35th Meeting - 63rd Session of Human Rights Council Human Rights Council Date: 1 October 2026 Language: English Transcript: https://transcripts.un.org/en/hrc/63/35 Transcripts available through this tool are created by using automatic speech recognition and are not official records nor official documents of the United Nations. Official records and official documents are available on the Official Document System of the United Nations. --- HRC · Vice-President [0:01]: Excellencies, distinguished participants, I'd like to declare open the 35th session of the meeting of the 63rd session of the Human Rights Council. We'll continue our general debate on agenda item nine, so we will continue with the list of members. give the floor to the distinguished representative of Albania. Speaker 2 [0:31]: Albania. Albania [0:35]: Reaffirms its commitment to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance in line with Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. We thank The group of eminent experts for the report, the work demonstrates that hate speech and disinformation, disinformation, banalizes exclusion, especially when we talk about migrants, refugees and minorities. Public officials have a special responsibility to promote a debate that is based on respect and dignity of everyone. Albania is concerned with the forms of discrimination that are seen in the digital domain. Artificial intelligence tools may amplify prejudices and facilitate the spread of racist and xenophobic content. Their development and their use should respect human rights with guarantees that are adapted, ensure that there is human supervision and there are accountability mechanisms. At the national level, Albania will continue to support the work of independent institutions, especially the Commissioner on the Protection against Discrimination, as well as education, human rights, and protection of victims. In conclusion, we call for a strengthened international cooperation with specific measures to guarantee everyone the possibility to participate on an equal footing in the life of society and respect diversity and dignity of every human being. Thank you. HRC · Vice-President [2:01]: Thank you. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Kuwait. Kuwait [2:12]: Thank you, Vice-President. The delegation of my country associates itself with the statement made by the groups that we belong to. We welcome the report of the Group of Eminent Experts. We are committed to combat all forms of racial discrimination and hate speech under Article 29 of our Constitution and the relevant legal frameworks. reaffirming the international commitments in the seven international conventions on human rights that we signed. The state of Kuwait expressed its concern due to the rise of xenophobia, Islamophobia, and discrimination against Muslims. These policies broaden the gap that threatens peaceful coexistence. We have to raise awareness and combat these phenomenon. The state of Kuwait condemns forms of systemic discrimination against children of Palestine and the occupied Palestinian territories and outside of these territories. We condemn weeks previous are solidarity with the Palestinian people and condemn its qualification as and we support new programs in artificial intelligence HRC · Vice-President [3:47]: I give the floor to the delegation of the delegation is not in the room I give the floor to the delegation of the Gambia. Gambia [4:04]: Thank you, Mr. Vice-President. The Gambia aligns itself with the statements delivered on behalf of the African Group. 25 years after the adoption of the DDPA and the Programme of Action against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance continue to manifest themselves in both old and new forms. For Africans and people of African descent, the legacies of slavery, the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism continue to intersect with contemporary inequalities, including in migration, access to justice, education, employment, and economic opportunity. The Gambia, therefore, welcomes the growing international attention to reparatory justice. In this regard, we take particular note of the adoption of the General Assembly Resolution 8250, spearheaded by Ghana, which recognized the trafficking and racialized chattel enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity. This important development should encourage a shift from acknowledgement to meaningful dialogue and action addressing both historical injustice and its continuing consequences. The Gambia believes that combating racism therefore requires a change not only in policy, but also in attitudes and behavior. States must ensure that equality and non-discrimination are reflected in the daily treatment of individuals, and that those who experience racism have access to protection and remedy. As we advance the second International Decade for People of African Descent, our focus should be simple. Every person must be treated with dignity, respect, and equality, without prejudice or discrimination. Thank you. HRC · Vice-President [5:33]: Thank you very much. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Kenya. Kenya [5:39]: Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Kenya aligns itself with the statement delivered by the African Group and welcomes reports presented under this agenda. As chair of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, Kenya remains committed to advancing its full and effective implementation. 25 years after Durban, our focus must increasingly be on translating commitments into action. Kenya underscores the importance of reparatory justice in addressing the enduring consequences of enslavement, the transatlantic slave trade, and colonialism. Addressing contemporary racial inequalities requires confronting the historical structures that have contributed to them. Kenya remains committed to efforts to strengthen the international framework against racial discrimination, including through the elaboration of complementary standards that respond to contemporary manifestations such as xenophobia, racial profiling and racial discrimination in digital spaces. We further emphasize the role of education in combating racial prejudice and historical distortion. Educational systems should accurately reflect the histories, experiences, and contributions of Africans and people of African descent and promote respect for diversity and equality. Kenya remains committed to advancing these priorities through constructive engagement and international cooperation. I thank you. HRC · Vice-President [7:07]: Thank you very much. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Indonesia. Indonesia [7:15]: Mr. Vice President, racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia are not fixed condition. They adapt to new political and social realities. Technological transformation is among the clearest expressions of that evolution. Our response must be equally adaptive as technology is never neutral. Artificial intelligence, for example, depends on data and systems that often reflect existing societal inequalities, structural discrimination and bias. In this regard, implementing the DPA means ensuring that technological progress does not deepen exclusion or produce new form of discrimination. Clear safeguards are therefore necessary in digital governance. And we welcome the High Commissioner's plan to prioritize and continue advocating for this issue. At home, this commitment is translated into policy as we strengthen our national governments of AI to promote transparency, accountability, and responsible innovation, yet these challenges. cannot be overcome alone as technologies networks knows no boundaries and every country has unique rules stronger partnership and exchange of good practices will therefore be essential with the Durban declaration remaining a living framework that continues to inform this process Indonesia stands ready to work this Council towards that end. HRC · Vice-President [8:35]: Thank you thank you now give the floor to distinguish representative of India. India [8:45]: Thank you, Mr. Vice President. The 25th anniversary of the adoption of the DDPA is an occasion not only for reflection, but also for renewing our collective resolve to eliminate racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance. Any form of racism contradicts the fundamental ethos of Indian civilization, which regards the whole world as one family. Globally, the growing incidence of racist and xenophobic rhetoric directed against migrants and persons of foreign origin is a concern to us. Mahatma Gandhi's historic struggle for equality and dignity began with his fight against racial discrimination. a legacy that anchors our steadfast commitment to the Durban Declaration. India's multi-ethnic, multilingual, and multi-religious society demonstrates that diversity can be a source of strength. We believe that International cooperation, complemented by domestic action, remains essential to effectively eliminate racial discrimination and realize the 2030 Agenda, ensuring no one is left behind. Mr. Vice-President, as regards the provocation made by a State that sponsors terrorism and is a serial violator of human rights, our replies made earlier in this session are on record. We treat their remarks with the contempt they deserve and do not propose to waste either our time, our fills precious time. Thank you, Mr. Vice President. HRC · Vice-President [10:13]: Thank you very much. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of France. France [10:19]: Thank you very much, Vice President. France combats with great determination any form of discrimination, whether based on origin, real or supposed or belonging to a so-called race. We understand and respond to universalism, rejecting logics of fragmentations. We present every July a new action plan to combat racism and anti-Semitism and discrimination based on origin, reaffirm its commitment. This plan of action is based on a large consultation process. That includes 55 measures. France looks with great clarity at its past and continues to continue work related to memory, related to slavery, colonization, and this adoption by the French Parliament 2001, the recognition of the slave trade and as a crime against humanity. And then May 2026, a law on restitutions as the President of the Republic indicated, preparation should be based on scientific approaches that are shared and unequivocal. France supports the initiative made by Ghana to establish historic truth in its depth and complexity related to slavery and ensure that we pay respect to the memory of victims. This is the work that we have been carrying out the last two years, and this is what we will be continuing to do in the future. HRC · Vice-President [11:50]: Thank you very much. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ecuador. Ecuador [11:57]: Mr. Vice President, my delegation reaffirms its commitment to the DDPA and to the second decade of people of African descent. We believe that racial equality requires policies that not focus on separate acts, but treat structural factors related to discriminations and actions that are supported people of African descent, the Constitution of Ecuador refers to the rights of people of African descent as collective rights. And we have established a national policy related to the second decade. And we have carried out roundtables, working with different communities to develop policies that cover the rights of Afro-Ecuadorians. Also, we have been promoted to policies that refer to plurinationality and cultural issues, where there is removal of ethnic identification in order to access to the justice, employment and technologies, improve diagnostics and public policies and facilitate the removal of structural inequalities. Also in May 2026, the Council on Citizens Participations has been working on development of a national observatory for affirmative actions that focus on Afrikaner and also the development of special measures related to second decade and ensure effective racial justice. Thank you. HRC · Vice-President [13:29]: Thank you. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Malawi. Malawi [13:37]: Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Malawi aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the African group and wishes to make the following remarks in its national capacity. We remain deeply concerned that racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related forms of intolerance continue to undermine the inherent dignity and equality of millions of people across the world. Despite progress made over the years, discriminatory attitudes and practices persist, and in some contexts, are being amplified through new technologies and digital platforms. This year's commemoration of the of DTPA provides an important opportunity to renew our collective commitment and combating racism in all its forms. Malawi reaffirms that DTPA is an important and comprehensive framework for addressing racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance. We must move from commitments to effective implementation. This requires addressing both contemporary manifestations of racism and the enduring consequences of historical injustices, including slavery, the transatlantic slave trade, colonialism, and apartheid. It also requires greater international cooperation. As we mark this important anniversary, Malawi calls upon all States to demonstrate renewed political and strengthen the implementation of the DTPA. I thank you, Mr. Vice President. HRC · Vice-President [15:08]: Muchas gracias. Thank you. That was the last speaker on my list of members. Now we'll turn to the list of observers. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Armenia. Armenia [15:23]: Mr. Vice President, we welcome the close attention given by the Council to the persistent challenges of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related forms of intolerance, including in educational settings and digital spaces. We stress the importance of promoting mutual respect, inclusion and understanding across diverse societies as an essential component of efforts to combat intolerance. Armenia remains fully committed to combating racism and intolerance through legislative measures, educational policies, and initiatives aimed at fostering inclusion, mutual respect, and intercultural dialogue. We continue to promote cultural diversity and understanding among young people, including through the implementation of the Cultural Diversity School Program, which supports the integration of students from national minorities and encourages respect for different cultures. Recently, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted the resolution, Education for Peace. This important consensual resolution initiated by Armenia emphasizes the essential role of education in combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance. It stresses the importance of ensuring that educational materials and resources are inclusive, free from negative stereotypes, and all forms of discriminatory and hateful bias. Armenia reaffirms its commitment to building inclusive societies anchored in equality, tolerance, mutual respect, and the full enjoyment of human rights by all. I thank you. HRC · Vice-President [16:59]: Muchas gracias. Thank you very much. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Portugal. Portugal [17:05]: Mr. Vice President, racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related forms of intolerance continue to undermine the equal enjoyment of human rights and the fundamental freedoms. Structural racism fuels persistent discrimination and exclusion across our societies. Combating racism and discrimination requires sustained action, effective policies, and strong institutions. Portugal reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and to the DDPA. At the national level, combating racism and discrimination remains a priority. Portugal recently extended its national plan to combat racism and discrimination, ensuring the continued implementation of its measures while a new national plan is being prepared. Portugal values its continued engagement with international and regional human rights mechanisms, as well as the essential contribution of civil society to the ongoing improvement of our national policies. Finally, Portugal remains resolute in its commitment to combating racism and discrimination in all its forms and to promoting equality across all areas of society, both at the national and international levels, and stands ready to work with all partners to build more just, inclusive and equitable societies. I thank you. HRC · Vice-President [18:30]: Thank you very much. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ireland. Ireland [18:38]: I thank you. Ireland aligns with the statement of the European Union. The 25th anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action offers an important opportunity to renew our political commitment and determination to address all forms of racism, xenophobia and related intolerance. We thank the High Commissioner, the Ad Hoc Committee and the Group of Independent Eminent Experts for their reports. Notwithstanding the progress achieved since Durban, the scourge of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance continue to affect communities across the world, remaining a matter of growing concern across our societies. Against this backdrop, the High Commissioner's report is particularly relevant in its focus on education and its call for an inclusive, equitable, and anti-racist education system, supported by a transformative human rights-based and whole-of-system approach. Our national action plan against racism, launched in 2023, includes, inter alia, actions to address ethnic differentials in education and to strengthen inclusion and anti-racism at all levels of the education system. This encompasses addressing any identified biases embedded in the curriculum and encouraging approaches that are intersectional and intercultural. In June this year, we also announced the 2026 round of the Ireland Against Racism Fund, with 1.4 million euro available for local and national projects to combat racism against Ireland. Today, we reaffirm our commitment to combating racism, discrimination and inequalities that hinder the full realisation and enjoyment of universal human rights. HRC · Vice-President [20:13]: Muchas gracias. Thank you very much. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Belarus, Belarus [20:21]: distinguished Mr. Vice President, current manifestations of racism, xenophobia, and racial discrimination remain deeply entrenched in the historically formed structural forms of discrimination, including the legacy of colonialism and slavery. Current challenges, including the problem of access to technologies, divide between developed and developing countries, the threat of food security, armed conflicts, and climate change exacerbate this problem. Neocolonial notions that divide the world into the civilized garden and the surrounding jungle are unacceptable. They prevent the development of equal international cooperation. Belarus supports the efforts of African states to reach or achieve historical justice, to recognize and eradicate the legacy of slavery and colonialism, and ensure just reparations for the crimes of the past. We stress the need to pay respect to education that should form a respect to cultural and linguistic diversity and ensure an objective reflection of the tragic pages of history. We call upon the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and thematic procedures of the Human Rights Council to take historic justice aspect into hand and to ensure the strengthening of its legal base to combat racial discrimination and ensure the equal sovereignty of states. HRC · Vice-President [21:49]: Thank you. Jordan [22:01]: Thank you, Vice President. Combating racism requires a clear stance vis-a-vis the discourses that seek to exclude specific groups or holding them accountable for economic and social crises. My delegation expresses its concern regarding the ongoing Islamophobia, as well as denigration of religions and religious symbols. We insist on the importance of combating incitement to religious hatred while respecting the freedom of opinion and the freedom of speech in line with international human rights law. Mr. Vice President, the real value of the DDPA is measured by how reflected its provisions are in national measures and policies. This requires applying legislation without discrimination and ensuring remedies, as well as promoting the role of education in entrenching the values of respect and mutual understanding between religious groups. Jordan calls for international cooperation and exchange of expertise among states in order to get to the root causes that fuel racism and intolerance, thus boosting the ability of societies to protect diversity and safeguard human dignity. Thank you, Vice President. HRC · Vice-President [23:15]: Mr. POULSEN: Thank you. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Oman. Oman [23:23]: Thank you, Vice President. The Sultanate of Oman reaffirms the importance of item 9, given that it is a comprehensive framework to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related forms of intolerance in line with the DDPa. Effectively addressing this phenomenon requires clearly distinguishing between individual discriminatory practices and the more dangerous institutional and structural forms of racism which lead to the perpetuation of inequality. This is why combating racism requires confronting all of its forms and protecting all of its victims, as well as ensuring that we address the historic and structural root causes, including the legacy of colonialism, as well as the systems of exploitation and institutional discrimination. The DDPA and its implementation must promote the cause of combating racism and ensuring solidarity between peoples. Focusing on particular or isolated cases is not going to help us see the bigger picture. We support all efforts towards combating racism and discrimination, and we insist upon item 9 and its comprehensive nature in our collective efforts to ensure justice and equality for all people. Thank you. HRC · Vice-President [24:55]: Thank you. I give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Malaysia. Malaysia [25:00]: Thank you, Mr. Vice-President. Malaysia aligns itself with the statements of the group it belongs to. Malaysia reaffirms its firm support for the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, which remains the most comprehensive global framework to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. As a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multicultural country, Malaysia places great importance on unity in diversity, mutual respect and peaceful coexistence. Among others, our domestic efforts towards this objective are guided by the National Unity Policy and National Unity Action Plan 2021-2030. These are supported by community-based initiatives, inclusive education, and mechanisms for interfaith and intercultural dialogue. We believe that combating racism requires more than legislation. Education, dialogue, digital literacy, and community engagement are equally important in addressing prejudice and fostering greater understanding, respect, and social cohesion. Malaysia therefore calls on all states to translate the commitments of the DDPA into concrete action and strengthen international cooperation in addressing both long-standing and emerging forms of racism, xenophobia, and intolerance. Thank you. HRC · Vice-President [26:18]: Thank you very much. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Iran (Islamic Republic of) [26:26]: I thank you, Mr. Vice President. My delegation aligns with the statement of the groups it belongs. The Islamic Republic of Iran condemns all forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, Islamophobia, Afrophobia, and related intolerance. We remain committed to combating these challenges at the national and international levels. It is abhorrent that 25 years after the adoption of the DDP, racism continues to plague many societies and has in some cases become even more deeply entrenched. Iran stresses that the fight against racism must be based on universality, equality and non-discrimination. We are deeply concerned. by the continued rise of Islamophobia, including attack against Muslims, mosques, and Islamic symbols. In this regard, we underline that all forms of racism, religious hatred, and intolerance must be addressed without selective or double standards. Mr. Vice President, we stand firmly with the Palestinian people against racism, racial discrimination, dispossession, and the destruction of Palestinian lives and communities. and we demand an immediate end to violations of their fundamental rights, dignity, freedom, and humanity. The Council must ensure equal protection for all communities and reaffirm its commitment to the full implementation of the DDP. I thank you, Mr. Vice President. HRC · Vice-President [27:52]: Thank you very much. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Algeria. Algeria [28:00]: Thank you, Vice President. Over two decades have passed since the DDPA was adopted, but we're still witnessing an unprecedented rise in racism and hate speech, particularly Islamophobia, that now is taking a dangerous turn with the desecration of Islamic sanctuaries and selective and systematic discrimination against the Muslim communities. This undermines the possibilities of social peace and coexistence. Algeria champions the universal principles of equality and justice, and any laxity in dealing with them is going to undermine the values for which this Council stands. At the national level, we have strong legislation against racism and racial discrimination, and we have a national monitoring mechanism to ensure follow-up on such cases. We believe in peaceful coexistence within the framework of pluralism in values and religions. We call upon the international community to increase efforts to combat Islamophobia in all its forms, and we call upon the member states to abide by their obligations under the DDPA to ensure dignity, equality, and justice for all. Thank you. HRC · Vice-President [29:19]: Thank you very much. Speaker 39 [29:20]: Peru. Peru [29:22]: Is recognized, Vice-President. For Peru, combating racism and ethnic racial discrimination is fundamental to build a more fair and equal society where all can develop their abilities and access opportunities on an equal footing. The reports presented recall the persistence of gaps connected to historic and structural factors. This is essential for Peru, a country of profound ethnic, linguistic, cultural diversity. This has led us to foster policies to respond to the various realities I describe. Chair, we have a multi-sectoral strategy approved in 2025 with Horizon 2030 to strengthen the state's institutional capacities and promote the recognition of our cultural diversity. There is a warning service against cases of discrimination and racism and mechanisms for protection and assistance. In Peruvian schools, it's essential to strengthen training for staff and use educational curriculum material promoting diversity and preventing stereotypes. Public services must incorporate an intercultural focus, improve accessibility, and appropriately respond to the requirements of the different communities. Closing structural gaps requires sustained policies, closing institutions and a committed citizenship to the respect for equality. Thank you, Vice-President. HRC · Vice-President [30:51]: Thank you very much. I recognise Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka [31:00]: Mr. Vice-President, As we mark the 25th anniversary of the Durban Declaration and the Programme of Action, Sri Lanka reaffirms its commitment to total elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. Sri Lanka's constitution explicitly prohibits discrimination on grounds of race, religion, language, caste, gender, political opinion, or place of birth. As a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and multicultural nation, Sri Lanka remains committed to safeguarding the rights and dignity of all and to build a society founded on equality and non-discrimination. The Government is resolved to ensure that there is no space for the resurgence of racism or extremism in Sri Lanka. Mr. Vice. President, we remain concerned with the increase in racism, xenophobia and discrimination globally, particularly against migrants and their families. Their dignity and rights must be respected while their valuable contributions to host societies and economies should be duly recognized. We are equally concerned by the spread of racism, xenophobia, and religious intolerance through digital platforms and emerging technologies. Combating racism requires education, dialogue, inclusion, and sustained international cooperation. In conclusion, Sri Lanka reiterates its strong commitment to the core principles of equality and non-discrimination embodied in the Durban Declaration and the Programme of Action. Thank you. GA · Vice-President [32:32]: Thank you very much. I now recognize the distinguished representative of Djibouti. Djibouti [32:41]: Thank you very much, Vice-President. Djibouti aligns itself with the statements made by the groups to which it belongs and congratulates the Group of Eminent Independent Experts for the implementation of the DDP and the reports on the work of its 12th session. My delegation would also like to greet the reports from the Permanent Forum for those of African descent and the International Expert Mechanism responsible for promoting justice and racial equality in the context of maintaining order, and the ad hoc report on complementary standards working to promote human rights and dignity, particularly for those of African descent, in confronting racism and discrimination. In addition, my delegation takes due note of the conclusions and observations arising from the High Commissioner's report reviewing practices and steps connected to education connected to preventing racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance. In this vein, Djibouti would like to reaffirm that combating all racism in all of its forms is part of a collective commitment to support a fairer, more inclusive world. My delegation believes that it is urgent to combat the underlying causes of multiple forms of discrimination. which principally targets those of African descent as its victims and carry out a paradigm shift in this regard. It's imperative that states put in place reforms of their criminal justice systems and their policies in order to properly maintain order and combat multiple forms of racial discrimination. Thank you. GA · Vice-President [34:14]: Bangladesh is recognized. Bangladesh [34:16]: Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Mr. Vice President, Bangladesh strongly condemns racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance in all their forms and manifestations. We are deeply concerned by rising hatred and religious profiling against Muslims and by the growing stigmatization, discrimination, and exclusion of migrations. Across the world, people continue to suffer violence, persecution, and oppression driven by racism, xenophobia, and religious hatred. The continuing violence in Gaza and the West Bank is a stark example. Bangladesh strongly condemns atrocities committed against the Palestinian people and reiterates its call for accountability, justice, and an end to impunity. Mr. Vice President, in our neighborhood, Myanmar, decades of systematic discrimination, persecution, and violence against the Rohingyas has forced more than 1.2 million Rohingyas to flee en masse to Bangladesh. Nine years since the mass exodus, Rohingya people continue to face deeply entrenched racial, religious discrimination, denial of fundamental rights, and gross human rights violations in Myanmar. The international community must intensify efforts to address the root causes and discriminatory policies and practices and ensure accountability for human rights violations for the early, safe, and sustainable return of the Rohingya to their homeland. Bangladesh also attaches importance to the elaboration of complementary standards to ICERD. We welcome the ongoing efforts to close normative and protection gaps and strengthen the international legal frameworks to combat contemporary racism, including in segment to racial. Vice-President [35:52]: Thank you very much. And I recognize the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) [35:58]: Vice President, Venezuela. reaffirms its robust commitment to the full implementation of the Durban Programme of Action, an instrument that continues to be the most comprehensive international framework to prevent, combat and eliminate racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related forms of intolerance. Twenty-five years after the adoption of this instrument, we call for the will of States to definitively address the structural consequences of colonialism, slavery and the transatlantic slave trade and the impact of this on those of African descent and other historically discriminated against groups. Combating racism requires not only combating the contemporary manifestations thereof, but also recognizing the historic causes thereof and progressing towards effective measures of recognition, reparation, and guarantees of non-repetition. Nationally, Venezuela has aimed to transfer these principles into concrete actions through the constitutional recognition of its multi-ethnic and pluricultural nature, the adoption of laws against racial discrimination, and the strengthening of institutions dedicated to combating this scourge. To conclude, Venezuela reiterates its support for this Council's mechanisms. We urge Member States to renew their commitment to the Durban Declaration and foster guarantees of non-repetition, as well as measures of reparation, as and unavoidable routes towards equality and racial justice. Thank you very much, Vice-President. Vice-President [37:29]: Thank you very much. I now recognize the distinguished representative of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan [37:36]: Mr. Vice-President, we thank the OHCHR for the presentation of the report on education as a tool to prevent racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. Azerbaijan firmly believes that education is among the most effective means of preventing intolerance and discrimination, promoting inclusion and respect for diversity. Prevention of discrimination begins with the creation of equal opportunities for all. In Azerbaijan, general education is free of charge. Moreover, the law on education guarantees equal access to education for every citizen and prohibits all forms of discrimination, while the rules for the organization of inclusive education provide a framework for the inclusion of children with disabilities in mainstream classrooms. Furthermore, at the general educational level, curricula and textbooks promote human rights, tolerance, multicultural values and respect for diversity, incorporate human rights and fundamental freedoms into relevant subjects and extracurricular activities, taking into account learners' age characteristics. As a multicultural society, Azerbaijan also integrates ethnic and cultural diversity in the educational process. As a high. Educational level, multiculturalism courses promote intercultural understanding and respect for diversity, while providing students with the knowledge of the cultural heritage and traditions of communities living in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan continues to strengthen an education system that promotes tolerance, inclusion, mutual respect, social cohesion, and remains committed to combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance. I thank you, Mr. Vice President. HRC · Vice-President [39:08]: Thank you. I give the floor to distinguished representative of the Russian Federation, a video statement. Russian Federation [39:17]: Mr. General, we have repeatedly reported to the Council on the policy of Russophobia reigning in the European countries, which has been elevated. Ukraine [39:27]: A point of order. HRC · Vice-President [39:29]: Can we suspend the video? Distinguished representative of Ukraine. Ukraine [39:36]: Thank you, Mr. Vice President. We are compelled to raise the point of order with regard to the intervention of the current speaker, who represents the Russian-controlled Crimean administration appointed following 2014 annexation of Crimea to entrench Russian institutional and political control over the region. We regret that once again this session has been misused by the delegation of the Russian Federation as a platform to attempt to legitimize its ongoing violations of Ukraine's territorial integrity and international law. We further express concern that in organizing the work of the Human Rights Council, the Bureau has not adhered strictly to the core principles of international law, particularly the relevant resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly, which reaffirmed the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, including with regard to the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, which remain an integral part of Ukraine. As on previous occasions, we must reiterate that the participation of this individual in the Council's proceedings is in direct contradiction to the provisions of multiple UNGA resolutions, which clearly state that the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol are temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. We will continue to notify the Bureau of the Council of such incidents and respectfully request that this communication be circulated as an official document of the Human Rights Council and in the report of its 63rd session. I thank you. HRC · Vice-President [41:09]: Thank you very much. Allow me to recall that, in line with the established rules of procedure for the committees of the General Assembly, it falls to the delegations to assign members of the delegation, and the Bureau has no mandate to censor or have any input as to the configuration of those delegations within the United Nations. The speaker, who is making a statement through a video message, is doing so on behalf of the Russian Federation. This has been included in the notification from the Russian Federation as a representative of this country for this session. I would like to request that the Secretariat continue to play the video, therefore. Thank you. Russian Federation [41:58]: The policy of these countries does not change. We insist that the Council intervene in the situation with 72-year-old Professor Alexander Gaponenko, who was sentenced in Latvia in January 2026 for 10 years in prison for speaking out against discrimination against Russians and for his position on the topic of the ethnocide of Russian compatriots. The kangaroo court proceedings of the author of the book Latvia, the Triumph of Radical Nationalists, Viktor Gorshunov, continues. April 2026, a court order was issued for the arrest of a Russian-speaking deputy of the Seima of Latvia, Alexei Roslykov, for speaking in parliament in defense of the Russian language. In September 2026, journalist Oleg Besedin was sentenced to seven years in prison in Estonia for publishing materials from Russian media. All of them defend what is prescribed by universal and European human rights. treaties. This attack is not against Russians, but all peoples living in Russia. Crimean Tatars are not expansions, and the West simply refused to recognize the existence of the Crimean Tatar population in Russia. I'd like to remind you that the Mejlis has been recognized as an extremist organization and cannot be regarded as a representative body of the Crimean Tatars. We call on the Member States of the Council to consistently work out so differently. condemn this situation. Thank you. HRC · Vice-President [43:19]: I give the floor to distinguished representative of Germany. Germany [43:24]: Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Allow me to react to the intervention we have just heard. I have the honor to deliver this joint statement on behalf of the 27 EU member states, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. We are reacting to the statement on behalf of the Russian Federation delivered by a representative of the so-called administration in the territory of Ukraine temporarily controlled by Russia. We recall the relevant UNGA resolutions which recognize the status of this territory as an integral part of Ukraine. We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, extending to its territorial waters. We reiterate our strongest condemnation of Russia's aggression and its attempts to acquire Ukraine's territory by force in flagrant violation of international law, including the UN Charter. We firmly and unequivocally reject, do not, and will never recognize the attempted illegal annexation by Russia of Ukraine's regions of Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. We therefore urge Russia to refrain from letting any representative of the so-called administration in the territories of Ukraine temporarily controlled by Russia intervene on its behalf within the Human Rights Council or in any other international fora. I thank you. Our national statement for the general debate under item 9 has been uploaded to the extranet. HRC · Vice-President [44:56]: Thank you. Thank you very much. And now I'd like to recognize the distinguished representative of Afghanistan. They appear not to be present, and so I'd now like to recognize the distinguished representative of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Democratic People's Republic of Korea [45:21]: Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Although 25 years have passed since the adoption of the DDPA, racism and racial discrimination remain widespread across the world, particularly in the United States, Austria, Australia, and Denmark. Such concerns have repeatedly been addressed by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. In Australia, CERD has described the overrepresentation of indigenous children in the criminal justice system as resulting from systematic and structural racial discrimination. In Denmark, the Committee has. Raised concerns that the terms "Western" and "non-Western" used in legislation and policies may contribute to the. Stigmatization and marginalization of ethnic minorities. Austria has likewise faced concerns over racist and xenophobic hate speech and racial profiling. We call for the. Strengthened international efforts to eliminate all forms of racism and racial discrimination, and for the Human Rights Council and OHCHR to address these issues in a comprehensive and impartial manner. The full text will be uploaded to the extranet. I thank you. HRC · Vice-President [46:30]: Thank you very much. And I recognize the distinguished representative of Turkey. Türkiye [46:39]: Mr. Vice President, racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, and anti-immigrant hatred continue to rise in Europe and beyond, and increasingly find their way into mainstream politics. Far-right rhetoric that authorizes is not a side effect of this trend. It's one of its drivers. Deliberate desecrations of holy Quran, attacks on mosques, and the stigmatization of Muslim communities are not isolated provocations. Hatred, once normalized, does not remain rhetorical. It translates into fear, violence, and fractured communities. Our citizens abroad experience this reality every day, from the housing market to the schoolyard. Freedom of expression is not a license for hatred. International law is clear on this, and this Council has shown the way through resolutions 16, 18, and 53.1. What is missing is not standards, but political will to apply them fully and to everyone. That includes those most inclined to lecture others. In Iceland, it's reported that authorities have been urged to confront hate speech against migrants, especially online, amid a persistent failure even to record such cases. The digital space has become the newest frontier of this struggle. Algorithms amplify what device and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, must not become new vectors of hate. Turkey will continue to combat racism, xenophobia, anti-Muslim racism, and anti-immigrant hatred in all their forms, and to play its part in this Council's efforts to that end. Thank you. HRC · Vice-President [48:00]: Thank you very much. I now recognise the distinguished representative of Sudan. Sudan [48:10]: Thank you very much, Vice-President. We have taken due note of the relevant reports providing updates concerning racism, racial discrimination and associated intolerance. We align ourselves with the recommendations made in those reports, suggesting that we must incorporate combating racial discrimination in school curricula. We must also ensure schooling that is free of charge in the poorest regions and countries, and support efforts being made by the committee to ensure the universal ratification of the CERD. We also recognize the work of the expert group and its report. Slavery and racism, as well as intolerance and violence, tend to target the most vulnerable groups, migrants, victims of conflicts, and minorities in general, and that is why the war that is being waged in Sudan opens the door to different avenues of discrimination against communities. Verbal violence, physical violence in Darfur and other Sudanese regions bear witness to this. Human rights reports document these violations and crimes, and we therefore call on all countries to support us in combating the militia supporting racism in Sudan and others. HRC · Vice-President [49:45]: Nigeria has the floor. Nigeria · Africa Group [49:49]: Mr. Vice President, Nigeria aligns with the African Group and affirm its unequivocal condemnation of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance. Nigeria takes note of the report of the other committee on the elaboration of complementary standards and welcomes its collaboration to address gaps in protection against contemporary manifestation of racism as xenophobia. Mr. Vice President, as we commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Program of Action, it's relevant to remain undeniably across regions, Africa and people of African descent continue to face racial profiling, hate speech, discrimination, and xenophobic violence. Migrants are increasingly portrayed as threats and blamed for economic and social difficulties, creating conditions that normalize exclusion and violence. Nigeria is also concerned about the potential for artificial intelligence to reinforce existing bias and further exacerbate racial discrimination. This development and use must therefore be transparent, accountable, and supported by appropriate safeguards. Finally, Nigeria underscores the importance of international cooperation and reparative justice to address both present discrimination and the enduring consequences of slavery and colonialism. I thank you. HRC · Vice-President [51:09]: Thank you very much. I now recognize the distinguished representation of Tunisia. They appear not to be present. And so I now recognize the distinguished representative of Ukraine. Ukraine [51:34]: Mr. President, Ukraine reaffirms its commitment to combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related forms of intolerance in all their manifestations. Against this background, we remain deeply concerned by Russia's systematic discriminatory policies in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Ukrainians face persecution and oppression on the grounds of their national or ethnic origin, identity, and language. This practice is from part to Russia's broader policy aimed at suppressing Ukrainian identity and erasing its presence in the occupied territories. Indigenous people of Ukraine, in particular Crimean Tatars, continue to face targeted repressions, restrictions on their cultural and religious rights, and persecution for opposing Russia's occupation. These policies. Are enforced by Russian state-sponsored propaganda and rhetoric that deny the existence of distinct Ukrainian identity and fuel hatred and intolerance against Ukrainians. Russia also exert systematic pressure on residents of the occupied territories to acquire Russian citizenship. Those who refuse face intimidation, restriction on access to essential services, and the risk of detention. At the same time, Russia seeks to alter the demographic composition of the occupied territories through the deportation and forcible transfer of Ukrainians, while facilitating the relocation of Russian citizens there. Ukraine calls upon the international community to firmly oppose such discriminatory policies, combat hatred and intolerance, and ensure accountability. For violations. HRC · Vice-President [53:08]: Thank you very much. I now recognize the distinguished representative of the United Republic of Tanzania. United Republic of Tanzania [53:21]: Thank you, Mr. Vice-President. Tanzania aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the African Group. We welcome the report of the Group of Independent Eminent Experts and reaffirm our commitment to combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. 25 years after its adoption, full implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action remains essential. We must address contemporary manifestations of racism and other historical roots, including slavery, colonialism, and other forms of exploitation. We are concerned by racism and hate speech in digital spaces. Emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, must uphold equality and human dignity and avoid reinforcing discrimination. Education, in particular for young people, is vital to promote tolerance, mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence. We call for stronger international cooperation, capacity building, and constructive dialogue to support implementation, taking account of national circumstances and the developing countries' priorities. Tanzania remains committed to working with all member states toward a world free from racism and discrimination. I thank you, Mr. Vice President. HRC · Vice-President [54:31]: Thank you very much. And I recognize the distinguished representative of Uganda. Uganda [54:40]: Mr. President, we align with the statements of NAM, the African group, and OIC groups. Racism has no place in any modern society and should not have the slightest nuance in any society, including in the UN with over two decades of the DDPA. My government, Uganda, is renowned for its principled position against all forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and any kind of related intolerance. Full eradication of racial discrimination starts with the political will, coupled with international implementation of the law and sensitization of the populace. We therefore call on our system member states to transparently address the underlying causes of discrimination by intentionally and willingfully reviewing national policies and legal systems that enable and entrench systematic racial discrimination against persons of especially African descent. Mr. President, racism is an affront to human dignity and equality and should be condemned. Racism has been entrenched in systems and structures that largely black people, especially people of African descent, is a shame and a testament to not only double standards in the approach of human rights, but also manifestation of a serious superiority complex. My government remains committed to fight against all forms of discrimination, including implementation of the tenants of the Durban Declaration. I thank you. HRC · Vice-President [56:12]: Thank you very much. And I recognize the distinguished representative of Togo. They appear not to be in the room. Okay, so that was the last speaker on my list. We'll now move on to the list of speakers from national human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations. I therefore pass the floor to Jerusalem Institute of Justice. Jerusalem Institute of Justice [56:47]: Mr. President, my name is Eli Sharabi, I'm survivor of torture. On October 7, Hamas terrorists kidnapped me from my home and murdered my wife, Lian, and my daughters, Noa and Yehel. My brother, Yossi, was killed after more than 100 days in captivity, where he was used as a human shield. For 491 days, I was held underground, chained, starved, beaten, and humiliated. I learned my family was dead only upon my release. I'm here to call on you to use your mandate to bring change. The Jerusalem Institute of Justice documented the deliberate starvation of over 78 hostages, on return weighing just 44 kilos. October 7 Justice Without Borders documented patterns of physical and psychological torture affecting 255 hostages and their families, some for over two years and even a decade. I've chosen the road of justice beyond politics and grounded in our shared humanity. This council must act, recognize the torture, demand criminal investigations, and confront the terrorist networks. Name these crimes and impunity. HRC · Vice-President [58:18]: Muchas gracias. Thank you very much. I recognize the International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Tourists. International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Tourists [58:28]: 25 years after Durban, this anniversary should be an opportunity not only to ask whether the Durban framework has been fully implemented, but also to examine how its language has been involved in practice. The independent eminent expert rightly warned that political narratives, misinformation and stigmatization can transform minorities into perceived threats. normalize hatred and ultimately contribute to violence. Yet the report does not examine whether the language of anti-racism and human rights can itself be politicized. As IJEL documented in our submission to this Council over the past 25 years, language originally intended to combat racism has increasingly been instrumentalized to portray Israel as uniquely illegitimate. It is this language that has helped turn what should be legitimate criticism of policies into collective blame, exclusion, and intimidation of Jews, worldwide. What we have witnessed over the past 25 years should serve as a warning to everyone who cares about human rights. Political actors, organizations, and in some cases states, have sought to use the language of Durban to cloak anti-Semitic narratives into the language of anti-racism and human rights in schools, universities, across social medias, and within this institution. We therefore urge the UN to critically reassess the Durban framework, recognize contemporary anti-Semitism in all its forms, and apply the IRM working definition as part of its efforts to eliminate all forms of racism. HRC · Vice-President [59:54]: Thank you. Thank you very much. I recognize Bedna Barys. Bedna Barys [1:00:04]: Mr. President, on December 14, my family was evacuated from a Jewish festival as gunfire erupted nearby at Bondi Beach in Australia. Since then, I've recorded for posterity the stories of the 15 killed and the 42 shot in a documentary and book. Among them, 10-year-old Matilda, whose parents had brought her to Bondi for face painting and bubbles. She was gunned down and the doctors couldn't save her. Holocaust survivor Alex Clayman was also killed, as was Rabbi Eli Schlanger and Edith Bruckman. A newborn baby hospitalized with shrapnel wounds, while a couple in their 60s, Boris and Sophia German, sacrificed their lives confronting the shooters. According to court documents, the attackers had condemned the actions of Zionists. This shows, clear as night follows day, that hatred against Zionists leads to violence against Jews. Anti-Zionism is inextricably linked to anti-Semitism. Across the diaspora, this movement has proved violent and deadly. I implore the Human Rights Council to wake up to what's happening to Jews around the world and take action against this hate before more innocent lives are lost. Thank you. HRC · Vice-President [1:01:31]: Thank you very much. And I recognize the Arab Organization Against Torture and Enforced Disappearance. Bedna Barys [1:01:50]: We address the Arab Council. especially related to ethnic, racial, sectarian discrimination practiced by the Houthi militia in Yemen. The Houthi militia in Yemen is based on exclusionary ideology rooted in the claim of a divine right, viewing Yemenis merely as subjects and slaves. Since Yemen's catastrophe in September 2014, the Houthis have dismantled state institutions and killed more than half a million Yemenis. They have abducted academics, politicians, activists, journalists, and even UN personnel that are imprisoned in Sana'a. Here I stand before you in a wheelchair where I have been confined for the past 12 years as a result of an objection to torture in Houthi detention facilities, a consequence of racial discrimination. This conversation is in a systematic work against future generations. The Houthis are targeting approximately 1.6 million students in the areas under their control. This year, Houthi summer sent-- targeted approximately 461,000 students with the aim of turning them into fighters indoctrinated into sectarian ideology, input from Iran and Iraq, and drawing them to invade Yemeni cities. In the face of this humanitarian catastrophe, where is the free world? In the face of the most egregious forms of racial discrimination, we call upon the System Council to condemn these practices and hold responsible to account, put an end to the systemic destruction of Yemeni society. We call for international actions to put an end to this situation. It is necessary to stop the destruction of cities and families. HRC · Vice-President [1:03:35]: I give the floor to the Sikh Human Rights Group. Sikh Human Rights Group [1:03:39]: Thank you, Mr. Vice President. 25 years after the Durban Declaration, racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia remain persistent in many societies. Legal protections and accountability remain essential. However, the continued presence of prejudice also shows the limits of addressing discrimination only after it has occurred. We therefore welcome the attention this session gives to education as a tool to prevent racism. Education should not only teach what discrimination is prohibited. It should also help societies become comfortable with difference and recognise diversity as a normal and enriching part of human life. As the Council also considers complementary standards, we believe these should address not only gaps in law but also gaps in prevention. The Sikh Human Rights Group has therefore proposed a non-binding declaration on diversity, encouraging states to develop positive programs in education, institutions and community life that promote interaction, understanding and acceptance. Such a declaration would not replace the Durban framework or existing protections. It would complement them by addressing the attitudes and fears from which discrimination often grows. Preventing racism requires not only stronger laws, but societies resilient to prejudice and division. Thank you. HRC · Vice-President [1:05:00]: Thank you very much. I give the floor to International Youth and Student Movement for the United Nations. International Youth and Student Movement for the United Nations [1:05:08]: Mr. President, We fully support the General Assembly adopted theme for the 25th anniversary as it was proposed by the Human Rights Council, mobilizing global public support for the full and effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. It sends a clear message that the DDPA remains the cornerstone for our common work against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and that its full and effective implementation is a global priority. Regrettably, the OHCHR has done little to promote the DDP at its 25th anniversary. but the commemoration of the DDPA 25th anniversary is for the full year. Therefore, we call on the OHCHR to fully implement the adopted General Assembly and Human Rights Council resolutions for a global outreach program in support of the DDPA, including publishing the DDPA for wide dissemination. Thank you. HRC · Vice-President [1:06:15]: Muchas gracias. Thank you. I give the floor to Center for Human Rights and Peace Advocacy. Center for Human Rights and Peace Advocacy [1:06:21]: Mr. Vice President, Center for Human Rights and Peace Advocacy draws the urgent attention of this Council to the systemic escalation of human rights violations inside Pakistan, including Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, PoK. There is a widening crackdown on basic freedoms, In PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan, peaceful public assemblies protesting economic marginalization have been met with arbitrary detentions, internet blockades, and excessive force by state security apparatuses. Several peaceful protesters, reportedly over 100, have lost their lives. Beyond these territories, ethnic and religious minorities in Balochistan, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa face ongoing structural discrimination, arbitrary arrests, and unresolved cases of enforced disappearances. A state cannot demand international accountability while shielding its own systemic domestic abuses from oversight. We demand an immediate halt to the targeting of civil society, journalists and peaceful protesters in PoK in Pakistan. Call on Pakistan to allow independent UN fact-finding missions unhindered access to inspect these areas. Thank you, Mr. Vice. HRC · Vice-President [1:07:45]: President. Thank you very much. I give the floor to Centre Zargos pour les Droits de l'Homme. They're not in the room. I give the floor to United Nations Watch. United Nations Watch [1:08:09]: Mr. President, let's talk about racism in the Middle East. I grew up in Yemen, where the word that we used for black people is "abid," which quite literally means "slaves." Racism towards black people in my country is horrifying, but it's not even the most toxic hatred that I was taught. The first time I ever heard the word "Jew" was in my local mosque when I was nine years old. At the end of Friday prayers, the imam said, "May Allah kill the Jews and the Zionists." And I responded, alongside thousands of Muslims praying beside me, "Amin." I was taught that Zionism meant killing Arabs, stealing our land, and destroying Islam. Then October 7th came. Hamas terrorists freed Palestine by slaughtering 1,200 Israelis and kidnapping more than 200 people, including a one-year-old child. Almost everyone in my Arab Muslim circle celebrated. I didn't. Instead, as a journalist, I decided to visit the so-called Zionist entity. And I was completely shocked to the core by the lack of apartheid and racism that I experienced. One day I got an eye infection. At the hospital, the nurses in reception were Jewish. The doctor treating me was Arab. Is there racism in Israel? Of course. There's racism everywhere. But Arabs in Israel aren't called slaves. They're doctors, engineers, and party leaders. My experience helped me realize that Zionism really just means the Jewish people's right to a tiny country. Everything I was taught was a lie. HRC · Vice-President [1:09:42]: Thank you very much. I give the floor to the Coordinating Board of Jewish Organizations. Coordinating Board of Jewish Organizations · Rabbi [1:09:49]: Mr. President, the synagogue I serve as rabbi, Kehila Charit Torah of Toronto, was founded a half century ago by Canadian Jews and Jews from South Africa who left their native countries' turmoil under apartheid. These founders only sought a peaceful place to worship, raise their families, and celebrate life. They enjoyed living out this hope until Hamas' October 7th attacks. Some now take the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as license to attack Jews, harass Jews, and threaten Jews even thousands of miles distant from that conflict. Since 2023, our synagogue has been attacked more than 10 times, windows shattered, doors smashed, signs set on fire. We are among Jewish institutions nationwide in Canada that have been harassed, shot at, and set aflame. No Jewish citizen has felt completely safe. Despite the best efforts of Toronto police, violence continues. Last week, an assailant fired shots at a rural synagogue on a major holiday, and the world remains silent. Elie Wiesel said, "It often begins with the Jews, and it almost never ends with the Jews.". Darker days are ahead for our society unless we call out Jew hatred in Israel and abroad and cease tolerance and justification for these acts. May God Almighty bless all our efforts to spread peace. HRC · Vice-President [1:11:14]: Thank you. Thank you. I give the floor to Alak Haklo in the service of man. Alak Haklo in the service of man [1:11:23]: Mr. Vice President, Israel's ongoing genocide, annexation, and unlawful occupation of Palestine cannot be separated from the racialized structures that dehumanize Palestinians, systematically deny their rights, and entrench apartheid on both sides of the green line. Across political, academic, and media discourse, Palestinian lives are rendered conditional. Their deaths are presented as statistics, while their immense suffering and destruction is either minimized or made invisible, despite this being the first livestream genocide. Genocidal violence against Palestinian men, women, and children is detached from the colonial context in which it occurs, while Palestinian resistance to grave violations of the most fundamental human rights is presented as criminal. The level of dehumanization of the Palestinian people and lack of accountability for Israel's escalating crimes has created a reality in which a state that can pass death penalty legislations targeting the very group it intends to destroy without any meaningful diplomatic, financial, or political consequences. The complicity of Western global north states in Israel's ongoing Nakba and settler colonial apartheid system has entrenched this culture of impunity, setting a dangerous precedent. Continued failure to implement the ICJ's 2024 advisory opinion further reveals a blatant double standard, where international law is invoked as universal, yet because of latent institutional discrimination, it fails to protect the freedom, dignity, and life of Palestinians. It is therefore crucial to show that racist and discriminatory policies and practices, wherever they occur, will not be tolerated. Thank you. HRC · Vice-President [1:12:52]: Thank you. I give the floor to a joint statement by the International Organization for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. IFORD [1:13:01]: Thank you. We welcome the observations presented concerning the persistence of racial discrimination and xenophobia in migration governance. As highlighted in the discussion, the legacies of enslavement and colonialism, together with structural inequalities, continue to contribute to exclusion, poverty, and marginalization. At the same time, the absence of sufficient safe pathways exposes migrants and refugees to dangerous journeys and increased dependence on smugglers. We are concerned about the allegations of excessive abusive practices by security and border control authorities. International standards call for immigration policies to be implemented without discrimination on the basis of race, color, or ethnic origin. IFORD and Geneva International Center for Justice calls on states to ensure that immigration and border policies comply fully with international human rights obligations. Protection for women and girls of African descent should be strengthened, including accessible mechanisms for reporting and responding to sexual and gender-based violence. Finally, we urge states to move beyond commitments and ensure that anti-racism principles are effectively incorporated into migration governance at national, regional, and international levels. I thank you. HRC · Vice-President [1:14:31]: Thank you. I give the floor to Interfaith International. Interfaith International [1:14:36]: Interfaith International in over 30 years history has actively contributed to the campaign against racism. Our members in their personal lives are affiliated to several different religions and they do not discriminate racially, no doubt because of these religions. A belief in a higher power is shared by the different religions and this brings our members together. In common action on behalf of anti-racism. Our president and secretary. General participated in the World Conference Against Racism held at Durban in South Africa in 2001 and its follow-up conferences. Religion by its very essence should promote the common action of people of different races and religions. We shall continue to support all anti-racism activities inside and outside this council We support CERD's recent decision on racial discrimination against asylum seekers and refugees in South Africa. We progress in understanding the genetic and linguistic unity of human beings, discoveries which destroy old racial concepts. We shall use these new discoveries in promoting work within the Council. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. HRC · Vice-President [1:16:01]: Thank you. I give the floor for a joint statement, Instituto Brasileiro de Direitos Humanos. Instituto Brasileiro de Direitos Humanos [1:16:08]: UNARC, the Peregum Institute, the Black Evangelical Movement, and the Brazilian Institute of Human Rights call this Council's attention to the persistence of racialized police violence in Brazil. In October 2025, a police operation in Pena and Alemao complexes resulted in more than 120 deaths, becoming the deadliest police operation in the history of Rio. We question the security model that repetitively exposes predominantly black communities to a highly lethal police operation. CERT has already raised concerns about the disproportionate impact of police violence on Afro-Brazilians. Emmler has said that killings of Afro-Brazilians by law enforcement are generalized and carried out in a systemic way, which suggests a social cleansing process designed to exterminate sectors of society deemed dangerous or criminal. As the elections in Brazil draw near, opinion polls suggest that violence is one of the public's main concerns. In response, the far right is proposing more intense repression and greater use of force as solutions. However, UN experts and civil society have shown that law enforcement agencies disproportionately target Afro-descendants. In this regard, we urge Brazil to give greater priority to a public security policy system that focuses on protection of life, and we call on this Council to demand non-discriminatory and intersectional public security policies in Brazil. The Black youth cannot continue paying with their lives for the failures of public security. Thank you. HRC · Vice-President [1:17:37]: Muchas gracias. Thank you. I give the floor to African Center for Democracy and Human Rights. African Center for Democracy and Human Rights [1:17:45]: Mr. President, when the world gathered in Durban in 2001, millions of victims of racism looked at that occasion with great expectations. While these victims were yearning to dignity and an end to everyday discrimination, they were cherishing peaceful coexistence between members of our human race. 25 years after that solemn moment and momentum, the world ended up by realizing none of those valid aspirations. There is no peace in the world with all these inequalities, violation of international norms, and deadly intra- and interstate armed conflicts. What is especially disturbing is that racism and xenophobic sentiments are growing in a dangerous way in developed and developing countries. In Libya, as I speak now, hundreds of refugees from African countries are being aggressively attacked and chased away from their homes. We see xenophobia growing with the gains of extreme right-wing policies in the heart of Western European democracies. And we have seen discrimination in Asia during the COVID-19 epidemic when people of African descent were denied access to shopping centers because of the color of their skins. Mr. President, the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, as a mechanism that defines the narrative of victims of racist phenomena and advises the Council on measures to address them, its independence and support of its work must therefore be fully guaranteed, especially in propagating the objectives and outcomes of the Durban Conference. Thank you. HRC · Vice-President [1:19:14]: Thank you. I give the floor to Fundacion Vida, Grupo Ecolandico Verde. Fundacion Vida, Grupo Ecolandico Verde [1:19:21]: Thank you, Mr. President. The Durban Declaration and Programme of Action commits states to equality and equal treatment before tribunals. I speak today as the daughter of Idris Khattak, a well-known Pashtun human rights defender from Pakistan. On 13 November 2019, my father was abducted from his car and disappeared. For seven months, our family did not know where he was or whether he was alive. In November 2021, a secret military court sentenced him to 14 years in prison following a secret trial. On 10th November 2025, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found his detention arbitrary and in violation of international law, and called for his immediate release, compensation, and an investigation. My father is 63. He is not allowed to make telephone calls and is not receiving much needed medical attention. In April 2026, UN experts warned that his uncontrolled diabetes and other medical conditions had become life-threatening and called for his immediate release. We call on this Council to urge Pakistan to release my father immediately and comply with the Durban Declaration and the Working Group's opinion. Thank you. HRC · Vice-President [1:20:31]: Thank you. I give the floor to International Federation for the Protection of the Rights of Ethnic, Religious, Linguistic and Other Minorities. Absent. I give the floor Centre du Commerce International pour le Developpement. Centre du Commerce International pour le Developpement [1:20:49]: Thank you very much, President. Since the adoption of the Declaration of Durban and Programme of Action, many states have adopted national policies to combat racism, and the results achieved are still weak. The root causes of racism are known to all, and they are always the same victims, especially the poor, ethnic and religious minorities, indigenous peoples, people of African descent, migrants and refugees. CCSD commends the work of the CERD and strongly supports the development of complementary standards. During its 111th session, The third major recommendations on the current situation in South Africa, CCID calls upon South Africa to take adequate measures to protect migrants and put an end to xenophobic violence in the country. These violations must stop. Those responsible must be identified, impartially investigated and prosecuted, tried and where held responsible, convicted in accordance with the law. We also call on states to effectively implement the international instruments against racism on their territory, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the DDPA. No economic hardship can justify racism. No migration policies justify hatred. Equality cannot remain a proclaimed principle. It should become effective protection to ensure that every human being, including those whom the majority considers to be foreign, thank you. HRC · Vice-President [1:22:11]: Thank you very much. I give the floor to Association Caritative et du Temps pour la Jeunesse. They're not in the room. I give to the Association de Defense et Promotion des Droits de l'Homme. Association de Defense et Promotion des Droits de l'Homme [1:22:30]: Thank you, President. This month, Eelam Tamils around the world mourn Thiyathibam Thiliben, who gave his life in 1987 through a fast unto death, demanding justice and our people's right to self-determination. His sacrifice remains a timeless symbol of peaceful resistance. Yet even in mourning, we remain victims of Sri Lankan military occupation. Last Monday, his statue was removed. Erasing a memorial is not a neutral act. It attempts to erase the people's memory, identity, and history. This is racial discrimination in its structural form, a Sri Lankan state that suppresses Tamil remembrance while its army occupies our homeland in the North and East. It contradicts the Durban commitments to eliminate racism and to respect the identity and culture of peoples. President, Sri Lanka has reached the 10th stage of genocide, denial. Denial of Mullivaikail, denial of enforced disappearances, denial of mass graves. and now a denial of our right even to mourn. A change of government has not changed this pattern. Therefore, we urge the Council and its member states to establish a country-specific special repertoire for Sri Lanka and to refer the situation in Sri Lanka to the ICC. We also call on states to condemn the removal of this memorial and to protect Tamil commemorations from intimidation. Justice delayed is justice denied. HRC · Vice-President [1:23:58]: Thank you. Thank you. I give the floor to Center for Gender Justice and Women Empowerment. Not in the room. I give the floor for a joint statement by International Lawyers Org. International Lawyers Org [1:24:20]: We thank the High Commissioner, the ad hoc committee and the group of independent eminent experts for their reports. 25 years after the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, racial discrimination persists across societies, demonstrating the need for the full implementation of its commitments. We agree that education holds transformative potential to address the legacies of colonialism and violence, despite often perpetuating the very inequalities it should dismantle through biased curricula and the erasure of the history and identities of people of African descent, Indigenous peoples, and racial and ethnic minorities. Particularly, young women and girls face compounded forms of intersectional discrimination which substantially undermines the full enjoyment of their human rights and fundamental freedoms. In this perspective, we call upon States to make anti-racism education mandatory at all levels, including historically informed curricula and comprehensive training for educators and public authorities in the prevention and remedy of discrimination. We further stress the importance of Member States effectively addressing racial discrimination and hate speech in virtual spaces through strengthened monitoring, prevention and reporting national mechanisms, with special attention to the protection of youth and children. Ultimately, we urge Member States to recognize the gravity of the these evolving forms of racial discrimination, turn commitments into measurable actions, and fully implement the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. We thank you. HRC · Vice-President [1:25:48]: I give the floor now to Action for Development. Action for Development [1:25:52]: Mr. President, we draw the attention of this Council to the human rights violations resulting from the policy of illegal foreigners repatriation plan of Pakistan. The policy has led to the expulsion of over 2.3 million nationals of Afghanistan and represents a breach of the non-refoulement principle. It is in violation of the Convention against Torture, which prohibits the return of individuals to a state where they face a danger of torture, and Article 7 and 9 of ICCPR, regarding arbitrary detention and inhuman treatment. The separation of family with children violate the convention on the rights of child. Afghan refugees holding Afghan citizen card and proof of registration have been expelled without due process. The accelerated campaign of arrest and forced returns of refugees from December to June this year have raised profound concerns and documented by the UN. Women and girls are particularly vulnerable due to restriction on education, employment, and movement. last year, Human Rights Watch has already warned that the renewed deportation campaign exposes Afghan refugees to persecution and severe humanitarian hardship upon their return. On June, the WFP reported that Afghanistan's economy is struggling to absorb millions of such returnees. We urge the Council to ask Pakistan for an immediate halt to the forced returns of Afghan refugees and adopt a national legal framework that codifies the principle of non-refoulement into domestic law. HRC · Vice-President [1:27:22]: Thank you. Thank you. I give the floor to Christian Solidarity International. Christian Solidarity International [1:27:31]: Christian Solidarity International once again expresses its deep concern over the threats to the survival of the indigenous peoples of West Papua posed by the Indonesian government's military operations and development programs. As of September, the number of internally. Displaced people in the six provinces of West Papua had risen to 127,000, up from just 105,000 six months ago. CSI's partners on the ground continue to report new arrivals of displaced people in coastal areas. This displacement is driven by government military operations, which are carried out to protect large-scale mining and farming projects that are driving indigenous Papuans from their lands. These military operations often claim civilian lives, such as Ilianus Agimbau, a 20-year-old evangelist who was killed in Central Papua province on June 29. CSI echoes the call issued by the Papuan Customary Council on July 1st for the Indonesian government to halt all national strategic projects in the seven customary regions of Papua for independent investigations into serious human rights abuses and for concrete steps towards an end to military operations in West Papua. CSI also supports the call made by several Pacific countries during the last General Assembly for the Indonesian government to facilitate a visit to the region by the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Thank you. HRC · Vice-President [1:28:57]: Thank you very much. I give the floor to Association d'Entre Aide Medicale Guinee. Association d'Entre Aide Medicale Guinee [1:29:08]: Thank you, Vice President. We note the ever-increasing use of ethnic identity and geographic belonging as a basis for targeting civilians as part of the war in Sudan, which only exacerbates social divisions and fuels hate speech. In various areas, reports have documented the detention of civilians in Darfur by units linked to the Sudanese Armed Forces. Some of them have faced beatings, ill treatment, as well as humiliation on the basis of their identity because they were suspected of aligning with a warring party. In Al-Fasher, at the end of October, we have witnessed murder and abuse of civilians on an ethnic basis. Linking between the ethnic identity and a certain or supposed loyalty to a war and party is something that threatens the principle of non-discrimination. We call upon Sudanese authorities to stop profiling or stereotyping or discriminating against people on the basis of ethnic or geographic identity and to conduct investigations into violations. We call upon this Council to give priority to racism and ethnic discrimination and hate speech in Sudan because dealing with this scourge is a prerequisite for protecting civilians and building peace on the basis of respect for human rights and equality. Thank you. HRC · Vice-President [1:30:36]: Thank you very much. I now pass the floor to the Consejero Indigenista Misionario. Consejero Indigenista Misionario [1:30:47]: The connection of the indigenous people in Brazil and the Indigenous Mission Council is an episode which calls our attention to the grave injustice of the Brazilian justice context. During an official session of the court, it was demonstrated that indigenous people do not have labor rights and that they are involved in conditions similar to slavery. When a system reproduces in an official session racist stereotypes concerning indigenous peoples, the institution itself becomes a space for the reproduction of discrimination. This episode reveals a wider problem. Institutional racism in the justice system doesn't only impact the dignity of indigenous people. We must also establish, or it can also establish barriers to access to justice. thus compromising trust in the judicial institutions across Brazil and undermining the Brazilian constitution. We therefore request that the Special Rapporteur investigate this episode and we ask that the Council urge the Brazilian state to adopt permanent measures to prevent and combat racism in the judiciary through training, accountability and participation by indigenous people themselves. Thank you. HRC · Vice-President [1:32:02]: Thank you very much. I now recognize the Institute for NGO Research. Institute for NGO Research [1:32:09]: The 2001 Durban World Conference Against Racism was exploited as a platform for vicious hate and anti-Semitism. As the late Tom Lantos, Holocaust survivor, member of the US Congress, and of the US delegation observed, Durban was the most sickening display of hate for Jews I have seen since the Nazi period. The demonization campaigns launched at Durban, and particularly the NGO forum. Continue among UN agencies and an NGO network proclaiming to promote universal human rights. The hate targeting Israel and the Jewish people metastasized in the two decades that followed, emerging in the lies and blood libels of famine and genocide accompanying the October 7th atrocities. NGO funders, including many governments, share responsibility for the immeasurable damage to the human rights community. Instead of advising others, these actors, Governments and NGOs alike should examine their own behavior carefully. In this context, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism that was a direct response to the hate on display at the Durban conference is of major importance. HRC · Vice-President [1:33:23]: Thank you. Thank you very much. And I recognize the Al Basheer Foundation for Development. Al Basheer Foundation for Development [1:33:30]: Mr. Vice President, the DDPA confirms that racial discrimination and occupation go hand in hand. In the occupied Western Sahara, discrimination is systematic and structural against the Sahrawi people, given their identity and political stances in favor of independence and self-determination. We see discrimination in an occupational policy that changed the demographic and geographic character in violation of Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. denying the Sahrawis from their natural resources and lands. Secondly, the CERD has expressed in its concluding observations that it has concerns regarding the exploitation of natural resources without the consent or consultation with the indigenous peoples of the territory. Then there's the cultural and linguistic discrimination with the marginalization of the Hassani language in education, administration, and public sphere. The Sahrawis who defend their own rights face hate speech as well as stigma, and that becomes a pretext for repressing them. We call upon this Council to call for the full implementation of the DDPA as well as the provisions of CERD, enabling the Committee to visit the victims in the territory. We cannot combat racism while an entire people are in a dark area, whereas the solution in the offing is completely absent. Thank you. HRC · Vice-President [1:35:04]: Thank you very much. Human Rights Watch, please. Human Rights Watch [1:35:06]: Mr. Vice-President, globally, authoritarianism and attacks on civil society threaten hard-won progress towards racial equality and justice. As new threats of racialised communities have emerged, including stemming from use of technology. States' action continues to fall short of eradicating historically linked systemic racism and inequalities. In our research around the world, Human Rights Watch has documented the human rights impact of systemic racism. Racial profiling by law enforcement remains a widespread phenomenon in many countries, including European states. It leads to the social exclusion of racialized people from public spaces and society, and impacts. Their economic and social rights. Many European governments continue to deny the existence of systemic racism in their countries, whether within their police. Forces or other authorities? Some European governments continue to show political unwillingness to collect essential disaggregated equality. Data that would render lived experiences of systemic discrimination visible to policymakers and allow for more effective state responses. Given the urgency, states should demonstrate renewed commitment to implement the DDPA and effectively confront systemic racism and inequality. Building on the DDPA calls for reparatory justice from Africans and people of African descent also demand action. urge European states, the US, and other states to answer these calls to address their legacies of colonialism and enslavement. The Council should keep the fight against systemic racism high on the agenda. The time for real and concrete action is now. Thank you. HRC · Vice-President [1:36:28]: Muchas gracias. Thank you very much. And now, Recognised Humanists International. Humanists International [1:36:33]: We welcome the report of the Group of Independent Eminent Experts on the Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, which notes the rise of far-right extremism, characterised by exclusionary conceptions of national, racial, religious and cultural identity, and the consequent normalisation of hate speech. Misinformation and racially and religiously motivated violence. Following this, we bring to the Council's attention the situation of the non-religious in many countries, who are persecuted for. Exercising their right to freedom of religion and belief by both state and non-state actors. They are labelled as dissidents, extremists, terrorists or deviants and face great personal and social risk. States have also engaged in transnational repression against non-religious activists, with some receiving death threats while in exile or families being harassed. Blasphemy laws, still on the books in over 80 states, are also used to prosecute religious or belief minorities. Their mere existence is considered a threat to many states. In this context, Humanist International's World Humanist Congress recently adopted the Ottawa Declaration on Resistance. Outlining many of the challenges described above, arguing how strengthening human rights institutions to support HRDs can be itself an act of resistance against far-right extremism and authoritarianism by ensuring. That they have a voice when other spaces become too hostile and too volatile. As human rights defenders turn to institutions for a platform and for protection, those institutions must be accountable and accessible and must serve human rights. We therefore call on states to repeal blasphemy laws, to recognize the non-religious among those HRDs targeted by the exclusion the experts describe, and to ensure that reform of the UN human rights system widens rather than narrows the space for defenders to be heard meaningfully. Thank you. HRC · Vice-President [1:38:06]: Thank you very much. I recognize the International Humanitarian Association for Development Without Borders. International Humanitarian Association for Development Without Borders [1:38:15]: Mr. Vice President, Balochistan is facing military repression, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, political imprisonment, and collective punishment. Last month, Pakistani military dropped a 225-kilogram bomb on Enfant in Balochistan. All of us sitting here may know what 225 kilograms means as a number, but the families of those children know how heavy those coffins were. Children were killed, Mr. Vice President. No definition is needed for their innocence. Peaceful activists are being imprisoned. Dr. Mehran Baloch and other Baloch political prisoners remain behind bars just for raising their voice against enforced disappearances and state repression. If we remain silent while children are bombed, while civilians are killed, and while people disappear into secret detention centers, then those of us who have the privilege and power to act must ask ourselves, what does our silence make us? We call upon the United Nations to demand an immediate end to attacks on civilians, the release of political prisoners, independent international investigations, and accountability for those responsible. Balochistan is burning, Mr. Vice President. Will this Council finally act? I thank you. HRC · Vice-President [1:39:49]: Gracias. Thank you very much. I now recognize Focus Asia Foundation. Focus Asia Foundation [1:39:57]: Mr. Vice President, we deliver this statement to remind this Council that the promises of the Durban Declaration remain unfulfilled for millions across Asia and Middle East. Racial discrimination did not end with the declaration. It adopted, persisted, and in too many places, intensified. In Yemen, the Muhammasin, the marginalized, an estimated 3.5 million people, roughly 10% of the population, endure caste-like discrimination rooted in skin color and contested ancestry. Historically relegated to sanitation work and confined to slums of the peripheries of cities, they face systematic exclusion from education, healthcare, and political life. In Iran, the Commission on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the UN expert fact-finding mission both have concluded that discrimination against ethnic minorities is systematic and structured. The Baloch, Kurd, Ahwazi Arabs, and Ahwazi and Azerbaijani Turks are treated as second-class citizens, subjected to ethnic profiling, biased sentencing, and disproportionate executions. In Pakistan, we are gravely concerned by the systematic racial profiling and discrimination faced by Baloch students in universities and colleges across Punjab, Sindh, and Islamabad. Students are targeted under the guise of national security, subjected to surveillance, harassment, false charges, forced eviction from hostels, and forced disappearances from campuses. Mr. President, the Durban Program of Action requires concrete follow-up, not commemoration. We urge this council to ensure that states implemented their obligation under CRD, dismantle structures of racial discrimination. Thank you. HRC · Vice-President [1:41:33]: Thank you very much. Human Rights and Democracy, please. Human Rights and Democracy [1:41:38]: Mr. Vice President, Sham Center warns that racial discrimination against Palestinians is not only systematic and embedded in policies and institutions, it is increasingly being codified into law. At a time when the global movement is toward abolition of the death penalty, Israel has moved in the opposite direction, adopting a death penalty targeting Palestinians on the basis of their national identity. Its discriminatory character is unmistakable. This discrimination is at its most extreme. Identity can determine who is exposed to the ultimate and irreversible punishment. The law raises grave concerns under the prohibition of racial discrimination, the right to life and fair trial guarantees under International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. And discrimination does not stop at prison walls. Palestinian Christians an indigenous and inseparable part of the Palestinian people, face restrictions on movement and access to holy sites, harassment and attacks, and increasing pressure on their presence, particularly in Jerusalem. Christianity was born in Palestine, yet Palestinian Christians today struggle to preserve their presence in its birthplace. The Durban Declaration explicitly recognized the plight of the Palestinian people under foreign occupation and called for equality, justice, and internationally recognized human rights. Sham Center calls on this Council to confront discriminatory laws and practices, protect Palestinian Christians and their holy sites, and turn the commitment of Durban into production and accountability. Thank you. HRC · Vice-President [1:43:07]: Thank you very much. I now recognize the Rosem Human Development Center. They are not present, so I recognize Skills International Board. also absent India throughheed Jamat trust is recognized absent Global Institute for water environment and health are recognized president. Global Institute for Water Environment and Health [1:43:38]: We draw the Council's attention to concerns regarding unequal access to basic necessities in the United Arab Emirates, particularly affecting migrant workers and other non-citizens. Water and food are fundamental to human dignity and human rights. Yet, UN reporting has identified unsafe and overcrowded living conditions for migrant workers, including limited access to drinking water and sanitation, while other reports document cases of inadequate food and water. Migrant workers constitute the overwhelming majority of the UAE's population and make an indispensable contribution to its economy. Their nationality or migration status must not determine the quality of their access to essential resources. We urge the UOA to ensure equal, non-discriminatory access to safe water, adequate food, sanitation and decent living conditions for all, irrespective of nationality or status. Human rights must apply to every person, not only to citizens. Thank you. HRC · Vice-President [1:44:56]: Thank you very much. I now recognize the Coordination of Associations and Citizens for Freedom of Conscience. Coordination of Associations and Citizens for Freedom of Conscience [1:45:07]: We are profoundly concerned by the policy undertaken by France vis-a-vis its overseas departments. In the French Antilles, those of African descent are confronted by structural racism and neocolonial administration. The chloridocine scandal. This is a pesticide which is prohibited in mainland France as of 1990, but has been used in the islands until 1993, continues to poison 81% of adults. It was only in June 2026 that France recognized its responsibility. Claude Jean-Pierre. 67 years of age, died following police violence in Guadalupe in 2020. It was only in August 2026 that the police were placed under review for this. The new July 2026 law, which assumes that all police shots shot by police are legal, has reversed the burden of proof for families mourning these events. In a report from the Senate of June 2026, it was recognised that there were systemic inequalities. Eighty years after the departmentalisation process, the problems which are the legacy of that continue to be a burden. We call on France to implement the Dublin Declaration and repeal this law, end police impunity and compensate victims of the Clodocun scandal, as well as guarantee genuine equality and rights to all French citizens. Thank you. HRC · Vice-President [1:46:35]: Thank you very much. International Career Support Association is recognised. Absent. Registered Samra Kalyan Sansthan are recognised. Registered Samra Kalyan Sansthan [1:46:51]: Yet for too many Hindu families in Pakistan, that innocent promise is interrupted by fear. Hindus are not strangers to the state. Their temples, traditions, and communities have shaped its landscape for centuries. But history alone does not protect a child. In April 2026, UNA experts reported that about 75% of women and girls affected by forced conversion through marriage in Pakistan in 2025 were Hindu. Nearly 80% of cases occurred in Sindh. In January and February 2026, at least 23 cases involving minorities' girls were documented. The recent ground report from Miti tells of a 13-year-old Hindu girl allegedly forced to convert and marry, while documented presented her age and adult. Think of the silence in that home, with child gone, parents bleeding, identity turned into evidence against itself. We urge the Honorable Council take action on three things. Independent investigation and age verification in every late conversion case. Safe shelters and legal aid for minorities girl. Accountability when official fail to protect them. Mr. President, religious freedom is not a favor. It is a right? And a child faith must never become her sentence. We thank you. May all live happily. HRC · Vice-President [1:48:19]: Thank you very much. I now recognize Shanxi Patriotic Volunteer Association. Shanxi Patriotic Volunteer Association [1:48:24]: Mr. President, delegates, I'm the founder of IPPO. I speak on behalf of 608 NGOs from 68 countries. Unilateral use of force, the shrinking of civil service, the violation of the UN Charter. We trust that patriotism must not harm the interests of other countries. However, when hegemonic countries adopt the foreign leaders using domestic warrant, this is a violation of the UN Charter, and it is also a violation of the sovereign immunity and the principle of fair trial. Therefore, we urge the OHCHR to clearly stipulate that any cross-border abduction of foreign leaders without the authorization of the Security Council constitute the highest form of violation. We urge the civil society organization to be given a greater role in monitoring the implementation of the policy and to achieve the fair and just international order promised by the High Commissioner. Thank you. HRC · Vice-President [1:49:56]: Thank you very much. I now recognize the Al-Barim Association for Charitable Work. Al-Barim Association for Charitable Work [1:50:05]: Mr. President, we wish to draw the Council's attention to serious concerns regarding the reported use and expansion of military jurisdiction over civilians in Pakistan, including in Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. In Gilgit-Baltistan, civil society actors have raised concerns that military legal mechanisms and counterterrorism measures are being used against individuals involved in protests over land, rights, taxation, governance, and other local grievances. These developments raise important questions regarding Pakistan's obligations under international human rights law, particularly the right to a fair trial before an independent and impartial tribunal. We are also concerned by reports of restrictions and legal action against the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee and individuals participating in demonstrations concerning electricity, food subsidies, economic rights and governance. Reports of deaths, injuries, arbitrary arrests, and the use of force during demonstrations require credible, independent, and transparent investigation. Mr. President, we urge Pakistan to ensure that civilians are tried before independent civilian courts, protect the right to peaceful assembly and expression, investigate allegations of excessive use of force, and ensure accountability where violations are established. Thank you. HRC · Vice-President [1:51:33]: Thank you very much. I now recognize the Sambali Trust. Sambali Trust [1:51:38]: Mr. President, discrimination is not always loud. Sometimes it is a child excluded because of their name, language, appearance, or community, or a family made to feel that they do not belong. India's constitution carries a strong commitment to equality before the law and protection from discrimination. That commitment matters because dignity must be experienced in everyday life, not only in written law. The Durban Declaration and Programme of Action remind us that racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance must be addressed not only through legal protection, but also through education, inclusion and participation. In our work in Rajasthan, Sambali Trust has learned that local schools, communities, organizations, and public institutions can play a practical role when people are listened to early. Children are taught respect, and families can access services without fear, humiliation, and prejudice is less likely to become exclusion. We respectfully encourage States and the Council to strengthen human rights education, fair access to services, community dialogue, and the participation of affected communities when policies are shaped and implemented. Special attention should reach rural, remote, and socially or economically disadvantaged communities, when distance from institutions can deepen exclusion. Diversity strengthens our society when every person is able to belong with dignity. Thank you. HRC · Vice-President [1:53:03]: Thank you very much. The Al-Hakim Foundation, please. Al-Hakim Foundation [1:53:11]: Racial discrimination. Sambali Trust [1:53:13]: Isn't only manifested through policies. It can also be reproduced when the expression of cultural identity or a peaceful public opinion is treated as a security matter. In the Western Sahara, there are patterns of unequal treatment which impact the full enjoyment of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of the Sahrawi Sahrawi people. This includes limitations on identity, expression and culture, obstacles to public manifestation and deliberate obstacles against public demonstration and activities defending human rights. The situation concerning political prisoners in the Sahrawi illustrates this. From the 27th of September, there are new groups maintaining a hunger strike in Moroccan jails. protesting against issues that they've been transferred to centers far from the Western Sahara, violating their fundamental rights. One of them was forced to suspend their strike following a serious deterioration in their health. President, we call on the Council to call on Morocco to guarantee equality and ensure the full enjoyment of the rights of the Sahrawi people. access to the independent, sustained access to the independent mechanism of human rights in Western Sahara and the immediate and unconditional release of Sahrawi prisoners. Thank you. HRC · Vice-President [1:54:33]: Thank you very much. I now recognize Community Human Rights and Advocacy Center. Community Human Rights and Advocacy Center [1:54:40]: Racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia cannot be separated from religious hatred, exclusion and the humiliation of minority women. Recent incidents in India raise serious concerns about the treatment of Muslim women in public spaces and institutions. In September 2026, a male security guard at a government hospital in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, reportedly pulled a Muslim woman's niqab, threatened to record her, and attempted to remove her while she sought a public health identity card. In August, a Muslim woman vendor at Mumbai's Food Festival was reportedly told to remove her hijab or leave, despite meeting the event's dietary requirements. These incidents point to serious. Failures in protecting dignity, privacy, religious freedom, and equal access to public services and economic activity. When visible religious identity becomes a reason for humiliation or exclusion, discrimination enters everyday institutional life. We urge the Council to demand impartial investigations, accountability for perpetrators, and safeguards for Muslim women. India must ensure that public institutions protect all individuals equally, regardless of religion, gender, or appearance, and prevent discriminatory practices from being normalized. Thank you. President [1:55:56]: Thank you very much. I now recognize development of the local community association at Gaziret Beba. development of the local community association at Gaziret Beba [1:56:05]: Millions of people the world over are still victims of racial discrimination, not only based on skin color and race, but discrimination founded on origin and affiliation. In Yemen, the Hooters are a source of concern in that There is a social and political discrimination practiced in that group based on lines of affiliation. A discourse is promoted which places priority on certain individuals of particular backgrounds. And these phenomena are particularly concerning because they divide communities and place some in a more superior, legitimised position and others in inferior positions. President, when rights and privilege are connected to birth and affiliation, this is not legitimate discrimination. This is discrimination that touches the heart of a community and places a hierarchy which runs contrary to human rights on society. We therefore call on the HRC to speak out against discrimination based on descendants and combat all practices based on discrimination, based on heritage. We call on all the President [1:57:35]: president interrupts. Peace and sustainable development is recognized. Peace and Sustainable Development [1:57:41]: Mr. President, when bulldozers become the answer to our minority families' home, we must call it what it is, a grave human rights concerns and abuse of administrative power. Across India, More than 2,100 Muslim religious and community structures, including mosques, madrasas, and shrines, have reportedly been targeted in a demolition drive over six years. Recently, bulldozers demolished the homes of 73 Muslim families in Assam's Goalpara district, leaving families without shelter. Mr. President, I ask this Council, when bulldozers are sent to the homes of vulnerable minorities, where are due process, equal protection, and accountability? We strongly condemn demolitions that deprive Muslim families of their homes and threaten religious and community institutions. The Vienna Declaration speaks of universal and indivisible human rights. But what does universal mean if those rights stop at the doorstep of Muslim families? What does equal protection mean when homes and religious institutions can be reduced to rubble? We urge this Council to condemn discriminatory demolition practice. demand due process and accountability, and ensure that housing, religious freedom, cultural rights, and equal protections are upheld for every community. Speaker 153 [1:59:02]: Muchas gracias. Thank you very much. Under the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, all. People have the right to equality and to live free from racial discrimination and xenophobia. We are concerned by the reports of discrimination against Kashmiris, both within and outside Jammu and Kashmir. Students who left the territory. Due to ongoing restrictions to continue their education in adjacent states of the country are facing humiliation, harassment and profiling. Following major incidents, some have been targeted for their identity as Muslims and as residents of Jammu and Kashmir. Inside Jammu and Kashmir, we note a climate of outsider versus local. Amended domicile rules have created anxiety that settlement policies may alter the demographic character of the territory. Civil society reports increased economic competition and perceptions of preferential treatment for non-local entities in jobs and contracts. Mr. President, we respectfully urge this Council to call for equal protection of all ethnic and religious communities in Jammu and Kashmir without discrimination and to encourage measures to prevent hate speech, profiling, and xenophobia, and to ensure independent monitoring and accountability for discrimination. I thank you, sir. HRC · Vice-President [2:00:27]: Muchas gracias. Thank you very much. I now give the floor to Tamuku. Tamuku [2:00:33]: Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and the related forms of intolerance follow up in Pakistan. Dr. Mahrang Baloch, the head of Baloch Executive Committee, is known for her activism highlighting the human rights violations in Balochistan province, including extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances, arbitrary detention and constitutional torture by the state, the military, and intelligence agencies of Pakistan. For her activism, Dr. Baluz has encountered multiple instances of state-sponsored harassment and arbitrary detention. In October 2024, Dr. Baluz was denied permission to leave the country for New York to attend TIME100 NEXT 2024 event, in which she was nominated. The police detained her and seized her passport. vehicle and mobile phone and left all along with her supporters stranded in a deserted road at night. Absence of the comprehensive domestic law in Pakistan against the use of torture in line with the UNCAT's definition enables torture or ill-treatment of Dr. Baloch under the secrecy laws, suggesting that UNCAT's standards are not fully met. UNCAT's Periodic reviews have repeatedly emphasized that Pakistan domestic laws do not. on the uncut obligations, especially since... HRC · Vice-President [2:02:09]: Thank you very much. I give the floor to the promotion du developpement economique et social. promotion du developpement economique et social [2:02:24]: Vice President, 25 years after the adoption of the DDPA, task does not simply limited to recognizing the manifestations of racism or racial discrimination, but also it should make us strengthen the means and ensure that we can prevent these phenomenon in a sustainable manner. The work presented during this Session reaffirms that education is an essential tool of prevention, should combat stereotypes and better understand the historic and structural causes of discrimination, promote a culture of equality and respect of human dignity. Mr. Vice President, education cannot play a role separately. Prevention also requires public policies that are capable of identifying discrimination and measuring the effects of discrimination and respond through accessible complaints mechanisms, effective remedies and reparation. The organization therefore calls upon States to strengthen human rights education and education on non-discrimination and develop independent follow-up mechanisms and guarantee the effective participation of persons and concerned communities in the elaboration and evaluation of policies that concern them. In this perspective, we recall the need to strengthen the implementation of the DDPA through national specific measures that guarantee the prevention of discrimination, protection against discrimination, as well as access to effective remedies. Thank you very much. HRC · Vice-President [2:04:08]: Thank you very much. I give the floor to Les Caribous Liberes. So the absent I give the floor to the unit for the development of Mauritania. unit for the development of Mauritania [2:04:31]: Slavery and practices similar to slavery continue to persist in Tindouf camps on the Algerian soil. Dark. Skinned Sahrawi is remaining among the most vulnerable, facing discrimination, coercion and conditions that undermine their dignity and their fundamental. Rights. Recently, a group of around 40 dark-skinned residents of the camps organized within the NGO led by held a peaceful. March from the UNHCR office to the headquarters in Rabouni. Their action expressed solidarity with the minor who was tortured on February 26 by a couple of what considered itself a noble family. Instead of responding to these legitimate demands, Polisario militia elements violently dispersed the demonstrations, further illustrating the absence of rule and law and the repression faced by dark-skinned Sahrawis who seek protection and accountability. President, this case is not isolated. It reflects a broader pattern of mistreatment, forced labor, restrictions on movement, and systematic discrimination. These practices. Violate the host country's obligations under the Slavery Convention and the Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery and Institutions. Similar to Slavery. We call upon the international community and this Council to ensure independent monitoring, uphold international law, and protect the victims whose voices cannot remain unheard. Thank you. HRC · Vice-President [2:06:05]: Muchas gracias. Thank you. I give the floor to LTI. LTI [2:06:16]: President, sustainable peace and human rights cannot coexist with impunity. To this today, not a single Armenian war criminal residing in Armenia has been prosecuted for the grave crimes committed against Azerbaijanis during the decades of conflict and occupation. In fact, those war criminals are being glorified by certain segments of the Armenian society. This persistent lack of accountability undermines international justice and hinder genuine reconciliation. Worse still, we witness a concerning rise of revanchism within Armenian society. The Armenian government continues to enable entities and individuals that openly advocates for continued aggression against Azerbaijan and put forward illegal territorial claims. To foster lasting peace, Armenia must take concrete legal measures, prosecute individuals responsible for past war crime, outlaw revenge as organization inciting violence, and dismantle the structure promoting territorial ambitions against its neighbors. Equally critical is the protection of cultural heritage. During the occupation, Armenia systematically looted the priceless cultural artifacts from these regions. There are a growing number of positive precedents of restitution, and we urge Armenia to follow this example by returning all stolen Azerbaijani artifacts. On another note, continued unsubstantiated statements and action by an organization called Christian Solidarity International run counter to the current peace and normalization agenda between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Thank you. HRC · Vice-President [2:07:47]: Muchas gracias. Thank you very much. I understand that some organizations on the list are not present. I give the the floor to Center for Gender Justice and Women Empowerment. Not in the room. I give the floor to World Jurist Association for the World Peace Through Law Center. World Jurist Association [2:08:19]: Mr. Vice President, the World Jurist Association reaffirms that racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related forms of intolerance are fundamentally incompatible with human dignity and equality before the law and the rule of law. As we mark the 25th anniversary of the DDPA, this is an important opportunity not only to recognize the progress achieved, but also to address the challenges that remain in translating commitments into concrete action. Legal equality cannot remain merely a formal guarantee, it must be reflected in ways that laws are applied, institutions operate, and justice is delivered. Discrimination within law enforcement and the administration of justice undermines public trust and weakens the legitimacy of legal institutions. The World Youth Association, therefore, calls for independent and impartial justice systems, effective mechanisms to prevent and address discrimination, and the meaningful access to justice and remedies for victims. Judges, prosecutors, lawyers, and law enforcement officials have an essential role in this effort. The rule of law requires not only equality before the law, but equality in the application of the law. Thank you, Mr. Vice President. HRC · Vice-President [2:09:45]: Muchas gracias. Thank you very much. That was the last speaker on my list. Now, with this last speaker, we have concluded the general debate on agenda item 9. I understand that certain delegations have requested to exercise the right of reply pertaining to the statements under agenda item 9. I give the floor now to the distinguished representative of Indonesia. You have three minutes. Indonesia [2:10:20]: Thank you, Mr. Vice-President. Indonesia wishes to exercise its right of reply to respond to a delegation made by an NGO during the general debate item 9. Our government remains committed to protecting the displaced population in Papua, ensuring their safety and basic needs, and creating conditions conducive to their safe and sustainable return. The Ministry of Human Rights, along with line ministries, are now coordinating efforts to address this situation. But again, we must also acknowledge its underlying causes. As we have mentioned before this Council, the brutality of this armed criminal group continues to terrorize civilians, urging them to flee. In the past three months, a logistic driver was shot dead after being forced to hold a separatist flag, nine women are abducted, three civil servants were murdered in cold blood while on duty, and an American pilot delivering essential logistics for the locals was also shot dead. Such attacks are unacceptable and cannot be justified under any circumstances. Furthermore, such attacks also prevent the delivery of public services, including healthcare for the Papuan people. Mr. Vice President, as reiterated last week, various national strategic projects across Indonesia are aimed to enable the enjoyment of human rights for our people. This is a nationwide response to the risk of food insecurity and supply chain disruption caused by wars in other regions. These projects are also aimed at creating employment, expanding economic opportunities, and advancing welfare for all Indonesians. In Papua provinces, the projects are also aimed at accelerating the regional development in line with the Papua spatial autonomy framework that prioritizes improved welfare of the Papuans. The implementation involves coordination and consultation with local authorities and civil society, while considering spatial planning, environmental protection, cultural heritage, as well as the rights and interests of adat communities. Mr. Vice President, Indonesia remains committed to protecting all its citizens in Papua, addressing international displacement, and advancing development through dialogue and respect for human rights. Finally, on the call for a visit by the High Commissioner, we underline that any arrangement of such a visit should be under the agreement between the host state and the Office of the High Commissioner as applied to every member state. It is not determined by a third state nor any other body. Thank you, Mr. Vice President. HRC · Vice-President [2:12:47]: Thank you very much. I now give the floor to distinguished representative Sudan. You have three minutes. Sudan, you have the floor. Sudan [2:13:23]: Thank you very much, Mr. Vice President. Some NGOs are politicizing and using the forum of the human rights Council to spread their biased allegations, for example, the Association d'Entraide Medicale Guinee. It is deplorable to see how the Tribune of the Human Rights Council is being exploited to promote politicized and biased statements that are made. as was made by the Association d'Entraide Guimond. They are trying to cover up the crimes committed by the militia attacking Sudanese armed forces, the crimes committed in Fashir by these militia in cities, in penitentiary centers, torture, forced expulsions, Attacks on civilians are crimes that you are all aware of. They have not, cannot be described as one party to the conflict. The killings have reached a scale that go beyond imagination. Satellites took photos of the bloodshed in this area and These NGOs cannot come to this Council and cover up the acts of these criminals and promote the propaganda of these militias to portray victims as those responsible for crimes. is unacceptable. This shows directly the selectivity of these statements for political purposes. The Sudanese army is playing its role under the constitution, protecting its sovereignty, territorial integrity, its institutions, and the people of our country. Sudan refuses to exploit human rights to whitewash and ignore the media campaigns of these militias. We will use all the possibilities here in the UN to question these practices by these NGOs and to question how it is in line with belonging here to the statute of this NGO in the UN. Thank you very much. HRC · Vice-President [2:16:16]: Are there any other delegations that would like to use their right of reply? That does not seem to be the case. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, we have concluded agenda item 9 of the agenda. We will take a short technical break before we hold our enhanced interactive dialogue with the Office of the High Commissioner related to the full implementation of the human rights of the populations of the Marshall Islands in connection with the legacy of nuclear testing. Excellencies, distinguished participants, I declare open item 10 of the agenda entitled Technical Assistance and Capacity Building. We'll now begin the enhanced interactive dialogue on the report of the Office of the High Commissioner related to the challenges and obstacles for the full realization of the human rights of the population of the Marshall Islands related to legacy of nuclear testing pursuant to Council resolution 57/26. It is my honor to welcome our distinguished presenters. Ms. Awa Dabo, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, will present the report of OHCHR. Mr. Bernard de Duhamel, Special Rapporteur on truth, justice, and reparation, guarantees of non-recurrence. Mr. Alison Killen, Commissioner of the Marshall Islands National Nuclear Commission, Miss Alice Ward, youth representative, and Mr. Sheldon Richland, professor in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. The list of speakers will close in 15 minutes. I now give the floor to the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights for her presentation. OHCHR · Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights [2:20:25]: Mr. Vice President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, good afternoon. Between 1946 and 1956, the United States conducted 67 known nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands. This location was chosen because the U.S. had effective control over the islands, through the Trusteeship Council, and because of the remoteness of the islands in the center of the Pacific Ocean. The detonations had a total explosive power equivalent to more than 7,200 times of the atomic bomb dropped in Hiroshima. Radioactive materials spread across the Marshall Islands, contaminating the air, land, and the surrounding ecosystems. For the Marshallese, this history is not past. It lives on in bodies and families, in poisoned lands and communities that have been displaced, and it lives in the demands across generations for recognition and justice. The report before you today focuses on the pursuit of justice for this nuclear legacy. In preparing the report, our office held consultations in Eniwotak, Jaluit, Kwajalein, and Majuro atolls in the Marshall Islands and with the Marshallese communities in the diaspora. Their testimony paints a picture of what the nuclear legacy means to them today and of what justice requires. Virtually every Marshallese family has been touched by the enduring health consequences of the nuclear testing, which include elevated rates of cancer. Marshallese women and their family members carry painful memories of miscarriages, stillbirths, and severe congenital conditions. Limited healthcare on the Marshall Islands means cancer patients may need to travel abroad for treatment, separating families, sometimes for extended periods. The harm is also written into the relationship between the people and the land. Many displaced communities have not been able to return to their ancestral atolls, leaving generations disconnected from their land, their culture, and their traditions. In Marshallese custom, women are custodians of the land. Displacement fractures these ties and undermines their authority. Social stigma compounds these harms. Communities are reportedly labeled as "ri bijin," or poison people, with young people experiencing the nuclear legacy as a source of anxiety and internalized shame. The Marshall Islands and diaspora communities require sustained access to healthcare, education, and other social services that can address the impact of the nuclear legacy, including intergenerational trauma and psychosocial harm. Mr. Vice President, Marshallese communities have the right to an effective remedy for the harm caused by the nuclear tests. This includes reparations and guarantees that the harm will not be repeated. However, scarce resources, legal and other barriers mean many are still waiting for this right to be fulfilled. What can justice for the nuclear legacy look like? Well, first, stronger efforts are needed to establish the truth about what happened, who has been affected, and the extent of the harm. To that end, our office recommends that the United States declassify information about the nuclear legacy, including data on radiation exposure and testing records. They will enable the Marshallese to make informed decisions about their health, their land, and their search for justice. Secondly, the damage needs to be repaired. The Compact of Free Association and the Section 177 Agreement on the Settlement of Claims did not cover harm done to future generations, moral damage, environmental degradation, and other forms of harm. These agreements must be interpreted in a manner consistent with the victims' right to an effective remedy. Domestic legal mechanisms in the Marshall Islands have an important role, including traditional rights courts, which has jurisdiction over land and customary law. The Nuclear Claims Tribunal in the Marshall Islands have assessed more than US$2.3 billion in personal injury and property damage claims, yet no claimant has received full compensation due to insufficient funds. We must also acknowledge that repairing damage goes beyond financial compensation. It means addressing the environmental consequences of nuclear testing and ensuring sustained access to social services for affected communities, including the diaspora. And thirdly, justice is about more than claims and courtrooms. The Marshall Islands has identified transitional justice as a means of advancing victims' right to truth, justice, reparation, and guarantees of non-repetition. This approach can draw strength from Marshallese understandings of justice, which emphasizes repairing harm and restoring balance within the community. Accountability is understood as not only being held to account, but as recognizing one's own responsibility. Marshallese students have told my office that justice requires acknowledgment, apology, and action. Affected communities need to be meaningfully involved in every decision concerning them. Women, young people, and others who have traditionally been excluded need to have a central role. Education and outreach about the legacy of nuclear testing can also advance justice by ensuring communities understand what happened and knowing their rights. Mr. Vice President, the Marshallese people did not create this legacy. They should not be left to address it alone. Sustained regional and international support is essential to help the Marshall Islands address the immediate and intergenerational consequences of nuclear testing. It is also vital to advance accountability and justice. During the nuclear tests, the UN Trusteeship Council recommended that precautions be taken against their dangers, but it did not call for an end to the tests. The international community, through the Trusteeship Council, needs to consider steps to acknowledge and apologize for the human rights impact of the nuclear legacy and express solidarity with the victims. Our office is ready to continue providing technical cooperation to the Marshall Islands National Nuclear Commission. Current and future generations of Marshallese need the truth. They need recognition and justice the previous generations have long sought for. Thank you. HRC · Vice-President [2:27:41]: Thank you. Now, I give the floor. To Mr. Bernardo Heine, video message. UN · Special Rapporteur [2:27:52]: Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome the opportunity to take part in this interactive dialogue on the report of the High Commissioner on the challenges and barriers to the full realization of the human rights of the people of the Marshall Islands stemming from the State's nuclear legacy. I support the important recommendations that it contains for the Marshallese's right to justice and accountability, and would like to bring a complementary perspective from my mandate, focusing mainly on how truth and justice, as well as the other transitional justice pillars, relate to and reinforce one another to address this legacy. I have already sent communications last year to both the RMI and the United States in this regard. And I also wish to warmly thank the Marshall Islands and in particular the National Nuclear Commission for their cooperation during my recent travel to the country, during which I notably joined an event at the College of the Marshall Islands. Mr. President, the nuclear tests conducted by the United States between 1946 and 1958 are not just a matter of history. Their consequences are lived every day by the Marshallese communities, in their bodies, in their land, in their ocean, and in their spirit, as Kesi Buki wrote in his famous song, which still resonates over the Pacific. The right to truth, to know what happened, how and why, is crucial for closure as it is for the future. The Marshall Islands stand ready to pursue a truth-seeking process, but full realization of the right to seek and receive information requires access to all records regarding the nuclear legacy, not only about the nuclear blasts themselves, but also about the medical and environmental tests that took place after them. Pursuant to the principle of maximum disclosure, all information held by the US related to the human rights impact of the nuclear testing should therefore be disclosed by default, with national security secrecy being a strictly necessary exception. This right extends beyond access to information and is also essential to the mental and moral integrity of victims and their families. People need to know the extent of the radiation that they have been exposed to, the health risks they continue facing, and the long-term impact of the nuclear tests that they have had on their land and water. For decades, Marshallese peoples were examined, sampled, and studied, and yet they were never given the results of such tests. In the absence of full disclosure, uncertainty and distrust persists, and competing accounts of what happened fill the silence. The humane thing to do is to alleviate this suffering by ensuring full disclosure. Mr. President, Section 177 of the Compact of Free Association that was concluded between the Marshall Islands and the U.S. in 1986 is the agreement that is meant to constitute the full and final settlement of all claims between the RMI and the United States in relation to the nuclear testing program. And under this section, the US accepted responsibility for compensating Marshallese citizens for loss or damage resulting from the nuclear testing. This being said, it was then, and to many extents still is today, impossible to foresee all aspects of human rights violations that flowed from the nuclear testing and the medical experiments that followed, nor to predict the continuous nature of these violations and their transgenerational effects that they This can certainly constitute an important change of circumstance that both the RMI and the US should look into today. In fact, the agreement raises an important questions for victims' right to an effective remedy as well established principles of transitional justice based on international human rights law and international criminal law standards prohibit parties to a transition, whether from an armed conflict to peace, from dictatorship to democracy, or from colonial rule to independence, to bilaterally agree on legal mechanisms that prevent victims to enjoy judicial protection of their rights or to access justice to address gross violations of human rights. Self-adopted or mutually agreed upon amnesties for these violations were unequivocally considered incompatible by international law, as were the adoption of other obstacles such as statutes of limitations or similar procedural hurdles. For Marshallese victims and their families, this is not an abstract question of interstate settlement. It concerns harms that have continued across generations. Mr. President, in addition, measures should be adopted to ensure full reparation. Measures taken so far have proven clearly insufficient. I would reiterate that reparation must not be confused with assistance. as aid and social programs, however valuable, do not specifically recognize victims. Also, measures of restitution should be adopted to clean up and rehabilitate all contaminated communities, as well as psychosocial rehabilitation for moral harm of exposure, displacement, and decades of uncertainty, which have never been addressed or treated. Also, apologies from the US and UN authorities are yet to be formulated. Preserving historical truth and memory is also essential, especially in resisting efforts to deny or revise this history. The creation of museums, exhibits, and memorials are urgently necessary, in my view, while survivors are still here to share their stories. Mr. President, The challenge is also today about preventing further harm, including regarding public health. A national program for screening cancer and providing early treatment would not only be a form of reparation, but would be mostly a prevention, and it would save lives. The environmental risks are equally pressing, in particular on Inuvik, where the ruined dome where radioactive waste has been held, risks leaking, in particular considering rising seas. With climate change, the dome presents renewed immense risks to the Marshall Islands and indeed to the entire planet as it constitutes a nuclear ticking bomb in the Pacific. The international community should urgently support the RMI to scientifically assess the risks and adopt concrete measures to prevent additional damage. Without urgent action, the harm of the past will become the harm of the future. Excellencies, I should finish by thanking the Rhamajilin who welcomed me on their atolls, in particular Alsen Kelen, a Bikini elder with whom I went to Kili and Ejet, where most displaced Bikinians are. Alson went back to live on his home island after the American president's declaration that it was safe to do so, and he lived there four years before being told again to leave as the impact of the radiations were still too dangerous for humans to bear. And while the Department of Energy has tested the soil, the water, the fish, the coconuts, and the vegetable plantations that it has kept on Bikini since, it never did early cancer screening on Alson sitting before you today. nor on any other Marshall Islands for that matter. And let's take a second to let this sink in. Think of what this means and realize that this tragedy is a human tragedy. Mr. President, technical assistance to the National Nuclear Commission is needed, including concrete transfer of knowledge and resources. And I call on the High Commissioner to ensure that from the perspective of their respective mandate, the IAEA, the WHO, the UNFPA, UNESCO, UNDP, IOM, UNICEF, and others are involved in, work together and contribute to addressing the country's nuclear legacy. About 80 years ago, when the Marshall Islands were placed under trusteeship, the international community and the United States made a promise to protect the Marshallese people, who have waited with extraordinary dignity for the world to keep its word. And it's now the responsibility of the international community to do good on its promise. Kamau Tata, thank you, Mr. President. HRC · Vice-President [2:35:26]: Muchas gracias. Thank you very much. I'm now going to pass the floor to Mr. Alston Cullen for his presentation. Marshall Islands National Nuclear Commission · Commissioner [2:35:35]: Mr. President, Deputy High Commissioners, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, it is an honor to join you today. For me, the nuclear legacy is not history. It is the story of my life. Today, I serve as a commissioner for the Marshall Island National Nuclear Commission, carrying not only the responsibility of that position, but also the lived experience of a people who for 80 years have carried a loss that is hard to put into words. My earliest memories of Happy days as a young boy living and thriving in Bikini, unaware of the invisible threat present in the environment around us. I remember my grandparents and the men and women of the community going about the ordinary rhythm of island life. Men shaping wood and working on canoes beneath the trees, women weaving, preparing food, caring for our families, and caring for their knowledge through the everyday work of the community. At the time, none of this seemed remarkable to me. I did not know to call it traditional knowledge. It was simply how we lived. I assumed these were things I would always see and learn naturally as I grew older. I could not live, I could not have known then that this ordinary way of life would be interrupted, or that the knowledge I absorbed simply by growing up around my elders would one day be threatened. Only much later I understand that some of the everyday chores were only becoming memories, and that keeping them alive would one day require a certain level of effort and commitment. In our language, means storytelling, but it is more than simply telling event in order. It is how we pass down memory. It is how we teach our children who they are and how things work. It is how we carry truth from generation to the next. And in term of the nuclear legacy, this is webinar or story is a quiet memory that wasn't spoken of at home and in school. It was, if we had become preoccupied with surviving the new way of life of displacement and uncertainty without fully realizing it, the life we once knew quietly slip away. The changes did we not happen to at all once. Families adjusted to new islands, new communities. We grew up away from the island my parents and our grandparents called home. And we, each generation, adapted to the circumstances before them. Some of the knowledge that connected us to our land, our ocean, and one another became one more difficult to carry forward. This became much clearer to us through the work of the National Nuclear Commission. Shortly after the establishment, one of the first priority we simply had to do is to listen. The stories was not only about the test themselves, or about radiation and compensation. It became about displacement, health, land, culture. It became about traditional knowledge, lost in many ways. In many ways, the commission work became a national and efforts to bring together the experiences that had been carried quietly by families and communities for generations, and to ensure these testimonies would not be lost and forgotten with time. For the Marshallese people, justice must be more than acknowledgement of what occurred. It means addressing the health consequences, restoring and protecting our environment, ensuring a safe and dignified future for those displaced from their homeland, confronting claims that were heard, adjudicated, and awarded, but remain unsolved. It also means strengthening our own national capacity to understand and respond to these consequences. 80 years on, History has been documented, consultation held, report have been written, resolution adopted, recommendation put forward. This important work has brought us to a point where we must now be built up this foundation with greater urgency and resolve. Mr. President, that will we have, what will we have leave the next generation the lessons of this history, our unsolved legacy. For more than 70 years, our people have come to these halls seeking recognition, justice, and meaningful resolution to the nuclear legacy. That appeal has already passed from one generation to the next. My grandchildren should not have returned to these same halls years from now to continue a chant that has echoed here for generations. Let this be the generation that turns decades of testimony, evidence, and promises into action and leave our children a different legacy. HRC · Vice-President [2:42:27]: Thank you very much. It's now my pleasure to pass the floor to Ms. Alice Ward for her presentation. Marshall Islands · Youth Representative [2:42:51]: Mr. President, Deputy, High Commissioner, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, I have the privilege and honor to speak before you today on behalf of the diaspora youth and as a daughter and granddaughter of Buguni. In middle school, sitting in my social studies class, on the board was written the Pacific Islands. As a young Marshallese girl, I was ecstatic. I thought that I would finally be able to learn more about my island and my fellow classmates would be able to learn the history of my people as well. Unfortunately, that excitement came to an end quickly. But when the topic got to the Marshall Islands, the only information that was given was that the Marshall Islands was a country in poverty. My teacher did not teach about the rich culture, the community, or the deep history. Neither did she speak of the violence of 67 nuclear weapons that devastated my country. Confused, I raised my hand and asked my teacher about the nuclear testing that was done in the Marshall Islands. She had no idea what I was speaking about and insisted that she was merely going based off of what was in the school curriculum. I must admit that I had a very difficult time preparing my statement today because there's so much pressure in knowing things and it is in that uncertainty that creates more questions. How do I explain something that I don't know? How do I describe what has not been yet declassified? How do I paint a picture for a moment which, though I've never seen it, I continue to feel? I was born and raised in the United States. I did not grow up in the Marshall Islands. However, despite the distance, I never felt completely separated from my identity because our community found ways to create home wherever we were. Although my family had a whole life established in the United States, I always knew I belonged to the Marshall Islands. Before I was born, my family moved to the United States to look for better healthcare and a better education. Due to the language barriers, they had to work harder than the average American just to provide and make ends meet. Growing up was difficult, wanting to stay connected to my roots, but also wanting to fit in with my friends. Not completely fitting into either group, being too Americanized for the Marshallese, but then being too different for the Americans. The only way I ever felt connected was being close to family, going to church, and staying involved in the community. Although it is a small struggle, its effects impact us immensely. The difficulty of connecting across cultures can actually make those relationships more meaningful because they require patience, openness, and a genuine effort to understand one another. Being Marshallese has taught me that my culture is something I should be proud to share, rather than something I feel pressured to hide or simplify for other people. Why does this burden fall on me, on someone who wasn't even there during the tests yet, 80 years later, continues to bear the weight of a legacy no Marshallese then or now ever asked for? Today, I am not just here to speak about the hardship that we've endured. I am here hopeful for a better tomorrow. I realize that not knowing every part of history does not separate me from it. Instead, it gives me a reason to learn, to ask questions, and to listen more carefully to those who came before me. The disconnect has encouraged me to ask more questions, not only about the nuclear weapons testing program, displacement, loss of traditional knowledge, but about home. Our elders carry stories about what happened to our islands, our land, and our communities because of nuclear testing. We understand the importance of learning from those who came before us, and I believe it is our responsibility as youth to pass that knowledge on to the next generation. I realize now that reconnecting with my identity can begin with something as simple as learning to weave the pieces together. Initially, the strands can seem tangled and it's difficult to understand how they will ever come together. And perhaps I don't need to understand everything at once. I can begin with one strand at a time, one story, one conversation, one lesson. and trust that with each one, I am coming closer to understanding who I am and what I will carry forward. But I shouldn't have to do this alone. The Marshallese people shouldn't have to face the nuclear justice alone. We need access to the truth about what happened to our people and our islands. We need our history to be recognized and taught so that the next Marshallese child sitting in a classroom does not have to explain her own history to her teacher. or to pour their heart out in a room full of strangers in Geneva, calling for things to change. Young Marshallese in our islands and throughout the diaspora also have a place in deciding what justice looks like. I may not have witnessed the nuclear test, yet I inherited their legacy. But I also inherited the responsibility and the hope to help share, to help shape what comes next. As I close, I would also like to recognize the touch of pink you see among our delegation today. As we begin Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we wear pink in honor of those who have faced breast cancer, those we have lost, and the families who have stood beside them. With this spirit of strength and unity, I thank you for the opportunity to be here today. HRC · Vice-President [2:48:48]: Thank you very much. I'd now like to recognize Mr. Sheldon Ricklin for his presentation. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences · Professor [2:48:55]: Mr. President, Deputy High Commissioner, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, I'm very honored here to be here with you today. I'm here as a Marshallese family doctor who has worked in the Marshall Islands and currently works closely with the large diaspora community in the state of Arkansas. During my time in the Marshall Islands, I chaired the National Medical Referral Committee and was the Director of Clinical Operations for the U.S. Department of Energy's Special Medical Care Program. It was during my tenure in these capacities that I became very familiar with many cases that came before the committee to be referred out of the country for medical services not available locally. Many of these cases were of patients with cancers, requiring either definitive diagnosis or treatment that could not be provided on island. In the Marshall Islands, one of the criteria for denial of a patient's referral is if the patient's cancer diagnosis has a five-year survival rate of less than 50%. Unfortunately, the medical referral committee had to deny several cases for this reason. Many of the patients denied, we knew personally and professionally. Being a physician does not separate our personal or family relations from the people we are serving. Some of the cases were of young Marshallese patients or patients with families of their own who had advanced cancer. This was part of the work that we did not enjoy nor took pride in, especially when members of the community characterized it as "playing God." Over the years, it took its toll on us, but we persevered because we had to. The Marshall Islands has high cancer rates that affects both sexes with more propensity to the female sex, people from all age groups, including young mothers with young children. I can personally attest today that it does. I have seen it and continue to see it in my current medical practice in Arkansas. Current reports reveal that there are now more Marshallese living outside than in the Marshall Islands. We leave our beautiful islands in the blue Pacific to the continental U.S., seeking a better life for ourselves and our children and grandchildren. We seek educational and employment opportunities and better healthcare. We know that the United States has more advanced medical technology and expertise. We see the United States as our big brother. We have a long, deep-rooted shared history, including our nuclear legacy. Our children enlist in the U.S. military to serve alongside their brothers and sisters in efforts to keep world peace. The rate of enlistment from our Micronesian region is higher per capita than any one U.S. state. We expect to be treated as family as we treat them as family. We expect to have access to comprehensive first-rate healthcare when we move to the U.S. Sadly, we do not. As a doctor at a federally qualified health center in Northwest Arkansas, majority of my patients are Marshallese. I am blessed to be their primary care physician because working with them makes me feel like I'm working back home in the islands. I feel that community connectedness, that family closeness. Each patient is a family member. I treat them as family in a culturally sensitive approach. When they are admitted or die from their conditions, I feel the pain because they are family. I attend their funerals, too many to count, to or to drink from the cup that is filled with sour liquid. That's our cultural expression, that we will be there together for each other, especially during just such hard and heavy times. That's the Remajel way, the Marshallese way. It is said that medical care accounts for only 20% of a person's overall health outcomes, while the remaining 80% are driven by social, environmental, and behavioral factors. That means that I can give them my 100% of my medical expertise, but if I do not address their health insurance, housing, school, food, and family needs, I am only providing them with 20% of what they need, only 20%. That is the reason I'm a community advocate. I want to make a difference for my family, my people, including those in the diaspora. That is why I am in this space today. Life in the U.S. is not easy. One must put in the work to learn how to live comfortably in a place that's not ours. We have to understand the complicated healthcare system that's very different from ours and is not very user-friendly, especially in terms of language access. But we sacrifice for our families. we leave the islands to find another home for potential brighter future for our families. In 2024, Her Excellency Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine declared a national health emergency regarding non-communicable diseases or NCDs, including cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, and cancers, among others. These account for more than 80% of the premature deaths in the islands. Besides cancer, I believe that all the other conditions are also related to our nuclear legacy. give you uproot a culture who is dependent on getting fresh, healthy seafood from the rich Pacific waters on a daily basis, who grow and harvest local fruits and vegetables regularly, and replace it with a culture that eats imported, quote unquote, safer, unradiated canned foods that are high in salt, saturated fats, and preservatives, you will have a population with high rates of NCDs. As a Marshallese doctor working with the diaspora, the demographics and conditions I see in my patient population are the same as those back home, same chronic diseases and cancer conditions. The nuclear legacy, now 80 years old, has extended beyond the shores of the Marshall Islands. It lives and will continue to expand in the diaspora communities outside the islands, It is my hope today that we go beyond dialogue and we do meaningful, tangible health outcome measures for our Marshallese people wherever they are. They have sacrificed enough for the good of mankind. Thank you. Thank you very much. HRC · Vice-President [2:56:27]: The list of speakers is now closed. In line with our established practice, we will begin by hearing from the delegation of the concerned country, and I would therefore like to pass the floor to the distinguished representative of the Marshall Islands for five minutes. Marshall Islands [2:56:52]: Mr. Vice President, we welcome the High Commissioner's report and this dialogue. We also thank the panelists for their important contributions. Indeed, the report considers how justice as a pillar of transitional justice applies to our nuclear legacy. This is an important question that we in the Marshall Islands have grappled with for too long. How can we have justice when we are told by those responsible that the matter is settled and that is final? Between 1946 and 1958, while under the UN trusteeship, the United States of America conducted 67 known nuclear weapon tests in our islands. When our people petitioned for this to stop, the UN Trusteeship Council issued resolutions that allowed it to continue. The report recommends that the UN Trusteeship Council acknowledge and apologize for this. The previous report included a recommendation that the United States of America also acknowledge and apologize for the human rights impacts of the nuclear legacy. Indeed, an apology would be an important step towards justice for the victims and survivors of this legacy. The UN stood as our islands were bombed, our human rights were violated, and our people were experimented on under Project 4.1 without their consent. In February of this year, at the 61st session Our president, Dr. Hilda Hiene, described this legacy as a monumental failure of multilateralism. Because of this failure, the people of Pikini and Rongelap remain displaced, longing to return to their ancestral lands. On Eniwetok, people are living in a nuclear waste dump concealed under a massive concrete dome. This is their home, and that toxic dump is called their pillow. My own people from Ailuk are often ignored in this legacy. Despite being exposed to radioactive fallout, they were not evacuated, and we have suffered hardships to this day. Truth be told, the entirety of the Marshall Islands is affected. These are the consequences of the UN trusteeship that failed our people, under which we are misled, exploited, and to this day, denied the acknowledgment, truth, and justice that we deserve. If this legacy is left unaddressed, the UN will continue to fail the people of the Marshall Islands. The harm is not only historical. We live through it today, and the continued denial of an effective remedy has forced us to come before this Council to ask for help. Mr. Vice-President, the report is clear. There has not yet been a comprehensive and just settlement of the claims that arise from the nuclear testing program. Without truth, there can be no justice. But justice, as we understand it, is not vengeance. Our people's earliest petitions to the UN were not made in reputation of the United States of America, but for the well-being of our people. What we have always asked for is, which means what is correct. And as the report reminds us, for forgiveness to be granted, It must be first sought. In the Marshall Islands, when speaking of reconciliation, we also speak of, which means cleansing. Cleansing does not mean forgive and forget. In 2024, at the 57th session, President Haini called for a meaningful reconciliation and honesty to finally deal with the past, to come to terms with uncomfortable truth, to devise solutions, and to move forward together. We need honesty and full truth. We need our environment restored and our people returned to good health. And we need accountability for the human rights, environmental, health consequences of the nuclear legacy. This year marks 80 years of this nuclear legacy in the Marshall Islands, a legacy that is not known for -- a legacy that is not of our own making, a legacy we never wanted, A legacy we are forced to endure and survive. 80 years on, our people are still here, still asking for what is correct,, still asking for nuclear legacy to be cleansed,. Hear our stories, take them to heart, acknowledge the facts, and work with us to ensure a better future for our children. We count on the Council's continued support and ask for all States to stand in solidarity with the Marshall Islands in our efforts to ensure our future of our people free of the human rights challenges that we have endured over the last 80 years due to the nuclear legacy. Thank you, and komo lauda, Mr. Vice-President. HRC · Vice-President [3:02:12]: Thank you very much. excellent, distinguished participants. With that, we have reached the end of our meeting. We'll be meeting once again this afternoon at 3:00 p.m. to continue this interactive dialogue, to be followed by the interactive dialogue with the independent expert on the situation of human rights in the Central African Republic and the interactive dialogue on the report of the High Commissioner related to technical assistance to Somalia. I declare closed the 35th meeting of the 63rd session of the Human Rights Council. Thank you.