Item 2 General Debate on the High Commissioner’s Oral Update
Statement of the United States of America
United Nations Human Rights Council 48th Session
As delivered by Daniel Kronenfeld
Geneva, September 14, 2021
The United States thanks the High Commissioner for her remarks and for her efforts to safeguard human rights around the world.
We support the High Commissioner’s call for the Taliban to treat all Afghans, including women, children, and minorities, with respect and dignity. We strongly condemn any reprisals, threats, or violence against journalists, civil society, and human rights defenders. The Afghan people deserve to live in safety, security, and with dignity.
We urge Azerbaijan and Armenia to investigate alleged human rights violations and abuses and international humanitarian law violations associated with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and to hold perpetrators accountable.
We will continue to work with the governments of El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Honduras to protect human rights, and note our concern regarding the human rights situations in Cambodia, Vietnam, Uganda, Mali, Tanzania, Guinea, Zimbabwe, South Sudan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. We will have further comments about these and other situations of concern in future statements.