The 52nd Session Of The United Nations Human Rights Council Commences In Geneva
On Monday, the 52nd Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council commenced in Geneva, Switzerland. The session began with the High-Level Segment which will take place from 27th February 2023 to 2nd March 2023 after which the general segment of the session will be carried out from 3rd March 2023 to 4th April 2023. The Maldives delegation is led by Foreign Minister, Abdulla Shahid.
During the High-Level Segment, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives, Abdulla Shahid addressed the Human Rights Council and delivered his statement. In his remarks, the Minister briefed on the progress made by the current administration of the Maldives in the promotion and protection of human rights. He also underscored the engagements of the Maldivian government with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Special Procedures Mandate-holders.
Reflecting on the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the 30th anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, Minister Shahid renewed the commitment of the Maldives to the multilateral system. On the sidelines of the session, Minister Shahid also took part in two high-level events.
The first side event was organized by the Core Group of Human Rights and the Environment on Bridging the gap: Outcomes of multilateral environmental action in 2022 and the Human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment which was held on 27th February 2023. The second side event was organized by the Convention against Torture Initiative titled, By States, for States: Tapping into the Small Island Developing States Experiences with the UN Convention against Torture which took place on 28th February 2023.
Aligning with the government’s key policies and priorities, the Maldives delegation delivered national statements in the general segment under notable agenda items. This included a joint statement on behalf of a group of SIDS based in Geneva that looked into the High-Level Panel on the Voluntary Fund for the Universal Periodic Review. Additionally, the Maldives along with a cross-regional core group also presented a resolution on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.