75th anniversary of the declaration: Berset calls for respect for human rights in Geneva

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During the meeting on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Geneva, Federal President Alain Berset called on the United Nations (UN) to comply with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Berset called for the fight against human rights violations.

The picture is currently mixed. Although there has been progress in the fight against impunity for serious human rights violations, there have also been setbacks, the President of the United Nations (UN) said in the presence of several heads of state and numerous ministers.

As the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East have shown, several regions suffered from policies of hatred, stigmatization and discrimination.

“The inability to enforce human rights”

Human rights “are still insufficiently implemented and too systematically violated in many countries,” Berset continued. The Federal President therefore called for “concrete commitments” and the fight against increasing authoritarianism. Human rights can never be taken for granted and their protection must be continually “reaffirmed”.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, also complained about “failures in enforcing human rights.” He described this as a ‘global public good’ and called on heads of state and government to commit to this. Human rights are “our best solution” in a world full of tensions, he added.

Türk also called for a “radical change” to combat inequality in areas such as climate, economy and the digital world. He called on governments to overcome divisions between societies and find compromises.

For her part, Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar was applauded when she refused to choose between Israelis and Palestinians. “I choose the humanity team,” she confirmed.

Her Senegalese counterpart Macky Sall complained that the international community was failing to reach a ceasefire on Palestinian territory. And Polish President Andrzej Duda, referring to the Russian massacres in Ukraine, said there was “much still to be done.”

Protect girls from violence

As of Monday, more than 150 countries and international organizations had pledged to support human rights, from women’s rights to legal reforms to efforts to combat climate change.

Switzerland, for example, has committed to improving the protection of women and girls from violence and expanding protections for people with disabilities. She also wants to work more internationally for human rights. In addition, Switzerland’s contribution to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights should be increased to a total of 5.5 million francs per year over the next two years.

Berset took the opportunity to hold several bilateral meetings on Tuesday, including with Macky Sall, who is rumored to want to become the next UN Secretary General.

Switzerland and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) co-hosted the conference. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was proclaimed in the aftermath of World War II at the UN General Assembly on December 10, 1948 in Paris. (SDA)

Source:Blick