Item 4: General Debate on Human Rights Situation Requiring Council Attention
Statement by the Delegation of the United States of America
Human Rights Council 46th Session
Geneva, March 10, 2021
As Delivered by Mark Cassayre
Chargé d’affaires, U.S. Mission to the United Nations, Geneva
The United States remains deeply concerned about the human rights situations in Syria, Iran, the DPRK, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Yemen, which we address in more detail during this session.
We condemn the Myanmar military’s use of violence against the Myanmar people and call for the immediate restoration of democracy.
We condemn China’s abuse of members of ethnic and religious minority groups, including crimes against humanity and genocide in Xinjiang and severe restrictions in Tibet. We condemn Hong Kong authorities’ detention of democratic activists for exercising their rights and freedoms and call for their immediate release.
We urge Cuba to cease the harassment and arbitrary detention of members of independent civil society groups, human rights activists, and journalists, who are exercising their freedoms of expression and association.
We reiterate our call for the Russian government to immediately and unconditionally release Alexei Navalny, and hundreds of other Russian citizens detained for exercising their rights.
We remain deeply concerned about ongoing human rights abuses in South Sudan, including reports of pervasive sexual and gender-based violence and efforts to stifle freedom of expression, including targeting of dissidents.
We call on Zimbabwe to stop arrests of critics and respect the rights of those speaking truth to power.
We condemn the authorities’ ongoing crackdown on protesters and journalists in Belarus.