Item 2 - General debate. Norway. (11.09.2024)

STATEMENT

Human Rights Council 57th Session.
Item 2 - General debate.

Statement delivered by Ambassador Mr. Tormod C. ENDRESEN,
Permanent Representative of Norway.

                                                                       

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11 September 2024


President, 

In ten days, our leaders will meet in New York to adopt the Pact for the Future. Our collective ambitions for the Pact must remain high. To address current and future challenges, we need an effective, transparent and representative multilateral system that actively promotes and protects all human rights.  

The Pact, including the Global Digital Compact, must affirm that our multilateral efforts are rooted in international law, including international human rights law. It must also highlight the importance of women’s rights and gender equality. 

Last year’s Human Rights 75 initiative demonstrated the relevance of UDHR in our time. We cannot miss the opportunity of the Pact for the Future to reclaim human rights as effective problem-solving tools, for more peaceful, more sustainable and more equal societies.  

In implementing these ambitions, we need to strengthen the OHCHR and the human rights mechanisms, including through adequate, predictable and sustainable financing. The part of the total UN regular budget allocated to OHCHR stands at 5%. Member states should invest more in the work that we know gives high rates of return, along all three pillars of the UN. And we should enhance cooperation on human rights within the UN system. Moreover, ensuring that new technologies contribute to the full enjoyment of human rights is vital - and a collective responsibility. As is strengthening human rights-based cooperation to prevent conflicts and build sustainable peace.  

Thank you