Statement by the Spokesperson on the recent election of new Member States to the Human Rights Council
In view of last week’s election of 14 new Members States to the Human Rights Council for a three-year period as of 1 January 2020, the European Union expresses its strong concern over the human rights record of some of the elected countries.
In particular, the seriousness of the human rights violations in Venezuela, as reflected in the findings of the report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (HCHR) on the situation in the country and their impact on the population cannot be ignored.
Members of the Human Rights Council have a responsibility to uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights and need to cooperate with special procedures and mechanisms created by the Council, including Fact Finding Missions.
In this context, the EU calls on all States to safeguard the integrity and credibility of the Human Rights Council in fulfilling its institutional mandate and to respect the independence of the High Commissioner and her Office. The EU will continue to rigorously monitor the conduct of the new Members of Human Rights Council.