The UK has addressed the UN Third Committee on Human Rights, outlining a range of global human rights concerns and calling for international action. Ambassador Sarah MacIntosh stated that human rights principles are not abstract and are crucial for protecting human dignity and preventing instability.
The statement highlighted ongoing conflicts and repression, including unmet humanitarian needs in Gaza, Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and atrocity crimes in Sudan. The UK condemned abuses by Hamas and other non-state actors, and called for Russia to be held accountable for its actions in Ukraine.
Concerns were also raised about settlement expansion in the West Bank, human rights violations in Myanmar, and the systematic exclusion of women and girls in Afghanistan by the Taliban. The UK also condemned the violent suppression of dissent in Iran and the use of technology and law to silence opposition in China and Hong Kong.
The UK affirmed its commitment to defending the rights of women, girls, and LGBT+ people globally, and supports the Lighthouse Fund which provides protection for human rights defenders.