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What the donors say about the Trust Fund?

Quotes donor countries LDCs/SIDS Trust Fund

(List in English alphabetical order, under ( ) date of the first contribution to the Fund)

AUSTRALIA

"One of the many achievements of the Trust Fund has been to build the capacity of beneficiaries to engage and contribute to the Human Rights Council, particularly through the provision of training programmes and the sharing of on the ground practical experience and knowledge. Australia is particularly interested in boosting the capacity of our Asia Pacific partners to contribute to the Human Rights Council's work and is pleased to note that nine of these States have been beneficiaries of the Fund."

H.E. Mr. John Quinn, Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations Office at Geneva (2013).

AUSTRIA (30th donor)

"Human Rights are universal. Their universality requires that all states have a chance to make their voices heard in the Human Rights Council, irrespective of their size. We especially need to hear Small Islands Developing States’ voices when it comes to combatting climate change, where they are truly at the forefront."

H.E. Ms. Elisabeth Tichy- Fisslberger, Permanent Representative of Austria to the United Nations Office at Geneva and 2020 President of the Human Rights Council (2020).

BAHAMAS

"The Bahamas has benefitted from the technical assistance and capacity-building support of the Voluntary Technical Assistance Trust Fund for LDCs and SIDS throughout its journey from a Human Rights Council Observer State, to a candidate State and now as one of only a few SIDS elected to the Council. Thus, as a member of the Council, we can truly say that the Trust Fund has been and remains an indispensable partner for us. Moreover, we celebrate the fact that the region of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) was the first to receive support from the Fund for all of its Member States, the majority of which do not have Permanent Missions in Geneva.

As a Small Island Developing State that established its Mission in Geneva in 2013, The Bahamas understands from experience that a State's empty seat in the Chamber of the Human Rights Council is not necessarily a question of a country's commitment to the Council's objectives, but may be one of capacity. We also believe that the Council is made stronger by the diversity of States participating in its work.

Therefore, in the spirit of South-South cooperation, The Bahamas took the decision to stand with fellow beneficiary States, by making this symbolic contribution to the LDCs/SIDS Voluntary Trust Fund. The Bahamas is honoured to thereby become the first beneficiary donor to the Fund and the first contributing country from Latin America and the Caribbean. It is a concrete demonstration of both the priority we attach to the promotion and protection of human rights and of our commitment to the Fund, in its important work of 'leaving no one behind' in the global human rights discourse. We believe that by doing our small part, we help to advance the shared vision of a Council that enjoys universal participation in its work, by countries of all sizes and from all regions of the world."

H.E. Ms. Keva L. Bain, Permanent Representative of The Bahamas to the United Nations Office at Geneva (2020).

BELGIUM

"Belgium is particularly proud to contribute to this fund in favour of the participation of delegates from Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries. The universality of human rights is at the heart of its commitment as a member of the Human Rights Council for the period of 2016 to 2018. Belgium considers the Human Rights Council as an important multilateral forum to assist States in their efforts to promote and protect human rights, a prerequisite for peace and development. The participation of the SIDs/LDCs in the work of the Council is therefore essential to achieving this objective.

Belgium has also chosen to contribute to this fund because of a second major advantage. Established under item 10 of the technical assistance agenda, the Fund is an invaluable tool to strengthen the capacities of the administrations concerned and thus contribute to their better understanding of human rights, as well as to their meaningful participation in the work of the Council and its mechanisms.

Finally, through the new interactions between the SIDS /LDCs delegates and those permanently based in Geneva, the fund generates a very positive dynamic conducive to mutual understanding and development of joint projects. Moreover, it contributes to building bridges and fostering greater consensus within the international community, for which Belgium will continue to engage vigorously in the multilateral fora."  

S. E. M. Geert Muyelle, Permanent Representative of Belgium to the United Nations Office at Geneva (2017).

CANADA

"Canada will go the extra mile to ensure that the voices of our small state partners and friends are heard, and this is why we are pleased to be contributing to the LDCs/SIDS Voluntary Trust Fund to enhance participation in the Human Rights Council (HRC). We want to ensure that the interests, perspectives, and challenges faced by LDCs and SIDS are front and centre in the UN HRC's deliberations on human rights, and that they can fully benefit from the UN mechanisms in place for the promotion and protection of human rights. The 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda recognizes the importance of strengthening the participation of developing countries in the institutions of global governance. We hope that the Voluntary Trust Fund's activities will bring us one step closer to realizing these goals. I look forward to working together with all delegates to advance our shared vision of a more just, prosperous and sustainable world". 

H.E. Ms. Rosemary McCarney, Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations Office at Geneva (2018).

CHINA

"China is proud to support the LDCs/ SIDS Trust Fund for their participation in the work of the Human Rights Council.

A single flower does not make a spring. As a staunch supporter of multilateralism and international human rights cooperation, China has always advocated dialogue and cooperation among all parties to achieve mutually beneficial cooperation. In this connection, the participation of the LDCs and SIDs in the work of the Council is of great importance for the healthy development of the international human rights cause.

Today, the LDCs and SIDs are faced with many emerging and complicated challenges in participating in the work of the Council. It is our hope that China's contribution to the Trust Fund will help them to have a better participation. We also welcome more countries to provide support to the Trust Fund".

H.E. Mr. Chen Xu, Permanent Representative of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva (2018).

DENMARK

"For Denmark it is crucial that we achieve universal participation in the work of the Human Rights Council. Human Rights are universal; they are indivisible, interrelated and interdependent. All voices should be heard, and we believe that all UN member states have the responsibility to support universal participation in the HRC. It is a challenge we will continue to shoulder in the years to come, through contribution to the LDC/SIDS Trust Fund and through working closely with our LDC and SIDS partners."

H.E. Mr. Carsten Staur, Permanent Representative of Denmark to the United Nations Office at Geneva (2017).

FRANCE

"In June 2016, the Human Rights Council achieved universal participation of all of its Member States, for the first time in its history. This landmark accomplishment was made possible thanks to the support of the Voluntary Technical Assistance Trust Fund to Support the Participation of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Work of the Human Rights Council.

The Trust Fund has demonstrated its efficiency over the past three years by working to secure universal participation at the Council. Such efforts must continue in order to ensure that a universal session is no longer an exception.

It is in this spirit that France has decided to make a donation to the Trust Fund and remains and the participation of LDCs/SIDS in the Human Rights Council, faithful to its commitment to support the universality of human rights. Furthermore, France welcomes the fact that the Trust Fund's activities are conducted in the two working languages of the United Nations.

The universal participation of the UN Member States in the Council is an essential factor for the enhancement of its actions and effectiveness as the primary United Nations body responsible for the protection and promotion of human rights. The Trust Fund enables the voices of LDCs and SIDS to be heard and contributes to reinforcing the sharing of experiences and best practices.

H.E. Mrs. Elisabeth Laurin, Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations Office at Geneva (2016).

GEORGIA

"Georgia was a co-sponsor of the landmark resolution establishing the LDCs/SIDS Trust Fund. Since then, Georgia remains one of the supporters of this initiative.

The voice of each UN Member State, irrespective of their size, population or strength must be heard. Universal participation in the debates of the Council is crucial. In this context, council's last session was a good example to follow. It is therefore important for the Council to maintain the promotion of universal participation and engagement which will further improve its ability to promote and protect human rights across the globe.

It is in this spirit that Georgia has decided to make a contribution to the LDCs/SIDS Trust Fund. We are honoured to be the first donor country from Eastern Europe and we pledge our country's continued support for the initiative."

H.E. Mr. Shalva Tsiskarashvili, Permanent Representative of Georgia to the United Nations Office at Geneva (2016).

GERMANY

"There is clear recognition that all States need to be present in the Human Rights Council on equal footing. The Trust Fund is indispensable and charts a two-way street; we can profit from the participation of these States and they can indeed profit from their own participation."

H.E. Mr. Joachim Rücker, Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations Office at Geneva and 2015 President of the Human Rights Council (2013).

INDIA

"India is proud to share excellent diplomatic relations with member states of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) as well as with the Least Developing Countries (LDCs). It was for this reason that we supported the proposal to set up a SIDS/LDCs Trust Fund that can go a long way facilitating the participation of SIDS/LDCs countries in the proceedings of the Human Rights Council (HRC).

It is heartening to see that the contributions to the Trust Fund are having the desired impact on the ground where the deliberations of the HRC have been widened and enriched by the presence of delegates from SIDS/LDCs.

We also hope that our contribution to the SIDS/LDCs Trust Fund will encourage other countries to extend support to the Fund and thus contribute towards true universalization of the functioning of the HRC".

H.E. Mr. Ajit Kumar, Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations Office at Geneva (2017).

IRELAND

"Ireland has supported the LDCs/ SIDS Trust Fund since its inception. We were honoured to be the first contributor and since then we have continued to provide regular contributions to enable it to carry out its work. We have done so for two reasons. First, as it is a question of fairness to all States to facilitate their participation in the Human Rights Council. And second, as we believe that the Council is a forum where all voices can and must be heard if we are to effectively promote and protect human rights around the world. The Trust Fund has proven to be an efficient mechanism to achieve this goal and has ensured the participation in Council sessions of many States that otherwise would have been unable to attend. We particularly welcome the high level of women representing LDCs/ SIDS who have been facilitated to participate in this regard. We are pleased that an increasing number of States have joined us in supporting this initiative. The Trust Fund is clearly a success story and we encourage partners to join us in taking action to ensure that it maintains this positive trajectory."

H.E. Ms. Patricia O'Brien, Permanent Representative of Ireland to the United Nations Office at Geneva (2013).

ITALY

"Italy is proud to be one of the donors of the Voluntary Technical Assistance Trust Fund to Support the Participation of LDCs/SIDS in the work of the Human Rights Council and is very supportive of this initiative. By providing the UN membership with more opportunities to participate in the work of the Human Rights Council, the Trust Fund is helping to make this body a place where all voices can be heard and expressed. There is no question that the active participation of LDCs/SIDS that were previously unable to engage in human rights discussions due to a lack of human, technical or financial capacities will bring added value to the Council's work and improve its ability to promote and protect human rights around the world. This is why Italy believes so strongly in the work of the Trust Fund and encourages all donors that are in a position to support the Trust Fund to consider doing so."

H.E. Mr. Maurizio Enrico Serra, Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations Office at Geneva (2015).

KUWAIT

"In June 2016, for the first time, the Human Rights Council achieved universal participation of its Member States. This remarkable achievement was made possible thanks to the support of the LDCs/SIDS Trust Fund that enabled SIDS countries without representation in Geneva to participate in this landmark event.

The State of Kuwait has decided to contribute to the Fund as it strongly believes that universal participation in the regular session should be the norm and no longer an exception. The State of Kuwait is committed to ensuring that this goal is fully realized to ensure that all UN voices resonate each time the Council meets in Geneva."

H.E Mr. Jamal M.I Alghunaim, Permanent Representative of the State of Kuwait to the United Nations Office at Geneva (2016).

LUXEMBOURG

"Luxembourg is honored to be among the donors to this SIDS / LDC Trust Fund in 2020. Advocating multilateralism and the equality of all States, the Human Rights Council must ensure these principles within its own functioning. It is only through the inclusive and active participation of all Council delegations that we can truly advance the human rights agenda.

With its contribution, Luxembourg continues to assume its responsibilities in the multilateral context and hopes to ensure that the voices of SIDS / LDCs are heard in the Council. A more inclusive dialogue can only benefit the realization of human rights worldwide."

H.E. Mr. Pierre-Louis Lorenz, Permanent Representative of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to the United Nations Office at Geneva (2020).

MAURITIUS

"Strengthening human rights la main dans la main (Hand in Hand)"
Ten years ago, Mauritius and Maldives envisioned a Human Rights Council that would allow the voices of all members to be heard, irrespective of their size or level of development, a Council that would bring the fore the diversity of perspectives that span the membership of the United Nations.
The Trust Fund has thus played a crucial role in facilitating this process and in reinforcing its credibility as a universal standard setter on Human Rights.
A contribution towards the Fund, however symbolic, we hope, will serve to further give a voice, add a perspective and re-affirm the universal principles of human rights.
We acknowledge that capacity building over the past ten years has strengthened voices from across the globe on human rights issues. We have no doubt that, with the support of the Fund, such voices will continue to echo in the years to come.

*la main dans la main means hand in hand in Mauritian creole

H. E. Ambassador Usha Dwarka-Canabady, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Mauritius to the United Nations at Geneva (March 2022)

MOROCCO

"The participation of LDCs and SIDS in the work of the Human Rights Council in Geneva illustrates the important role of the Trust Fund. Morocco remains one of the main supporters of this initiative, which stems from a commitment to international solidarity and shows how much the international community cares. The international community should continue to consider the Trust Fund as a way to build a more inclusive society."

H.E. Mr. Mohamed Auajjar, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Morocco to the United Nations Office at Geneva (2016).

NETHERLANDS

"The Kingdom of the Netherlands is very supportive of the LDCs/ SIDS Trust Fund. Too often, the gap between the UN and the people it aims to serve remains too wide. Specifically in the field of human rights, we should do more to 'bring human rights home': to connect the UN to the people. This Trust Fund aims to do exactly that, as it supports countries which may lack the human, technical or financial capacity to actively contribute to the work of the Human Rights Council, to the benefit of these countries, but also to enrich the work of the Council and the entire UN community by introducing new perspectives to our deliberations. We believe in the added value of this Trust Fund and call on other donors who are able to do so to consider supporting it."

H.E. Mr. Roderick van Schreven, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations Office at Geneva (2013).

NORWAY

"Norway places importance on ensuring that all states should have the possibility to participate in the work of the Human Rights Council (HRC). The contribution and perspectives of LDCs/SIDS not only enriches discussions in the Council, but also strengthens the credibility of the Council's decisions. Equally, we believe that states can draw valuable inspiration from their active participation in the human rights discourse in Geneva. Norway is therefore proud to contribute to the Fund, enabling wider participation and adding the voices of more states on issues of common concern in the field of human rights."

H.E. Mr. Hans Brattskar, Permanent Representative of Norway to the United Nations Office at Geneva (2017).

PAKISTAN

"Pakistan considers itself a strong supporter of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

We believe in the universality of Human Rights and consider it as the foundational principle of the Human Rights Council (HRC). Universality can only be achieved through participation in the work of the HRC from all parts of the world.

We firmly support the principles of equality and inclusivity, and consider that every state has an important role to play in the HRC irrespective of its size, geography, population or resources. The positive role played by LDCs and SIDs in the various human rights bodies and mechanisms for the last many decades is highly commendable.

The Trust Fund is an enabler for participation of LDCs and SIDs in the HRC. The e-learning tool developed by the Trust Fund provides good platform for sharing knowledge and expertise among member states. We intend to continue to support this Trust Fund.

Through our contribution, we hope to strengthen the work of HRC by making it more universal."

H.E. Ms. Tehmina Janjua, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations Office at Geneva (2017).

POLAND

"Poland strongly believes that human rights are universal, indivisible, interrelated and interdependent. Poland is convinced that the Human Rights Council as the unique UN body, exclusively devoted to the promotion and protection of human rights, plays a leading role in developing and strengthening human rights worldwide. To achieve universality of the Council and to effectively promote and protect human rights around the world we must do outmost to assure the participation of all states in its work.  The voice of LDCs/SIDS definitely strengthen the role of the Council and enrich a dialog among Member and Observer States.

Therefore, as a continuation of our engagement into promoting human rights around the world and maintain the principle of universality of the Council we decided to contribute to the LDCs/SIDS Voluntary Trust Fund."

H.E. Mr. Zbigniew Czech, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Poland to the United Nations Office at Geneva (2018).

PORTUGAL

"Portugal is honoured to give a contribution to the Trust Fund that supports the participation of delegates from Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries in the work of the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms.

This Trust Fund allows for a more equal and wider participation thus contributing to the universal character of the human rights and to the engagement of all States.

Portugal welcomes the fact that all the 5 LDCs/SIDS members of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) have been supported by the Trust Fund including 2 that do not have a Permanent Mission in Geneva."

H.E. Mr.Pedro Nuno Bártolo., Permanent Representative of Portugal to the United Nations Office at Geneva (2018).

REPUBLIC OF KOREA

"Universality is one of the guiding principles of the Human Rights Council and the Republic of Korea places great importance on efforts to achieve this objective. Yet universality in the Council is not possible without the presence and participation of LDCs and SIDS and the presence and participation of the LDCs and SIDS is not be possible without the LDCs/SIDS Trust Fund.

The Republic of Korea strives to lead by example, and it is our sincere hope that we will inspire other countries from the region, who have the resources, to assist LDCs and SIDS to send delegates to participate in the Human Rights Council. It is in the interest of human rights that there is universal representation in the Council and that all voices from around the world are heard."

H.E. Mr. Choi Kyonglim, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations Office at Geneva and 2016 President of the Human Rights Council (2016).

SLOVENIA

"As a small State itself, Slovenia is proud to have been able to contribute to the LDCs/SIDS Voluntary Trust Fund. I hope our contribution enriched the diversity of representation and discussion in the Council. Universal participation in the Human Rights Council is in my view an important building block to the universality of human rights itself."

H.E. Mr. Vojislav Šuc, Permanent Representative of Slovenia to the United Nations Office at Geneva and 2018 President of the Human Rights Council (2018)

SINGAPORE

"Singapore is passionate about supporting fellow small states in the UN system.  We have been playing an active role in the Forum of Small States (FOSS) – an informal grouping of more than 100 countries at the UN – since its inception more than 20 years ago. 

We believe that small states can have big ideas too.  There are many examples of small states in the Nordic region, in Africa, in the Caribbean and the Asia-Pacific implementing good policies to tackle complex human rights challenges.  In Geneva, we have collaborated with other partners on initiatives to encourage states – big and small – to learn from each other the best practices in the promotion and protection of human rights. 

That is why Singapore is proud to contribute to the SIDS/LDCs Trust Fund in our modest way.  Beyond supporting participation in the Human Rights Council, this fund will allow more SIDS (and LDCs) to benefit from gaining practical knowledge and best practices from the Human Rights Council to better care for their citizens and attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while protecting their human rights. The Fund also gives recipients the opportunity to bring their unique and valuable perspectives and experiences to share with others in the Human Rights Council.

We hope our contribution will help enhance the relevance, credibility and inclusiveness of the Human Rights Council to serve our common interests."

H.E. Mr. Foo Kok Jwee, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Singapore to the United Nations Office at Geneva (2017).

SAUDI ARABIA

"(The Kingdom of Humanity); The Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia took on the responsibility of a nobel goal, which is, to provide support and help countries and people in need, everywhere around the world, without discrimination and beyond geographical and cultural and religious borders. To do so, the Kingdom decided to support the Trust Fund, welcome the participants and wish them a beneficial experience."

H.E. Mr. Faisal Bin Hassan Trad, Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations Office at Geneva (2016).

SPAIN

"On the occasion of its 10th anniversary since its inception, one the most outstanding outcomes of HRC32 was the first-time participation of the whole membership of the Human Rights Council. The HRC benefitted from the pro-active engagement of those members and delegates which, for different reasons, had been previously unable to attend and contribute to its work. The LDCs and SIDS Trust Fund is essential to the HRC. A UN body that is deprived of its whole membership is a lame duck.

Spain is of the opinion that the universality of human rights must be coupled with universal participation. For this reason, Spain has recently decided to become a donor to this Trust Fund and invites all countries with the financial capacity to provide assistance to do likewise in order to improve the legitimacy and efficiency of the Council."

H.E. Mrs. Ana Menendez Perez, Permanent Representative of Spain to the United Nations Office at Geneva (2016).

SWITZERLAND

"The universal representation of the UN Member States in Geneva is a priority of Swiss foreign policy; all of the States must be in a position to participate in the multilateral debates that are held in Geneva and to contribute to these. It is in this spirit that Switzerland has decided to support the Trust Fund, thanks to which the LDCs and the SIDS may engage with the Human Rights Council. Their participation in the Council's work is essential, not only in defence of their own interests, but also from the point of view of the legitimacy and credibility of the Council as a principal organ of the United Nations for the promotion and protection of human rights in the entire world."

H.E. Mr. Alexandre Fasel, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations Office at Geneva (2016).

TURKEY

"Turkey, as an ardent advocate of international solidarity and partnership, is actively engaged in raising awareness in the international community and contributing to the efforts of finding solutions to the pressing problems of the LDCs and the SIDS. Turkey has been an active development partner for these countries through the activities of the Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency, among others. It is in line with this commitment that Turkey contributed to the Voluntary Technical Assistance Trust Fund, which provides a unique opportunity to the LDCs and SIDS to have their voices heard in the HRC, allowing them to express their challenges and also to learn from experiences and best practices in the field of human rights."

H.E. Mr. Mehmet Ferden Çarıkçı, Permanent Representative of Turkey to the United Nations Office at Geneva (2013).

UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND

"We are delighted to support this worthwhile Trust Fund as it enables the Least Developed Countries and the Small Island Developing States to engage with the Human Rights Council. The Trust Fund's achievements are commendable, in particular with regard to gender parity."

H.E. Mr. Julian Braithwaite, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the United Nations Office at Geneva (2016).

WALLONIA-BRUSSELS FEDERATION

"The principle of the sovereign equality of States enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations is valid whatever their size, wealth, population or power.

In this sense, the universalization of access to common forums for the defence and promotion of human rights is a sine qua non condition for the universalization of human rights itself.

It is for this reason that the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, a fully-fledged stakeholder of the multilateral arena on its own right and a committed francophone member, has decided to contribute to the Fund by supporting LDCs and French-speaking SIDS."

Mr. Henri Monceau, High Representative for Human Rights, Information Society and Digital Economy, Wallonia-Brussels General Delegation, Belgian Mission to the United Nations in Geneva (2016).