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CONTINUITY: OHCHR - Press conference of Volker Turk - 06 December 2023
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Edited News , Press Conferences | OHCHR
OHCHR - High Commissioner Volker Türk Press conference - 06 December 2023
- Exteriors shots: Palais des Nation with HR75 banners
- Soundbite (English)— Volker Türk, High Commissioner for UN Human Rights: “Human rights have not failed. It is the cynical disregard for human rights, and the failure to respect and heed warnings on human rights that has got us here.”
- Cutaways: briefing room
- Soundbite (English)— Volker Türk, High Commissioner for UN Human Rights: “Human rights are inherent to every human being. Leaders who ignore this truth imperil the people they are meant to serve. Unfortunately, leaders in many parts of the world have done just this. As a result, we are seeing violent conflict increase and intensify across the globe.”
- Cutaways: briefing room
- Soundbite (English)— Volker Türk, High Commissioner for UN Human Rights: “The catastrophic situation we see unfolding in the Gaza Strip was entirely foreseeable and preventable. My humanitarian colleagues have described the situation as apocalyptic.”
- Cutaways: briefing room
- Soundbite (English)— Volker Türk, High Commissioner for UN Human Rights: “In these circumstances, there is a heightened risk of atrocity crimes. Measures need to be taken urgently – both by the parties concerned and by all States – particularly those with influence – to prevent any such crimes. The international community needs to insist with one voice on a ceasefire, immediately, on human rights and humanitarian grounds.”
- Cutaways: briefing room
- Soundbite (English)— Volker Türk, High Commissioner for UN Human Rights: “History has shown us where this kind of language can lead. This is not just unacceptable, but a competent court may view such statements, in the circumstances in which they were made, as incitement to atrocity crimes.”
- Cutaways: briefing room
- Soundbite (English)— Volker Türk, High Commissioner for UN Human Rights: “As more information emerges on allegations of sexual violence perpetrated by members of armed Palestinian groups, including Hamas, during their attacks on Israel on 7-8 October, it is painfully clear that these attacks need to be fully investigated to ensure justice for the victims.”
- Cutaways: briefing room
- Soundbite (English)— Volker Türk, High Commissioner for UN Human Rights: “Now, as ever, it is necessary that all parties ensure that the civilian population is adequately protected. There must be intensified efforts by the international community for an end to the violence and the peaceful restoration of an inclusive and representative government.”
- Cutaways: briefing room
- Soundbite (English)— Volker Türk, High Commissioner for UN Human Rights: “We have documentation of rape being used as a weapon of war, particularly by RSF and affiliated forces. Ethnic and racial tensions are being stoked. And there is a general breakdown of the rule of law across Sudan. Neither party to the conflict has sought to address seriously the conduct of their own forces.”
- Cutaways: briefing room
- Soundbite (English)— Volker Türk, High Commissioner for UN Human Rights: “Fulfilling the rights to health, life, and a healthy environment requires the equitable phase-out of all fossil fuels,” Türk said. “The future of our planet and generations to come are at stake and it is essential that the voices of civil society representatives are heard loud and clear in crafting actionable solutions.”
- Exteriors shots: Palais des Nation with HR75 banners
“Human rights have not failed. It is the cynical disregard for human rights, and the failure to respect and heed warnings on human rights that has got us here,” Türk told a news conference in Geneva, ahead of Human Rights Day on 10 December.
“Human rights are inherent to every human being. Leaders who ignore this truth imperil the people they are meant to serve. Unfortunately, leaders in many parts of the world have done just this. As a result, we are seeing violent conflict increase and intensify across the globe,” the High Commissioner said.
There is an utter and deepening horror for Palestinians in Gaza, two months after the horrific 7 October attacks on Israel by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups, and nowhere is safe.
“The catastrophic situation we see unfolding in the Gaza Strip was entirely foreseeable and preventable. My humanitarian colleagues have described the situation as apocalyptic,” Türk stressed.
“In these circumstances, there is a heightened risk of atrocity crimes. Measures need to be taken urgently – both by the parties concerned and by all States – particularly those with influence – to prevent any such crimes. The international community needs to insist with one voice on a ceasefire, immediately, on human rights and humanitarian grounds,” the High Commissioner said.
The human rights crisis in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, was also extremely alarming, Türk highlighted. This includes an increase in unnecessary or disproportionate, even militarised, use of force by Israeli forces resulting in a rise in unlawful killings, much more aggressive and frequent settler violence leading to the forced displacement of Palestinian communities, record increases in arbitrary arrests and detention, an alarming spike in deaths in custody and allegations of ill-treatment of Palestinians in detention, including sexual violence. The Israeli authorities must take immediate steps to end widespread impunity for such violations.
Türk also reiterated his grave concern at dehumanizing statements by current and former high-level Israeli officials, as well as Hamas figures.
“History has shown us where this kind of language can lead. This is not just unacceptable, but a competent court may view such statements, in the circumstances in which they were made, as incitement to atrocity crimes,” Türk said.
“As more information emerges on allegations of sexual violence perpetrated by members of armed Palestinian groups, including Hamas, during their attacks on Israel on 7-8 October, it is painfully clear that these attacks need to be fully investigated to ensure justice for the victims,” he added.
In Myanmar, the human rights crisis caused by the military continues to inflict an unbearable toll on civilians. To date, credible sources have verified that military forces have killed over 4,232 civilians since the coup. Civilians have suffered countless violations – facing airstrikes, artillery shelling, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and prosecutions, as well as sexual violence, displacement, denial of humanitarian access and the burning of their homes, fields and villages.
“Now, as ever, it is necessary that all parties ensure that the civilian population is adequately protected. There must be intensified efforts by the international community for an end to the violence and the peaceful restoration of an inclusive and representative government,” he said.
In Sudan, the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces rages, with significant risk of a protracted civil war and fragmentation of the country. More than 7,000 civilians, including women and children, have been killed since April 2023, and 6.3 million displaced.
“We have documentation of rape being used as a weapon of war, particularly by RSF and affiliated forces. Ethnic and racial tensions are being stoked. And there is a general breakdown of the rule of law across Sudan. Neither party to the conflict has sought to address seriously the conduct of their own forces,” the UN Human Rights Chief said, calling on both parties to ensure all personnel responsible for violations of international humanitarian law and human rights are held accountable.
At COP28, the UN Human rights Office is joining others to press for more action to address the climate crisis and secure the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.
“Fulfilling the rights to health, life, and a healthy environment requires the equitable phase-out of all fossil fuels,” Türk said. “The future of our planet and generations to come are at stake and it is essential that the voices of civil society representatives are heard loud and clear in crafting actionable solutions.”
ENDS
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Teleprompter
Good morning, everyone.
Thank you for those of you.
In the room and those joining us online as well.
We have today the **** Commissioner for Human.
Rights.
Volcker, Turk.
Who will be delivering some opening remarks to you for about 15 minutes and then we'll open the floor to to.
Questions.
Hi, Commissioner, please.
Yes, good morning.
It's good.
To see so many of you.
Yes, now you can see.
Good morning.
It's good to see so many of you here today.
In just over a year as **** Commissioner for Human Rights, I have met during my many travels with people from numerous countries, in fact, across all continents, including those in the midst of major crises.
I've also talked to civil society actors from many other parts of the world that I have not been able to visit.
Across each and every country, I heard and witnessed the universal desire for human rights to be respected and protected.
I heard it from young women in Khartoum taking to the streets to drum up participation in protest rallies, demanding their voice to be heard in government.
I heard it from a human rights defender working on environmental rights in the marshes of southern Iraq, from indigenous peoples representatives in Ecuador, Canada, Norway and Sweden, from people of African descent in the US and Colombia, from civil society in countries at war.
Deeply worried about the impact of the violence on human rights, but also about what kind of society will emerge the day after.
In many of my interactions with people, I'm also asked, given the pervasive conflicts and coups, climate change and other crises, have human rights failed?
No, human rights have not failed.
It is the cynical disregard for human rights and the failure to respect and heed warnings on human rights that has got us here.
The conflicts and crisis talking us today should be wake up calls for the international community.
A wake up call that when human rights are violated or sidelined, conflict erupt.
A wake up call that failure to respect human rights results in instability, suffering more inequalities and economic crisis.
A wake up call that when human rights defenders and the UN and my office, the UN Human Rights office, ring alarm bells, you must listen and you must act to prevent violations.
Human rights must be at the centre of governance, not just beautiful speeches by **** level officials.
They must be in policies and laws and guide how these laws and policies are implemented.
The nuts and bolts of human rights work.
They must be the common thread running through all aspects of governance, economy and society.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was crafted with lessons drawn from 2 global wars, the Holocaust, atomic destruction, profound economic devastation, and generations of colonial exploitation, oppression, injustice, and blood jet.
It was conceived as a road map to a more stable, more just world.
Human rights are inherent to every human being.
Leaders who ignore this truth imperil the people they are meant to serve.
Unfortunately, leaders in many parts of the world would have have just done have just have done justice.
As a result, we are seeing violent conflict increase and intensify across the globe.
Two months after the horrific attacks on Israel on the 7th and 8th of October by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups in which civilians were directly targeted and hostages taken, civilians in Gaza continue to be relentlessly bombarded by Israel and collectively punished.
Suffering death, siege, destruction and deprivation of the most essential human needs such as food, water, life saving medical supplies and other essentials on a massive scale, Palestinians in Gaza are living in utter deepening horror.
Military operations, including bombardments by Israeli forces, continue in North Middle and S Gaza, affecting people who have already been displaced multiple times, forced to flee in search of safety.
But no place is safe.
As we speak, some 1.9 million out of the 2.2 million Palestinians have been displaced and are being pushed into ever diminishing and extremely overcrowded places in southern Gaza in unsanitary and unhealthy conditions.
And humanitarian aid is again virtually cut off as fears of widespread disease and hunger spread.
The catastrophic situation we see unfolding in the Gaza Strip was entirely foreseeable and preventable.
My humanitarian colleagues have described the situation as apocalyptic.
In these circumstances, there is a heightened risk of atrocity crimes.
Measures need to be taken urgently both by the parties concerned and by all states, particularly those with influence.
To prevent any such crimes, the international community needs to insist with one voice on a ceasefire immediately on human rights and humanitarian grounds.
The human rights crisis in the occupied West Bank, including E Jerusalem, is also extremely alarming, including an increase in unnecessary or disproportionate, even militarised, use of force by Israeli forces, resulting in a rise in unlawful killings.
Much more aggressive and frequent settler violence, leading to the forced displacement of Palestinian communities.
Record increases in arbitrary arrests and detention, an alarming spike in deaths in custody and allegations of ill treatment of Palestinians in detention, including sexual violence.
The Israeli authorities must take immediate steps to end widespread impunity for such violations as a catastrophic consequences for civilians in Gaza mount.
I want to again express my grave concern regarding dehumanising and insightful statements made by current and former **** level Israeli officials as well as Hamas figures.
History has shown us where this kind of language can lead.
This is not just unacceptable, but a competent court may view such statements in the circumstances in which they're made, an incitement to atrocity crimes.
As more information emerges on serious allegations of sexual violence perpetrated by members of armed Palestinian groups, including Hamas, during their attacks on 7 and 8 October, it is painfully clear that these attacks need to be fully investigated to ensure to ensure justice for the victims.
It is crucial that there are rigorous investigations and accountability for all breaches of international human rights and humanitarian law.
Individual criminality, individual criminal responsibility must be established as an immediate step.
I call for an urgent cessation of hostilities and the release of all hostages.
All parties are aware of what is really needed to achieve peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis.
Violence and vengeance can only result in more hatred and radicalization.
The only way to end the accumulative sufferings is ending the occupation and achieving the two state solution.
In Myanmar, the human rights crisis caused by the military continues to inflict an unbearable toll on civilians.
To date, credible sources have verified that military forces have killed over 4232 civilians since the coup.
Civilians have suffered countless violations, facing air strikes, artillery shelling, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and prosecutions, as well as sexual violence, displacement, denial of humanitarian assistance and the burning of their homes, fields and villages.
The situation of the Rohingya Muslim community is ever more protracted.
With no prospect for safe and sustainable return.
Many are taking to dangerous journeys in the region by sea.
The Myanmar military has lost critical ground since the end of October as a result of coordinated attacks by ethnic armed organisations and anti military armed groups.
Civilian casualties and internal displacement have been rising at a rapid rate.
Now, as ever, it is necessary that all parties ensure that the civilian population is adequately protected.
There must be intensified efforts by the international community for an end to the violence and the peaceful restoration of an inclusive and representative government in Sudan.
The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces rages with significant risk of a protracted civil war and fragmentation of the country.
More than 7000 civilians, including women and children, have been killed since April 2023, and 6.3 million displaced.
Half the population is in need of assistance.
We have documentation of **** being used as a weapon of war, particularly by RSF and affiliated forces.
Ethnic and racial tensions are being stoked and there is a general breakdown of the rule of law across Sudan.
Neither party to the conflict has sought to address seriously the conduct of their own forces.
So both parties, and I call on them again, must ensure that all personnel that is responsible for violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law are held accountable in Ukraine.
More than 10,000 civilians have now BeenVerified killed since the Russian invasion into Ukraine territory on the 24th of February 2022.
The actual death toll may be significantly higher.
Ukrainians living in in territory occupied by the Russian Federation encounter appalling restrictions on their fundamental rights and freedoms.
This protracted, destructive war must be brought to an end.
Unconstitutional changes in government, including military coups in Burkina Faso, in Chad, in Guinea, in Mali, in Niger, have significantly weakened human rights protections and the rule of law in these countries.
It is vital that the transitional authorities commit and adhere to timelines towards a return to democratic rule and take effective steps to protect human rights during that process.
I'm also following with growing concern the political crisis in countries like Guatemala, Peru and Nicaragua and their impact on human rights in Guatemala.
I'm particularly alarmed at continued and systematic attempts, in particular by the Attorney General's Office, to undermine the outcome of the general elections that were held in June and August this year.
I urge all Guatemalan authorities to refrain from any further attempt to challenge the election results and to ensure that all human rights, including the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression, are fully respected.
The will of the majority of the Guatemalan people must prevail and democracy safeguarded with the support of the international community.
In the coming year, elections are scheduled to take place in more than 70 countries, covering half of the world's population.
In the pre electoral.
It is particularly important to ensure that the right to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, association and political participation are fully respected.
Unfortunately, pre electoral periods are often fertile ground for extremism, stocking of fears, hate filled rhetoric and the politics of division, distraction and deception.
I urge political and other leaders to refrain from sowing fear of the other, creating divisions and instrumentalising differences to win votes.
These elections will be among the first in the era of widely available generative artificial intelligence.
There are obvious risks of unusually powerful propaganda and disinformation being produced at scale by growing assortment of actors.
It will be more important than ever to ensure that States and technology companies can respond to online harmful content in a way that upholds our rights to information, our right to debate openly and freely, and which also uses human rights as a guide to address harmful speech that discriminates and incites to violence.
Over the past two months there has been a sharp rise in hate speech both online and offline.
In particular anti-Semitism and anti Muslim bigotry.
Homes and religious buildings around the globe have been defaced to frighten and provoke hate.
Political leaders have also used inflammatory, toxic and hateful rhetoric.
This must be vigorously condemned and international human rights law is absolutely clear on this.
Also unacceptable is the vilification of human rights defenders, including civil society actors, UN independent experts, UN officials and others who speak about rights violations.
I urge states to engage on the substance of allegations rather than unjustly attempting to discredit the messenger at COP 28.
My office is joining others to press for more action to address the climate crisis and secure the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.
I'm worried that those trying to highlight the harmful impact of climate change and the need to act now may be drowned out by powerful voices who have at best mixed agendas, including in support of the continued use of fossil fuels.
Fulfilling the rights to life and the health environment requires the equitable phase out of fossil fuels, and we know that human rights law requires responsible requires that those responsible for climate harms, including States and businesses, to be held accountable for remedying them.
It is time that we ensure that environmental destruction carries criminal sanctions as an essential deterrent.
The future of our planet and our generations to come are at stake, and it is essential that the voices of civil society representatives are heard loud and clear in crafting actionable solutions at this tomba moment in history.
I look forward to hosting next week on the 11th and the 12th of December **** level event marking the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to take stock of where we are, how we got here, what lessons to be learned, and what can we do to craft a better future for all human beings, no matter where and no matter who.
Thank you.
Thank you, **** Commissioner, we will be sending the ****.
Commissioners, opening remarks.
By e-mail to you all.
Shortly a reminder as well that this time we have simultaneous.
Interpretation into French and Arabic The **** Commissioner will have to respond to all questions in English, but they will be translated into French and Arabic.
Because of the the the.
Arrangements with the interpreters, so we'll start with questions from the room we'll take.
Two at a time.
In order to get as many in as possible, we'll start in the front row here, please, Stefan, and then Laurent.
And thank you.
Thank you, **** Commissioner, for this briefing.
As you said, we're days away from the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
You, you drew a very dark.
Pictures of human rights in in the in the current conflicts, how do you see the.
UN trying to bridge the gap and to restore.
Some kind of universality of human.
Rights since universality is under ******* from different parts.
Thank you.
Laurent, please.
Yeah.
Thank you for the press conference.
A question on both Gaza and the Palestinian detainees that were freed on one side now the US say that there's a the the the truce was not extended because there were sexual violence is against some of the hostages and on the other side.
The Palestinians detainees that were.
Freed said that they were increasingly beaten since October the 7th before being freed.
So what do you know about both the situations and what kind of appeal you want to to to launch in relation with that?
Hi, Commissioner.
We'll do 2 at a.
Time, yes, no, that's look, I mean, it is true that I have painted a very sombre picture because we are in a time of incredible crisis.
I mean, 55 conflicts.
We haven't had so many for a very long time, probably since the end of the world as the Second World War Plus, we have about 1/4 of humanity now living in extremely dire, precarious situations, affected by violence and conflict.
And I've only just highlighted a few situations.
I didn't even highlight Haiti, the deteriorating situation in Syria, for example, Afghanistan and so forth.
I mean, we could, we could go on.
It is true also that it was in the wake of the cataclysmic events of the two world wars, of what happened, including in Europe with the Holocaust, with atrocious human rights violations, that there was among the political leadership the hope to, and this never again sentiment that was very strong.
And that never again sentiment led to the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
And it paved the way for the world to come out of misery, inequalities of of conflict, and.
I think precisely at a time when we see so many challenges, we need to remember that and we need to see it as the measure against which to look at things and to look at developments.
If we did not have it, we would be even in a more serious situation because then you would have different standards.
And let's also be very clear, it is the universal standard.
I know that there I, I sometimes hear it that some say, well, it doesn't apply in our religion, in our culture, doesn't apply in our region.
Well, actually that's that's absolute nonsense because this has been negotiated for years.
We know that the Universal Declaration, but also the Vienna Declaration programme of action have been painstakingly negotiated by all countries.
It inspired the decolonisation movement, it inspired the entire part with movement and in in inspired freedom fight fighters all, all around the world, be it on gender issues, be it on L GB, DIQ plus issues, be it on race against racism.
So we need to honour the achievements and the successes.
We need to look at the failures and we need to learn from them.
So it's a deep moment of reflection for us so that we do better in the future.
And if I have one message, it's to make sure that the centrality of human rights is seen as something that is taken much more seriously by everyone.
Look, I first of all, if you look at the situation at the moment in Gaza where you have a combination of multiple displacement, combination of ongoing conduct of hostilities, including the use of explosive weapons with wide area effective extremely densely populated areas where you have an ongoing, well, I can't even describe it.
I can't even know.
I don't know a word which says more than precarious.
I mean the humanitarian situation is, is catastrophic, catastrophic, whatever word you want to find undescribable in a situation like this.
The only way to get out of it is to say to all who have any influence over the two parties or various parties to stop and, and, and, and, and call for, I mean not only call for actually cease hostilities, because you need to come back to your senses.
You need to see what can be done, and you need to finally get the humanitarian aid in that is so desperately needed.
I mean, you saw Martin Griffiths, the emergency relief coordinator, yesterday talking about an apocalyptic situation.
I think the world needs to wake up to this.
Thank you.
Sorry, Lauren, we've got a lot of questions, Nina and then Catherine.
Thank you very.
Thank you very much for.
Taking my question, activists have accused the UN and international groups of.
Maintaining a.
Conspiracy of silence on the alleged rapes and other sexual crimes committed by Hamas militants during the.
October 7th attacks and I I.
Don't think I've seen too much from your office on that as well.
So I was.
Wondering are you investigating this?
Specifically and do you have?
Information indicating the level.
Of sexual violence committed that day.
Thank you.
Put this on.
As I said also in my statement, we have now, I mean, it's last week that I met someone who in fact showed me or recorded to me a number of issues that raise very, very serious concerns about possible sexual violence having been committed by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups.
And of course, this has to be taken very seriously.
I have asked the Israeli authorities in the first week of October or in the second week of October after the 7-8 October events, to deploy a team, my team to monitor, document, investigate the issues of the, I mean, the horrific attacks on, on Israelis.
I've repeated this call and I hope it will be heeded, but so far I haven't received a response.
It is clear atrocious forms of sexual violence need to be thoroughly investigated and we need to make sure that justice is served because that's what we owe the victims.
Catherine and then Jamil.
Yes.
Good morning, Sir.
Thank you for being with.
US this morning, I'll go back to Gaza, Israel.
But regarding journalists, journalists have been openly targeted by the Israeli army not only in the OP TS but also in Lebanon.
Casualties are reaching more than sixty of our.
Colleagues that have been killed.
Is your team or one of your teams monitoring those deaths?
And what is your?
Call about targeting civilians.
That are just doing their jobs.
Thank you, Jamil.
Yes, Sir, Jamil Shade from UOL.
In Brazil you mentioned fossil.
Fuel and Corp 28 despite some reduction in in deforestation.
In the Amazon, President Lula has the plan to explore oil in the Amazon.
What is your message?
In that case specifically.
Thank you.
Look, on the first one, yes, we are to the extent possible monitoring and trying to document while we have an ongoing conflict situation of all civilian deaths.
In fact, we have just managed to verify a number of casualties.
We will come out with the numbers that according to our own methodology.
And of course this includes also journalists and and people and professionals.
I mean, it's absolutely clear when it comes to journalists it we have and you know, we have a whole strategy and together with UNESCO to work on the protection and safety of journalists.
And we keep making that point time and again.
And we, we really call on, on everyone to respect the safety and protection needs the journalists have.
And, and that's absolutely critical when it comes to civilians more generally.
I mean, you saw that we have lost colleagues within of the United Nations as well.
So that's an extremely serious matter and and one that preoccupies us enormously because we have never had in any situation so many colleagues killed within such a short time frame with within one conflict situation.
And that's obviously very, very, very dangerous.
Look on, on the fossil fuels.
I mean, I mean, the world knows what needs to happen, right?
I mean, we know that the targets at the moment, we are in a trajectory that by the end of this century, if, if it's continuous as business as usual, we will have an increase of 3°C.
I mean, we can't, we don't even know.
I mean no one.
I mean, there may be some who, who know more about it, but any modelling of strategic foresight of the tipping points that it would, that would, that it would bring about are again beyond apocalyptic.
It's a dystopian future because it would mean the increase in sea, right in, in, in, in, in sea level and water levels around the world to a degree that some of what we know now as an as a habitable would not no longer be habitable.
We know that it would lead to massive displacement.
It would lead to massive competition over scarce resources.
We already see this happening if you look at the Sahara region, for example.
But even my own situation in when I went to Iraq, I could see the tensions.
But it also means that we need, I mean that an equitable ending to fossil fuel use and and exploitation.
I think if if there is a call to be made, it's just keep the fossil fuels under Earth and find alternatives as quickly as you can, because fossil fuels have have been bringing us to the brink of or can bring us if it's continued to to happen to the brink of brink of extinction, Muhammad and then Gabriella.
Yes, I thank you so much Sir for the bring last night, Israeli Foreign Minister Quan wrote on its platform.
We will no longer be silent in the face of the bias of the United Nations and I decided to revoke the residence visa to Israel of the United Nations Humanitarian coordinator has thinks.
I was wondering what would you like to say about his comment about the United Nations and his tip against the United Nations stuff person.
Thank you.
Thanks, Madam Gabriela.
Yes, thank you, **** Commissioner Gabriela Sotomayor, Mexico.
Only one question.
Can we ask, OK, OK, what is your assessment of the?
Human rights situation in Mexico in the last five years especially if you could tell us about the.
Points that concerns you.
The most?
Thank you very much.
And thank you for being here.
Look, I on the resident coordinator and humanitarian called in a Lynn Hastings.
I've known her personally for many years.
I have the highest professional regard for her.
I have seen the vilification against her and I've seen also the amount of disinformation that is spreading and I find it unacceptable on Mexico.
I mean, it's obviously know how to look at one particular country situation.
I mean, you have seen, we have of course seen, but I have to say progress when it comes to reduction of poverty, improving of social welfare.
Just to look at I've some statistics here from from my colleagues with over 5 million people escaping poverty between 2018 and 2022.
But it's also clear that challenges remain and it's about the recognition that actually Mexico has recognised that there is a crisis of enforced disappearances.
I had a chance also to talk to the Committee on enforced experiences that you know, the, as you probably know, they, they conducted a visit to it and there are efforts to address the situation.
But we also know that further progress is needed because the disappearance, the issue of disappeared, of disappearances is a very serious concern, especially for for the family members and, and for the society as a whole because it creates a feeling of, of, of fear.
And there are very strong recommendations that came from the committee and I really hope that they can be implemented as, as quickly as possible.
In fact.
And then I looked at a number of ongoing concerns, especially violence against journalists.
I mean, we mentioned journalists before.
There is in fact between January 2019 and September 23, my office was able to document the killing of 41 journalists, 6 media workers and five disappeared journalists.
So this is obviously very serious.
I, I know that there is an initiative De Frente al Ali Verdad, which, which is important, which also counters the, the vilification that we have seen and, and again incredibly important as we, as we go through.
I also, I think it's it's also very critical to ensure when it comes to human mobility issues.
And I myself in a previous life was several times in Mexico that there is stronger recognition of what is happening internally when it comes to displacement.
But also to build up the protection structures needed for refugees who come in particular from from countries from from the from the northern part of Central America.
Thank you.
We have.
Nick with The New York Times.
And Yuri with three university.
Yes, yes, you're on the list.
Yeah.
Good morning.
Thank you for the.
Press conference, I wonder if you think?
States with influence over Israel that means.
Particularly, the United States have.
Used that influence effectively in upholding commitments to international humanitarian law in this conflict.
Or do you also share?
Concerns that double standards are very much in evidence.
And do you think?
That there is a price to be paid in terms of adherence to the standard of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Yuri, please.
Yes.
Thank you for taking my question.
You can't hear.
You can hear me now, OK?
Yes, sorry, thank you for this briefing.
You are talking about the fact that.
You need some investigations in Gaza, in West Bank, in Israel.
But we all know that Israel is not allowing your office to work there, even they didn't gave you a visa.
The last time that you.
Asked for it.
So don't you think that this is showing the limit?
Of the UN if nobody can verifying and investigate the right crimes that are committed right now in Gaza when we have we're.
Now seeing a lot of.
Casualties and especially children's way more than in even country conflicts that we had the past.
Time.
Thank you.
Look, it's clear that when it comes to a conflict, any conflict really, that there is a particular responsibility for countries who are not party to the conflict, but who have influence over the warring parties to use that influence to ensure that there is compliance with international militarian law and international rights law.
And that is an expectation from all the state parties to to these instruments because it's a common trust.
It's something that we cannot avoid because even if you're not directly involved in in in the conduct of hostilities.
So I hope that in the discussions that are taking place, and I can only deduct this from media reports that I've seen, that indeed there are discussions about the absolute need for compliance with IHL and international rights law standards.
Do I wish this to be stronger?
Of course, we want this to be absolutely clear and we want this to be part of a robust discussion.
And because we also see the consequences, I mean the combination of factors that I described earlier are such that raise the highest levels of alarm and there is then an obligation even more so for states with influence to exercise that influence robustly.
When it comes to what you also mentioned in terms of double standards when it comes to us in the UN, we don't apply this double standards because we have a non selectivity approach.
And I can tell you whenever it comes to any of this type of violations, we are very clear about what they constitute what what more we need to do and and how we document them.
And it is of course, much more difficult when you have an active ongoing war happening.
It is easier if you know the dust settles and you can actually start your investigative workers.
For instance, we could do in Ukraine, for example.
I mean, it took us about nine months to come up with our first report on, on what happened in Butcher, for example, just to give you, just to give you also the, the comparison.
I mean, we, it's important to, for us to do according to our very rigorous methodology to do this type of work.
And of course this is much more difficult now because you have an ongoing war and you have contested narratives as a result.
Again, much more important that there are independent investigations and they, they are taken seriously.
Look on accountability and investigations.
Yes, there are limits at the moment, but at the same time, as you can see, there are ongoing investigations by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.
You have the Commission of inquiry that is looking into both what was happening in Israel as well as in in Gaza.
You have my own office that tries to do its best, including through it's remote work.
And there is universal jurisdiction because I, I believe that one of the missing links has always been that impunity reigns and accountability is not served.
And I hope with a combination of these different accountability mechanisms that impunity ends and, and we all need to work towards it.
There will always be temporary setbacks.
There will always be lack of cooperation by some, but we have also seen situations elsewhere where suddenly that corporation starts or where you are actually able to do the type of job that you need to do and and then we can do it.
So you can never, you can never be sure to escape justice.
Thank you.
Hi, Commissioner.
Now we have Taha and Imogen and then we've.
Got John, Yanderk and Goonela.
Online, I'm afraid we we will have.
To end after that.
We'll see if we can take a follow up question or two, but I am not convinced we will manage.
Taha, please.
Yes, we have noticed that United Nation is not doing enough regarding.
Ongoing conflict in Sudan.
In Darfur as well, in Gaza, there are serious violation, atrocities.
What have you done and what you are going to do?
I mean, do you have action plan to stop what is going on in in Sudan and in Gaza?
Imogen.
Yeah, it's it's back to to Gaza.
The the the.
Women who came to you with reports.
Of.
Sexual violence want you and the UN to condemn this unreservedly.
That's where some of the tension is is.
Coming from.
Can you can you do that?
On, on Sudan, we, my office, as you probably know, it was my first mission when I took over as **** Commissioner because I wanted to pay particular attention to the situation in Sudan.
It was in November last year, so it was obviously before the current crisis.
We have followed it very, very closely.
We, we have AI have a presence, quite a big presence.
I used to have quite a big presence.
Now we unfortunately only doing it out of Port Sudan with with some colleagues, but we we have continued working.
Both out of Nairobi and in neighbouring countries to to actually interview those who who fled the circumstances, especially in Darfur, but also in other parts of Sudan.
And we have, as a result, been able to provide regular reporting on what is happening, which is also why I was very clear today on the type of crimes, on the type of violations that we have seen, in particular, the very serious allegations of **** by RSF and affiliated troops.
Again, the issue is accountability in in Sudan, Accountability was the missing link.
And I really hope that both when it comes to ICC investigations that are also ongoing in relation to Sudan, but also when it comes to universal jurisdiction, that accountability, if is is, is, is served and needs to be served.
And we will do whatever we can to continue monitoring, documenting and reporting the situation.
I did not meet with women who are survivors of sexual violence.
I met with an academic who informed me about some of the things that and that was only last week.
It is clear when I can only say it again, we owe it to the victims that there are serious investigations of any of such allegations and that justice is served.
And of course, if by if I mean the sexual violence, I mean there is a very long standing practise of condemning sexual violence, but it is also important for us to be able to investigate these allegations.
Right, We've got.
John Yander, Ken Gunilla on the platform, if I can take 3 questions this time so we can.
Move faster, John, please.
Yes, good morning.
Thank you.
Hi Commissioner, I was, I was wondering so if you.
Have any comment on the?
Latest data from the World Health Organisation They've been 499 attacks on health in the.
OPT and 60 attacks.
On health in.
Israel.
In the last two months of this conflict and also if you have any views on.
The more than 100.
And 30 UN personnel that have been killed in this conflict.
Thank you.
Yander.
Yander Kebberman, We can't.
Hear you.
Oh.
Can't hear me?
Yes, we hear you now.
Yeah.
OK, great.
Well, many things, **** Commissioner.
I would like to ask.
You to elaborate a little bit more on the next week's **** level meeting.
In Geneva.
What do you expect from this meeting beyond?
Nice and carefully drafted speeches.
Many thanks.
Thanks for that.
And Gunilla.
Yes, thanks.
Can you hear me?
Yes, good look.
My question is similar to to Nina Imogen, it's actually on **** as a weapon of war.
How and the war in in in Gaza and Israel, how concerned are you that this?
Has.
Been used widespread and even as a premeditated strategy in the conflict.
And what do you say to the criticism from Israel that the UN has been slow in the response to a council of Hamas militants ****** women?
Thanks.
Look, first of all, it is, and I think I may have said something incorrectly before, it is 130.
The the number of of colleagues killed in Gaza is 130.
So it's, it's important to get the, the figure, which is a shocking number.
And you can imagine what this means, including by the way, I also have a lot of our own staff who keep telling us that their family members have been killed, some of them live.
I mean, they have all become victims in Gaza themselves.
So it is obviously an extremely, an extremely worrying and, and travelling situation for our staff and the security of our own staff, which is really unprecedented.
It comes to the hospitals.
I mean, we have, but I mean, because of course, under international humanitarian law, these are protected civilian disease, protected civilian infrastructure.
And we have seen a number of cases where there have been air strikes on schools, on hospitals or medical facilities, refugee camps.
And we have serious concerns about the proportionality of these attacks, which, you know, there are the principles of necessity, distinction, precaution and, and proportionality.
And they need to be looked at very vigorously whether they were properly applied in, in these cases.
But if you look at the number of civilians, you, you have a lot of, obviously it raises huge, huge, huge concerns and, and, and, and very serious and, and, and, and very, very serious areas.
And especially if you look in particular at the end, the fatality rate.
I mean, we have, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, 16,000 Palestinian killed, including 6150 children, more than 4000 women.
And our own office has done the initial verification according to our own methodology and we have so far verified 1114 fatalities and our own indication it's about 65% being women and children.
So that gives you already quite a good indication of of the type of questions that would have to be asked if you look at at the application of IHL in these circumstances.
Look, next week's **** level meeting in Geneva.
I mean, it was extremely important for us taking advantage of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for us to look to the future for us, especially when we have such geopolitical tensions, when we have such a polarised both society within within countries, but also at the at the geopolitical level.
To actually recall that there is something that was developed like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that had a vision for the future of humanity and and is not just a nicely written document, but it is law and it has given birth to hard law that our state obligations.
And as a result, we had a whole one year preparation at national level with different stakeholders, with businesses, with civil society, with Member states, with governments at both national and regional level to, to look into what are the successes, what are the achievements, but what are also the failures and what lessons do we learn from it.
The event itself, we have tried to innovate it.
We didn't go into the usual plenary type meetings.
We wanted an interactive dialogue, including by Heads of Government, heads of state, foreign ministers and so forth.
And we hope that it will not.
I mean, we have asked them not to be scripted, to actually share with us their thinking because we do think that the political leadership of the world needs to not only live and breathe human rights, but also needs to make sure that the centrality of human rights is understood.
So that's what our expectation is that we would first, first of all, see a lot of pledges.
And we have now an indication that over 100 countries, probably even more as we speak.
I mean, we keep getting more and more pledges, pledges meaning commitments to the human rights course with hopefully transformational changes that come with it, that we would get a huge collection of commitments from member states, from civil society, from businesses.
And so there's a lot a huge we harvest, we will hopefully harvest a very rich material of commitments on the human rights front.
We will hopefully also have very important discussions at different levels that point to the future that are a deep reflection moment.
But also make sure that the strengthening of the human rights pillar is going to be part also of the summit of the future next year, because we know that there's going to be a big summit of the future in New York.
Human rights has to be central to it in all its aspects.
And I hope we have a Clarion call coming out of this meeting for that purpose.
As I said, I mean, I, I think it is absolutely clear when sexual violence happens by whoever, by wherever, these are very, very serious allegations and they need to be investigated.
They need to be properly documented and justice must be served for the victims.
I cannot, we don't have, I mean, as I said, I even asked Israel to allow us to send a team.
I hope it will be possible at some stage, but all the, you know, you need to go into quite some detailed examination of whether it's premeditated, whether it was widespread, systematic.
I mean, this, I cannot, I'm not in a position to confirm this.
But obviously we take the allegations extremely seriously.
And I can tell you we don't lose time on such things.
And we will find other Ways and Means to, to talk to whoever we need to talk to in order to get to, to find more of what can be done.
Because absolutely, justice has to be served for the victims.
Hi, Commissioner, if I can take one last question from FA Isabella.
Thank you very much.
I have two questions but.
Finally, I will.
I will ask you.
A different one on Gaza?
What?
Is the.
What is really the the influence?
That you feel you have.
On the Israeli government.
To help to stop this war.
What kind of lines do you have with them?
What kind of?
Lines do you have with?
Hamas.
To.
And.
We have to have.
We have.
Seen some of your?
Colleagues, you and colleague.
**** **** officials visiting, having been in.
Gaza and you have not.
Been able to visit Gaza.
Why you couldn't go there?
In any means by Egypt.
And and how?
Do you see?
The the end of this conflict.
Thank you.
So I have asked to go to both Israel, to the occupied Palestinian territory, Gaza and the West Bank, but so far I have not received a response.
I hope it is still possible.
So I, I cannot, you cannot just go into, into Gaza.
You need the authorisation from all the parties.
So that's, that's why, why it is so that's, that's how it is.
I, I hope that we have influence in, over the over both parties in the way that we both intervene with them behind closed doors, but also in the way that we talk about and advocate about what we're seeing publicly.
I cannot give you a measure of whether that has led to this, that or the other.
But one thing I can say, I think we can say that in some public discussions, it was becoming clearer that there are very serious concerns from an IHL and international rights or perspective.
And I think it has helped influence some of the discussions in the public in a number of countries that have influence over, over easier.
I and I should say, of course, Israel is the occupying power in the, I mean for the OPT, so they, they can decide who enters and who doesn't enter.
So I depend on on their on their authorization for it.
How do I see the end of it?
I think one thing is very clear.
It cannot go back to what it was.
I mean, it's clear that, and I've said it at the March Human Rights Council meeting very, very clearly, that the only way out of the situation is to end the occupation and to find a political solution that that leaves that, that that has been on the table for for decades, which is the 2 state solution.
And there's no other way around it.
You cannot, I mean, if, if I don't know how many, what else needs to happen to actually come to that conclusion?
And I think that's absolutely critical that we do think about the day after and how to get there and that we work with both Palestinians and the Israelis who who want the future, a peaceful future for both.
And I have met them.
I have met Palestinians and Israelis who are not, you're not hearing their voices, but who actually believe in peace and who want to make it happen.
And I hope that they will be much stronger in the future.
Thank you.
Thank you very much, ****.
Commissioner, I've just received information about next week's event from Liz over there.
120 states.
Will be pledging in person at last count.
The figure keeps changing.
As the **** Commissioner was saying, we've received 48.
Pledges also from civil society.
Organisations 17 from national human rights institutions.
11 pledges by.
UN entities and international government intergovernmental organisations and we've received another 52 pre recorded videos with pledging messages, including eight by.
Heads of state and government.
And eight by ministers of Foreign Affairs.
So we really look forward to seeing you next year, next week at the **** level event.
Thanks very much.