Inter-MFA consultations on “Human Rights Issues in the Context of Cooperation on International Platforms” were held on February 17 at the CIS headquarters.
Representatives from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and the CIS Executive Committee took part in the consultations.
The meeting participants emphasized the need to ensure the leading role of UN member states in all areas of the Organization’s reform processes, including human rights.
They noted the importance of working together to counter attempts to transform the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from a subdivision of the UN Secretariat into an independent organization or agency not accountable to member-states.
Representatives of the CIS foreign affairs agencies agreed that one of the reasons for the current difficult financial situation of the Human Rights Council is the uncontrolled expansion of its agenda to include non-core topics. Furthermore, the meeting participants emphasized the importance of deepening multilateral cooperation and CIS countries efforts coordination pursue a common approach ensuring mutually respectful and constructive cooperation among states in the field of human rights and countering the further politicization of the work of UN human rights bodies and mechanisms.
The experts confirmed the importance of further joint efforts to preserve historical truth and counter attempts to rewrite the results of World War II.
The representatives of the CIS member states agreed to continue providing mutual support for candidates nominated by the Commonwealth countries for election to limited-membership UN human rights and other bodies.