UPR Pre-session Norway, 30/9 2024
(Ambassador Tormod C. Endresen)
Good morning, everyone.
Let me start by saying that I’m thrilled to be here. My thanks to our friends at UPR Info for organizing.
The UPR process underscores that no country can assume that it has achieved its goals in the field of human rights. We all have challenges. Work on human rights is by definition work in progress. This is very much the case for Norway too.
Norway is strongly committed to the UPR process, and to seeking ways to further improve it. In fact, I have the distinct honor to chair the Group of Friends of the UPR in Geneva for this year.
My thanks also go to the civil society organizations that have come to Geneva. One of the great strengths of the UPR stems from civil society participation. In fact, civil society is indispensable and an integral part of the virtuous circle we would like the UPR to be. For identifying pressing human rights issues, for assuring meaningful implementation and tangible improvements. Even when it hurts a bit, or perhaps especially when it does.
In its third review Norway received 241 recommendations. Norway fully accepted 176 of these, and partially 11. Recommendations were followed up by the relevant ministries in Norway. We look forward to sharing progress in November.
When we started working on this year’s report back in February, we invited anyone interested to an open meeting and to provide input. We had great turnout, both from civil society but also from our national human rights institution and others. We also invited stakeholders to provide written input to us. Everyone who did was given the opportunity to see an early draft of the report before the deadline for their UPR submissions. We are convinced that is strengthens the process and our preparations.
I look forward to hearing civil society’s input and look forward to the constructive dialogue with States on 4 November.
Thank you.