Mr President,
I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of 63 countries.
We, the States subscribing to this statement and representing different regional and legal traditions, are united by our decision to extend standing invitations to special procedures mandate holders of the Human Rights Council and our commitment to honour them.
We welcome the ongoing cooperation between States and UN special procedures, and a significant increase in number of country visits received by States in 2023, as outlined in the latest annual report of the special procedures and presented at the 55th session of the Human Rights Council. These visits are an essential tool for mandate holders to engage with all actors, create momentum and facilitate dialogue at the national level.
Yet, continuous attacks and threats against mandate holders remain of serious concern – we call on States to respect and value the expertise and independence of mandate holders, and to actively engage and cooperate with them. We are also concerned about the negative impact of the UN’s liquidity crisis on the implementation of the activities of special procedures mandate holders in 2024.
The role and contribution of special procedures to the global human rights agenda throughout the UN system and beyond is critical. We welcome efforts to foster fuller use of human rights mechanisms, including special procedures, to tackle cross-cutting challenges of our time such as climate change or new technologies. Mandate holders as an integral part of the international human rights system continue to play a crucial role by offering essential and innovative solutions to advance the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide.
Whilst recognising that the commitment to receive special procedures is voluntary, we continue to encourage all States that have not done so, especially current members and candidate States of the Human Rights Council, to extend a standing invitation to the Council’s mechanisms and to engage in a constructive and open dialogue with mandate holders.
I thank you!
Countries subscribing to this Statement:
Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, San Marino, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Uruguay, Vanuatu