As the Russia-Ukraine war deepens and the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva is gearing up to hold its annual month-long session, which begins on Monday.

More than 130 foreign dignitaries are expected at the Palais des Nations, the UN Office in the Swiss city, for the high-level segment of the debates.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres was scheduled to participate but will remain in New York “due to the aggravating situation in Ukraine,” his spokesperson announced on Saturday.

Ahead of the opening of the council’s 49th session, its newly elected President Federico Villegas said, “There is no country that can say that it does not have a human rights challenge.”

While the international community is currently witnessing an increase in geopolitical tensions, the diplomat said no nation was beyond reproach.

“We have to learn from history and find the opportunity for constructive dialogue,” he said, emphasising that the UN body is the best way to prevent conflicts and ensure the protection of civilians caught up in war.

The UN official said no country could claim to have “solved everything” regarding the right to freedom of expression or the fight against discrimination.

As the Russia-Ukraine crisis escalated last week, the council reported via Twitter that Ukraine’s UN ambassador in Geneva, Yevheniia Filipenko, requested an urgent debate on the human rights situation during the upcoming session.

Afghanistan, Syria, South Sudan and Myanmar are on the agenda in 2022. An annual debate on the rights of persons with disabilities will also be held.

The council will consider over 100 reports presented by more than 30 human rights experts and groups, before the 49th session concludes on April 1. Reports will address some 50 country situations and 40 themes, including COVID-19. Three panel discussions will be held to examine public health policies, access to vaccines and the impact of the pandemic on human rights.

The session will be held for five weeks, and in a hybrid format, with meetings taking place both in-person and online. Delegations have welcomed the return to face-to-face meetings after being deprived of holding informal consultations for two years.

Mr Villegas described in-person meetings as the “heart of multilateral diplomacy,” saying the easing of health restrictions in Switzerland will facilitate the discussions.

(NAN)