Today, as the world continues to face the consequences of violent conflicts, forced displacement and gross violations of fundamental rights, the urgency to strengthen the human rights pillar of the United Nations is as relevant as ever. This was noted by Armenian foreign minister Ararat Mirzoyan in his statement at the High-level Segment of the 58th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.

Mirzoyan added as follows, in part: “The scale and severity of atrocity crimes and grave violations as well as our collective inability neither effectively prevent nor ensure accountability, put at risk the whole set of fundamental values upon which the United Nations and its human rights system were created, basic norms on which all and each one of us agreed without reservation.

Against this background the role and visibility of the human rights system has increased dramatically. More and more people, civil society organizations and other stakeholders engage with the Human Rights Council, refer to Special Procedures and Treaty Body mechanisms. This comes to testify that the human rights pillar remains the inspiration of hope and justice, for millions of people, for our citizens."