Launch of yourHRC.org report on the Human Rights Council in 2020

Video Statement by Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

9 December 2020

This has been a year of challenge and turmoil, and I think I may speak for many of you when I say I am grateful for this opportunity to take stock and reflect on events.

Like all of us in the human rights community, the Human Rights Council was shaken up by the sudden shock of COVID19. But with creativity and teamwork, it managed to hold its three regular sessions this year – overcoming the many obstacles posed by the pandemic. It has also helped to bring into sharp focus the multiple human rights dimensions of this global scourge.

Thanks in part to the Council's consistent emphasis on these issues, it is impossible for anyone to ignore the human rights impact of COVID-19. We also need to emphasise the need for policy responses to be grounded in human rights based solutions. My Office is working closely with the Council to ensure that human rights remain at the centre of global efforts to recover better – and as we saw at the General Assembly special session on COVID-19 earlier this month, this emphasis is being reflected in statements by Secretary-General Guterres and the heads of key UN bodies.

Human rights are universal aspirations. As a multinational body, the Council will always have to deal with different perceptions of human rights. But there must be clarity about the core principles we all stand for. Within that framework, respect for a diversity of viewpoints should remain at the heart of the constructive dialogue and cooperation on critical issues that the Council seeks to promote, within and beyond the walls of Room XX.

The Council also has a vital role to play in spotlighting issues and events that threaten human rights, wherever they occur. The urgent debate on discriminatory policing that was held in June, in response to the killing of George Floyd, is testament to the Council's commitment to important principles and determination to respond to crises – even during a global pandemic.

Perhaps the main challenge for the Council is to ensure its resolutions convert into real action and change on the ground. In that, as in many other issues, we all know how vital it is to reach out to civil society groups. Civil society is the lifeblood of the Council; the vital actors who bring that much needed human face in focus.

Simply put, without civil society the work of the Council would not be realized or complete. The role of NGOs and national human rights institutions in informing, influencing and implementing the Council's decisions cannot be overestimated. The Council's inclusion of civil society is unique within the UN system, and it is vital that this space be protected and preserved.

The report that is being launched today takes stock of many of these issues, and helps us reflect on the progress that has been made – as well as a few shortcomings. I hope it will also provide a useful impetus to determine how we can strengthen our work for human rights as we meet the challenges of 2021.

Thank you