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UN Human Rights High Commissioner Volker Türk Interactive Dialogue at 56th Human Rights Council
“I sometimes fear that we are losing the art of de-escalation, of keeping communication channels open, of actually embracing a culture of peace in line with international law and with the United Nations Charter,” Türk told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
“Human rights is a factor of stability. In the chaos. it guides us, it offers solutions it offers orientations, it offers signposts, and it offers a direction of travel,” he said.
“Selectivity and double standards are an anathema to the foundation of the international level system. From Sudan to Myanmar, OPT, Israel to many other places – the victims of the most serious violations deserve the equal attention of the international community,” the High Commissioner said.
“Human rights issues are a matter of international concern. It is not an issue of interference in domestic affairs or in national sovereignty. That was established early on, through the UN Charter,” Türk said.
“The apartheid regime in South Africa, the decolonisation process, gender equality and feminism – all of these various things would not have happened without that external pressure. And it means as a result, there will be uncomfortable conversations. We need to be prepared to have them. And they are going to be about sensitive issues at times. That's part of this struggle. And it also will mean speaking truth to power,” he said.
“That human rights will challenge the status quo. It will challenge existing unhealthy power dynamics because they suppress, they repress, they exploit, they capture. And they often are predatory in their mechanisms, and that is power dynamics that will always be challenge to the human rights course.,” Türk said.
And the big human rights achievements have only been possible because of individuals, human rights defenders, because of their perseverance, their courage and their determination,” he said.
“So these robust, honest discussions are part of the human rights discourse. But they have to take they have to take place away from geopolitics and really out of deep concern for human rights, for everyone, everywhere,” he said.
ENDS
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STORY: UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk Interactive Dialogue with the 56th Human Rights Council
TRT: 03:22
SOURCE: OHCHR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: English/ NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 20 June 2024 – Geneva, Switzerland
SHOTLIST
1. Exterior: Alley of flags, Palais des Nations
2. Interior: Room 20
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “I sometimes fear that we are losing the art of de-escalation, of keeping communication channels open, of actually embracing a culture of peace in line with international law and with the United Nations Charter.”
4. Cut Aways: Room 20
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Volker Türk UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “Human rights is a factor of stability. In the chaos, it guides us, it offers solutions, it offers orientations, it offers signposts, and it offers a direction of travel.”
6. Cut Aways: Room 20
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Volker Türk UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “Selectivity and double standards are an anathema to the foundation of the international level system. From Sudan to Myanmar, OPT, Israel to many other places – the victims of the most serious violations deserve the equal attention of the international community.”
8. Cut Aways: Room 20
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Volker Türk UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “Human rights issues are a matter of international concern. It is not an issue of interference in domestic affairs or in national sovereignty. That was established early on, through the UN Charter.”
10. Cut Aways: Room 20
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Volker Türk UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “The apartheid regime in South Africa, the decolonisation process, gender equality and feminism – all of these various things would not have happened without that external pressure. And it means as a result, there will be uncomfortable conversations. We need to be prepared to have them. And they are going to be about sensitive issues at times. That's part of this struggle.And it also will mean speaking truth to power.”
12. Cut Aways: Room 20
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Volker Türk UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “It means human rights will challenge the status quo. It will challenge existing unhealthy power dynamics because they suppress, they repress, they exploit, they capture. And they often are predatory in their mechanisms, and that is power dynamics that will always be a challenge to the human rights course.”
14. Cut Aways: Room 20
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Volker Türk UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “And the big human rights achievements have only been possible because of individuals, human rights defenders, because of their perseverance, their courage and their determination.”
16. Cut Aways: Room 20
17. SOUNDBITE (English) Volker Türk UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “So these robust, honest discussions are part of the human rights discourse. But they have to take they have to take place away from geopolitics and really out of deep concern for human rights, for everyone, everywhere.”
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