

The trip to Geneva was also an opportunity for Minister Asselborn to conduct several bilateral meetings. Thus, Minister Asselborn spoke with the Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Among the topics discussed were the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic on international trade, the holding of the next ministerial conference, the reform of the WTO as well as the impact of the crisis in Ukraine on prices and global food supply.

Minister Asselborn then met his Palestinian counterpart, Riad Malki, to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East. Minister Asselborn reaffirmed the importance of ending impunity in the occupied Palestinian territories. He also spoke with Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélany Joly, about the international community's response to the war in Ukraine.

Minister Asselborn then met with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet. In particular, the various missions carried out by the HRC around the world were mentioned. The High Commissioner thanked Luxembourg for its efforts in favor of the protection of human rights within multilateral forums and was delighted that Luxembourg could now contribute even more as a member of the Human Rights Council.

Knowing that one of Luxembourg's main priorities for its mandate on the Human Rights Council is to support the active participation of civil society and human rights defenders in the work of the Council, it was important for Minister Asselborn to also meet representatives of non-governmental organisations Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and International Service for Human Rights to learn more about their work and priorities.

Minister Asselborn also met the Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The meeting notably allowed to discuss the global response to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The cooperation between Luxembourg and the WHO, as well as international efforts to ensure equitable access to vaccines, including the commitment of Luxembourg and the European Union through the COVAX vaccine donation mechanism, were also mentioned.