Thank you for the invitation to address you. I am pleased to be here with David Donoghue, who I worked with closely on the New York Declaration on Refugees and Migrants and that he skilfully cofacilitated. I have always admired your experience in multilateralism.
When you think of Ireland, it is almost synonymous with human rights. The second High Commissioner was Irish, former Prime Minister, Mary Robinson. Those of us who grew up with human rights know how much Ireland has contributed to the global human rights cause, with a vibrant civil society in the country and a dedicated human rights foreign policy.
This webinar serves to enrich public debate on key international priorities in Ireland and beyond.
This discussion comes at a critical time, as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I’m glad to have the opportunity to speak with you about how to rekindle the spirit of this Declaration and the world’s commitments to advancing human rights.
It is also the 30th anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, which gave birth to the Office that I represent.
I know well your institute and its reputation for independence and public policy expertise.
I fondly recall the hospitality – may I call it the famous Irish hospitality? – you extended to me six years ago when I was with you in person. That was in my role as Assistant High Commissioner for the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR.
I begin with the anniversaries that I mentioned. When I came into this Office eight months ago, I thought – because of the geopolitical context – it was important to re-energize and rebuild this consensus on human rights. Anniversaries are an opportunity to do that. We launched the Human Rights 75 initiative this year so that the promises of equality, justice and human rights for all are fulfilled.
We need countries to re-commit to those fundamental promises and to their universality.
We know the type of challenges the world is facing.
First, threats to peace and security. In Europe, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February last year, every day has brought fresh images of the fighting. If you think of how many have been displaced, it is an unimaginable number – 14 million people. Ireland has played its part in welcoming Ukrainian refugees. But this is only one situation of conflict and violence of concern to all of us. Let us not forget other cries, not least the devastating fighting in Sudan, which was in the limelight of media attention briefly but has fallen off the radar since many members of the diplomatic community were evacuated, despite the immense suffering of the Sudanese people. I was there in November, in my first mission as High Commissioner, and it is devastating to see reversals in recent advances and the hope that we had seen in that country. The entire country is being held hostage to fighting between two men.
Second, the catastrophic impacts of the triple planetary crisis, — climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss — are also omnipresent. The Secretary-General has been clear about these risks, as recently as yesterday. No country is spared from the increasing suffering and chaos they create. The human rights impacts of these environmental threats are already massive – and they will grow worse. If you look to the future, if the 1.5 degree centigrade threshold is not met and we have a higher rise in temperature, for example if we see an increase in up to 3 degrees centigrade by the end of this century, you can imagine the world. It will be chaos. This directly impacts people and the fulfilment of our human rights.
It is good that the General Assembly agreed last year that everyone, regardless of where they live, has a right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, amid thriving biodiversity and ecosystems. My Office will continue to advocate for a rapid and equitable phase-out of fossil fuels, and remedies for people harmed by climate change.
Third, digital challenges. You have seen the reporting around artificial intelligence, deep fakes, and bio-engineering, technologies that are moving so quickly that Government regulations are hard pressed to keep up. The implications for human rights, even human agency, are enormous. When we cannot be sure what is true, none of us can feel secure. It seems likely that trust will be profoundly eroded – trust in our institutions, and also trust in each other.
We need governments to come together with careful regulations that enable the benefits of digital technology, but also overcome the digital divide that we see, while placing guardrails on potential harm through a human rights lens. The United Nations of course has an important role to play through its convening power and in promoting solutions. In Europe, regulation of AI has advanced and could be a model for the world.
Fourth,we need to push back against threats to women’s rights and the rights of LGBTIQ+ people. And to counter this pushback, we need to work better to counter widespread and increasing restrictions on civil society and civic space.
In many countries around the world, people are not empowered to be present or vocal at the tables where their futures are decided, and this makes all other crises worse: climate; security; tech; discrimination and inequalities.
The common language of human rights is the compass that points the way out of today’s turmoil. It points us to the exit from the pushbacks that deprive people of their rights and freedom. It is the path that advances peace, a healthy social contract and shared prosperity.
Universality means that all actors need to commit to using that compass.
I feel strongly that we need to rejuvenate this worldwide consensus on human rights to overcome the many crises humanity faces.
We must anchor our actions in human rights if we are to have any hope of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 – less than seven years from now.
And – as the climate crisis has shown us – we must pay particular attention to how our actions today can protect and advance the fundamental rights of young people and future generations.
TheHuman Rights 75initiative, led by my Office in cooperation with our partners, focuses on universality, progress and engagement. We will have a high-level event on 11 and 12 December in Geneva and hope to get pledges from States and other actors, including cities, businesses, civil society and UN entities, with visionary ideas on human rights and future challenges.
I hope we may count on a pledge from Ireland and from many of you present here today when you join us in December. Ireland has long championed universal human rights and fundamental freedoms for everyone, including during its three years on the Human Rights Council – focusing in particular on the right to freedom of religion or belief, the right to the freedom of expression, enhancing civic space, gender equality and the rights of LGBTIQ+ people. Ireland has also long supported human rights defenders, including through its dedicated humanitarian visa programme and grants and assistance provided to organizations like Frontline Defenders and Civicus. I have recently met the current Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Mary Lawlor,who is a strong advocate for this support
Let me circle back to the crises that I listed earlier, starting with the civic space, which is key to long-term transformation.
We know that the broadest possible participation in governance at all levels, from local to global, is more likely to ensure a fair distribution of resources and more effective and legitimate solutions to our challenges.
This directly relates also to economic, social and cultural rights, apart from civil and political, and the right to environment. Inclusion of diverse voices – especially those who have been marginalized or suffered discrimination – helps to address grievances and prevent tensions and conflicts. As the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has pointed out, “adaptation and mitigation actions that prioritise equity, social justice, climate justice, rights-based approaches, and inclusivity, lead to more sustainable outcomes … (and) support transformative change.” I am glad that the IPCC pointed this out, as in the past we have not seen human rights language come in, and it shows where the solution lies.
The same with the 2030 Agenda. To put the 2030 Agenda back on track to end poverty, and create a more peaceful, inclusive and equitable world, people must be free to come together, exchange information, and voice their concerns. This is what open societies are all about.
But in reality, if we analyse many countries around the world, the space for critical debate, for dissent, for protest, is being heavily restricted, unfortunately also across Europe.
At least 50 governments around the world have passed laws restricting the ability of NGOs to operate, or to receive funding from outside, or both.
In some countries, when citizens criticize their leaders, it is easier to blame foreign influence than to address the real issues. We must act to reverse this trend of shrinking civic space, which does such harm.
Earlier this month I was in Vienna to mark the 30th anniversary of the Vienna World Conference that led to the creation of my Office
When I looked at the panel it struck me that three of the six people who shared the stage with me were in exile from their homeland — forced to flee simply because they dared to stand up for human rights.
It was humbling to share the stage with these three women who had paid such a high price for defending human rights in Afghanistan, Iran, and Russia.
Their stories vividly illustrated that an open civic space is vital for the defence of human rights, but also for societies to flourish and to have the innovation and creation that we need to address the challenges of today.
This December, in addition to marking the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human rights, we also mark the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.
For the first time, it recognized the specific right to defend human rights.
But if we look around the world, human rights defenders are frequently subjected to attack, threats, smear campaigns and persecution because of their peaceful work on behalf of others.
Environmental human rights defenders are particularly at risk. There are sad statistics: more than three were murdered each week over the past decade. That really tells us something.
Their campaigns to bring about more equitable and just societies include efforts to change laws, get people released from prison, and expose corruption.
But as Special Rapporteur Mary Lawlor reported to the Human Rights Council earlier this year, their very successes can expose them to even more danger. They speak truth to power, confront powerful vested interests, exposing issues that many want to hide.
During this 75th anniversary year, as we discuss how to rejuvenate a universal commitment to human rights, we need to do more on civic space and protect human rights defenders.
We need to connect with communities, and we need particularly to encourage young people – who will lead the struggle for universal human rights in the coming decades.
In Ireland, you know very well how vital civil society and the voice of the grassroots are in promoting peace.
It was a grassroots initiative that created the Tipperary Peace Convention in 1984, to encourage and acknowledge those who work for peace, humanitarian causes and human rights. And Ireland’s efforts to set up innovative participation formats has been striking, including on marriage equality for example.
I count on your support to help us build a stronger human rights ecosystem that is well-functioning but also financially sustainable for all of the human rights mechanisms we have in place.
I count on you to help us promote and protecthuman rights in every corner of the globe for the next 75 years.
Thank you.
