Norway in UNHRC: Will promote human rights worldwide

Norway is a member of the UN Human Rights Council for the period 2009-2012. We will participate actively in the Council and work systematically to promote and protect human rights worldwide. The aim of our engagement is to ensure that individuals are better protected against abuse and have better access to the rights set out in existing standards and conventions in the field of human rights.

Ensuring respect for human rights is one of the key values underpinning Norwegian society and an important foreign policy objective. In the long term, a stable international legal order can only be developed by countries that respect fundamental human rights. There are clear links between respect for the individual, efforts to promote peace, and a just world order. The core values of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, human dignity, non-discrimination, equality and justice, are still valid for everyone, everywhere.

As a member of the Human Rights Council, Norway aims to make a difference by:

• Continuing to take the lead in efforts to enhance protection of those engaged in defending the human rights of others. Norway is the main sponsor of the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders.  
• Continuing to play a leading role in efforts in the UN to clarify the business community’s responsibility for human rights. We will in particular promote and support the work of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) on Business and Human Rights, Professor John Ruggie.
• Seeking to increase the focus on freedom of expression, including the free media, as an essential tool in our efforts to promote all human rights.    
• Continuing our efforts to ensure compliance with the prohibition against torture and towards universal abolition of the death penalty.  
• Continuing our efforts to strengthen the rights of particularly vulnerable groups, including indigenous peoples, minorities, internally displaced persons and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
• Continuing to strengthen the rights of women and children, including by enhancing efforts to eliminate laws that discriminate against women.
• Using our voice in the Council to draw attention to serious human rights violations by oppressive regimes that are unwilling to cooperate or make improvements.
• Working with others to raise the credibility, effectiveness and visibility of the Council. Actively contributing to making the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) an effective mechanism of the Council, including by taking a critical look at our own human rights record and inviting constructive criticism.