STATEMENT
Human Rights Council 54th Session.
Item 2 – General Debate. Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and report of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General.
Statement delivered by Ambassador Mr. Tormod C. ENDRESEN
Permanent Representative of Norway.
Check against delivery
13 September 2023
High Commissioner,
Thank you for all the valuable work done by you and your office to promote and protect human rights. The independence and integrity of the office is of utmost importance.
We are deeply concerned about the deteriorating human rights situation related to conflict in several countries.
There is no better guarantee for conflict prevention than for Member States to fulfil their human rights obligations. Cooperation with the UN Human Rights system is significant in this regard. The Human Rights Council and the UN Peacebuilding Commission are both important institutional outcomes of the UN reform process almost two decades ago and could cooperate better to strengthen UNs work on conflict prevention.
We call on all states, in particular those in - or emerging from - conflict, to cooperate with the OHCHR and the special procedures and to follow up on the High Commissioner’s recommendations. This facilitates early engagement with potential threats to international peace and security and enables conflict prevention and preventative diplomacy.
By presenting a resolution seeking to enhance technical cooperation with the OHCHR, Colombia, in the previous session of the Council, set a good example by asking for a strengthening of the cooperation with the OHCHR on protecting human rights towards sustainable peace.
Thank you.