The Human Rights Council on Tuesday held a general debate on the oral update of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights during Monday's opening of the Council's 35th session.
Pakistan, speaking on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, said that technical assistance and capacity building should be made available to countries to enable them to deliver human rights, and a balanced approach to various categories of rights should be adopted.
It added that politicization and selectivity in the application of human rights should not be allowed, and sincere and mutual cooperation, and due consideration of religious and cultural values need to be respected.
Egypt, speaking on behalf of a group of countries, stated that it was necessary to avoid naming and shaming in any process designed to protect and promote human rights.
It also highlighted that ensuring non selectivity and objectivity, respect for cultural particularities and diversity in the development of countries was essential in order to implement effectively human rights around the world.
"The high commissioner should engage in a cooperative dialogue with every country and launch consultations that would enhance confidence building between member states and the different human rights instruments and mechanisms," it noted.
China stated that human rights continued to face challenges and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights should continue to observe strictly the United Nations Charter.
China added that it valued the role of special mechanisms and that its government had implemented in earnest its treaty obligations and had submitted its reports on time.
The American Civil Liberties Union, a non-government organization, also took the floor and said that it was encouraged by the engagement of the United States with the Council but it was "hard to take this commitment to human rights seriously" while its own administration had stripped millions of U.S. citizens of health coverage, imposed a travel ban on Muslims, encouraged voter suppression, and denied land and water to indigenous peoples.
