The UN Secretary-General calls for united action to uphold human rights at the opening of the 58th session of the Human Rights Council.
During the opening of the 58th ordinary session of the Human Rights Council (HRC), which is taking place in Geneva until April 4, António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, called for a collective effort to advance human rights, describing them as “the oxygen of humanity” but emphasizing that they are being “suffocated, one after the other.” He made it clear that human rights are facing multiple attacks fueled by conflicts, inequalities, climate change, and uncontrolled technologies.
Guterres expressed grave concerns about the direct threat this situation poses to the systems and mechanisms established over the past 80 years to protect human rights. He also highlighted the essential link between human rights and sustainable development goals, stressing the importance of accelerating progress in this area.
The Secretary-General emphasized the “Pact for the Future” as a solution to advance human rights, focusing on peace, development, the rule of law, climate action, and better governance of technology. He called for enhanced governance of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, to ensure that human rights are not sacrificed in the name of technological progress.
In his remarks, the President of the UN General Assembly, Philémon Yang, pointed out the “drastic degradation of human rights” due to global conflicts. He reminded those present that “even war has rules” and that civilians should never be targeted. On the occasion of the UN’s 80th anniversary, Yang stressed the importance of the Pact for the Future, which paves the way for a “fairer and more just” world where human rights are respected for all.
The opening session also featured remarks from several prominent figures, including Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Ignazio Cassis, the Swiss Foreign Minister, whose country will hold the presidency of the HRC in 2025.
During this six-week session, the Human Rights Council will examine more than 80 reports on the human rights situation in nearly 40 countries, along with reports from the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) concerning 14 countries. Morocco is represented at this session by a delegation led by Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi, along with Morocco’s ambassador to Geneva, Omar Zniber, and several other government officials.
