United Nations General Assembly: Third Committee, Interactive Dialogue with High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Mr. Volker TÜRK

Statement delivered by Mitch Bradley, Adviser

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, High Commissioner, for your presentation.

We would like to start by affirming New Zealand's view of the essential role that the Office of the High Commissioner plays in the international human rights architecture.

Despite the constraints of the liquidity crisis, the Office has continued its important work, drawing attention to human rights violations and providing valuable capacity-building and technical assistance to countries seeking to fulfil their international human rights obligations.

Madam Chair, New Zealand was pleased to see human rights reflected in the Pact for the Future recently. Nonetheless, we agree with the High Commissioner's assessment that human rights remain under challenge.

We observe in some places coordinated and well-resourced attempts to erode, or even unwind, certain rights.

We are seeing increasing challenges in holding perpetrators of violations to account, particularly in conflict situations. Accountability is a crucial part of upholding the international human rights system.

New Zealand has a strong and enduring commitment to that system.

We will continue our efforts to actively protect existing fundamental rights, rules and norms. This includes defending against regression from our hard-fought collective progress to date.

Areas of focus for New Zealand include the rights of persons with disabilities, the rights of women and girls, and work to support the abolition of the death penalty. In addition, we will continue to work to counter discrimination and violence towards marginalised communities, including the LGBTQIA+ community.

We are also focused on supporting the freedoms of expression, religion and belief and the freedoms from torture and arbitrary detention.

New Zealand is also a committed voice of support for protecting and strengthening civil society participation in upholding human rights globally, particularly the role of Human Rights Defenders, which is under pressure.

To the High Commissioner - where should the international community, in particular small states, best place our efforts to support the work of the OHCHR?

Thank you, Chair.

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