STATEMENT
Human Rights Council 56th Session.
UPR adoption Norway
Opening remarks
Statement delivered by Ambassador Mr. Tormod C. ENDRESEN,
Permanent Representative of Norway.
Check against delivery
24 March 2025
President/Vice-President, distinguished representatives of Member and Observer States of the Human Rights Council,
It’s an honor for me to present Norway’s formal response to the 285 recommendations we received during our fourth Universal Periodic Review.
Before I continue, I would like to say a big thank you to the States that participated in Norway’s fourth review on 4 November last year for their constructive engagement.
I also would also like to thank the members of the Troika - Cameroon, Cuba and France - for their assistance during the process. And, lastly, I also wish to express our sincere appreciation to the UPR Secretariat for their patient support throughout the entire process, including making the Addendum. With the increased engagement, and the increased number of recommendations, obviously the workload on our colleagues in the Secretariat is increasing accordingly. So thank you very much.
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During our UPR review, the Norwegian delegation, led by State Secretary Evensen, reaffirmed Norway’s steadfast and principled commitment to human rights.
We reiterated how human rights and gender equality are at the core of Norwegian society and domestic policy. And how beyond our national context, we are convinced that this focus brings better outcomes in our foreign policy and international development cooperation.
Just like we firmly believe that upholding international law is absolutely essential to maintaining effective international relations, the Norwegian Government remains committed to fulfilling its human rights obligations at home. We firmly believe that the different UN human rights mechanisms, not least the UPR, play an important role in improving states’ implementation of their international human rights obligations.
As stated during the review, the UPR is a peer review mechanism that engages us in a process of introspection and reflection, both within the government and with civil society. Consulting with civil society and other stakeholders, with the aim of advancing human rights in Norway, is an integral part of the UPR process.
For this reason, the relevant Ministries engaged in a follow-up meeting with various civil society stakeholders to discuss the follow-up and implementation of the recommendations that we received, prior to our submitting the Addendum. We thank all stakeholders for their engagement and input and look forward to working together on the implementation of recommendations.
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President/Vice-President,
We are grateful for all the constructive and positive feedback received from participating countries on Norway’s commitment to promoting human rights, at home and abroad.
At the same time, during our review, it was important to us to insist on the fact that Norway does not claim a perfect record. No country can. As I noted during the review, work on human rights is ongoing and requires constant effort. There will always be room for improvement, and we remain dedicated to making further progress, especially as the challenges we face evolve with our societies.
Turning to our response to the recommendations, it’s important to underscore that we welcome all the recommendations made during the review. They have all been carefully considered.
The recommendations we received covered a wide range of human rights, but we also saw a significant degree of convergence. Three key themes can be highlighted: The first one is the protection of children’s rights, and the functioning of the children’s welfare services. The second one is the protection of women against violence and rape. The third one is the implementation of the CRPD into national law.
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President/Vice-President,
In total, Norway has supported 184 of the 285 recommendations, supported in part 20 recommendations, and noted 81. Many of these were priority areas identified in our National Report for this UPR.
In general, the recommendations that we support are those where Government work is already implemented, is ongoing or is planned. For some recommendations, while we accept the spirit behind them, we cannot commit to the specifics and, therefore, they must be noted. And then there are some, where we after carefully examination, have reconsidered our position.
The implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities into the Human Rights Act is such an example.
The Government recently decided to incorporate the CRPD into the Human Rights Act. The decision was taken after a thorough assessment conducted by a government appointed committee of experts and a broad public consultation of the committee’s report. The Government aims to present a proposition on the incorporation bill to the Parliament in the autumn. When the convention was ratified by Norway in 2013, the Government ascertained legal harmony between Norwegian law and the Convention.
Incorporation into the Human Rights Act entails that the Convention will have the force of Norwegian law and take precedence in the event of conflict with other legislation. By incorporating the Convention into Norwegian law, we will send a strong signal concerning the importance of the rights of persons with disabilities.
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When it comes to the protection of children’s rights and the children’s welfare services, I wish to highlight that the Government late last year announced the establishment of a group of experts. The group of experts has been tasked with making a holistic assessment of how the children’s welfare services are organized and function in order to provide children with the best possible help and necessary services.
When it comes to sexual violence and rape, since the UPR Session in November 2024 the Government has announced that it will present new legislation to Parliament this spring on what constitutes consent.
Also in other areas, the Government is actively taking steps to address on-going challenges, and we remain committed to doing more. Parliament has reviewed the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's report, and the Government is working on following up its recommendations. The Government has also launched an action plan against harassment and discrimination of the Sami people. On a related note, the Government has also launched a new action plan against antisemitism.
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In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that we have come out of our fourth review with an even greater conviction that the UPR plays a vital role in taking stock of where we are when it comes to human rights in Norway, of identifying remaining challenges as well as progress with respect to achieving desired results.
I look forward to hearing from States and civil society before providing my closing remarks.
I thank you