Secretary of State Peter Stenlund to the High-Level Segment of the Human Rights Council on 3 March
Secretary of State Peter Stenlund will hold Finland's presentation at the four-day High-Level Segment of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) session on 3 March.
The visit to Geneva will also include discussions with, for example, Director-General of the UN Office at Geneva Michael Möller, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, who assumed his functions in September, and Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization Michel Jarraud. The Secretary of State will also meet with representatives of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Secretariat of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) and International Organization for Migration (IOM).
In addition, Secretary of State Stenlund will take part in the #idefend photo campaign, organised by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Permanent Missions of Brazil, the Republic of Korea and Tunisia in Geneva. The campaign expresses support to human rights defenders and civil society representatives.
The HRC is a central inter-governmental body within the UN system, responsible for the promotion and protection of human rights. The Council convenes for three regular sessions a year and for special sessions, if necessary. It also meets three times a year to review individual countries' human rights situation in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process. The themes on the March session agenda include, for example, the situation in Myanmar, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Syria and the Middle East, especially Gaza, as well the rights of persons with disabilities and the right to privacy in the digital age.
Additional information: Ilkka Nordberg, Adviser to the Secretary of State, tel. +358295 350 536; Ann-Mari Fröberg, Counsellor, Unit for Human Rights Policy, tel. +358 295 350 641; Stefan Lee, Counsellor, Finland's Permanent Representation to the UN, Geneve, tel. +41-22-919 4242