STATEMENT
Human Rights Council 60th Session
Item 1 - Decisions and conclusions
End of session statement Norway
Statement delivered by Ms. Eli Marie Smedsrud,
First Secretary, Human Rights, the Permanent Mission of Norway.
Check against delivery
31 March 2026
The war in the wider Middle East offers many lessons already: Military campaigns often escalate beyond control. Civilians bear the brunt of the burden - always. And our interdependencies make the consequences of war felt immediately, everywhere.
Multilateralism is under severe strain. But we shall not give up. In times like these, we need diplomacy. And we need a UN that stands up for human rights.
Let us point to four ways we could do better in this Council:
First: Let’s become even better at listening to each other, to reconcile our differing views. This session has shown us several positive examples in this regard.
Second: We must continue efforts to manage our workload, to strive for greater coherence, efficiency and impact. Or else we lose sight of why we are here: To translate norms into reality on the ground for rights-holders, especially in testing times.
Norway, in the resolution renewing the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, chose to reduce reporting to New York. We appreciate that other penholders and core groups made similar efforts, but would have wished for more. We hope that going forward we will see this.
Third: We need to finance a credible human rights system, one that supports accountability but also prevention – avoiding costly and devastating wars. The human rights pillar should receive an increased share of the UN budget. Assessed contributions must be paid in full and on time. Voluntary contributions to the OHCHR are crucially important.
Fourth: Let us not forget human rights situations that are not in the headlines. The focus on countries across regions, based on the actual human rights situation and regardless of politics and public attention, is what makes the Council the most relevant and credible.
In closing, we thank the President, the Bureau, the OHCHR and all colleagues. Together, we maintain this Council as an effective, principled, and vibrant part of the UN.
Thank you.