Vice-Minister Verbickas in Geneva urged ensuring Russia's accountability for crimes and announced Lithuania's candidacy for the UN Human Rights CouncilMultilateral[...]

On 25-26 February in Geneva, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Vidmantas Verbickas is attending the high-level week of the 61st session of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council as well as meeting with representatives of the United Nations and other international organisations.

Council as well as meeting with representatives of the United Nations and other international organisations.

"There can be no just and sustainable peace without the full accountability of Russia's political and military leaders for international crimes," the Vice-Minister noted at the UN Human Rights Council, marking the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.

The Vice-Minister also highlighted systemic human rights violations in Russia and Belarus, repression of civil society, political prisoners, and the practice of torture. Attention was also drawn to the extremely difficult human rights situation in Afghanistan, Cuba, Iran, and China.

Vice-Minister Verbickas presented Lithuania' candidacy for the UN Human Rights Council for the 2028-2030 term, noting that Lithuania is a principled, constructive, and reliable partner in defending and strengthening human rights protection mechanisms.

In Geneva, the Vice-Minister also met with Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The meetings focused on the humanitarian situation caused by Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the issue of the return of deported Ukrainian children, human rights violations in Belarus, Cuba, the strengthening of international accountability mechanisms, and the observed GNSS/GPS disruption, primarily originating from Russia and Belarus.

Meetings with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Barham Salih, Deputy Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Sungah Lee, and the President of the UN Human Rights Council, Sidharto Reza Suryodipuro, are scheduled for tomorrow.

The UN Human Rights Council is an intergovernmental body within the United Nations system, composed of 47 member states. The Council was established on 15 March 2006 by the UN General Assembly, which also holds elections to select members for the Council for fixed terms. The Council is dedicated to assessing the human rights situation in the various countries, addressing thematic human rights issues, and making recommendations to the international community.