Mr. Chair,

The year we have left behind has been an unprecedented one. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought tremendous challenges not only to the healthcare systems and economies around the world; but also, to our multilateral efforts on several key human rights issues.

On our part, Türkiye has adopted a human rights-based approach in its response to the pandemic.

While curbing the spread of the virus and taking measures to mitigate its effects on our people’s daily lives, we made every effort to respond to the specific needs of vulnerable segments of the society, including women, children, elderly, refugees and persons deprived of their liberty.

Accordingly, all citizens as well as asylum seekers and refugees have been receiving the necessary treatment and vaccination for COVID-19 free of charge.

Mr. Chair,

Despite significant advances, achieving gender equality and empowerment of women and girls remain a major global challenge. The negative impacts of conflicts, climate change and mass displacement create further impediments to the women’s full enjoyment of human rights.

As the world gradually starts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the efforts to address its disproportionate impacts on women and girls have become more important than ever.

Existing challenges have been further aggravated by the pandemic and the gains made in many areas in the last decades have been at risk of being rolled back.

Those inequalities should be addressed at the national and international level. Our response plans and recovery packages must take into account the gender impacts of the pandemic.

Türkiye remains committed to the goals of improving the living standards and the rights of women and girls, ensuring their full and equal participation in all spheres of life and strengthening their status in society.

We are also deeply concerned about COVID-19’s adverse effects on children’s well-being, development and protection, including their access to education, safety and health, particularly those in vulnerable situations.

Large movements of migrants and refugees across borders create further impediments for the promotion and protection of the rights of children. We would like to reiterate our call to redouble all efforts to address the needs of displaced children.

As the largest refugee hosting country in the world, we will continue our efforts towards the resilience and well-being of more than 1 million Syrian children who sought refuge in our country. At the same time, we will continue to support and facilitate lifeline UN cross-border humanitarian operations for millions of vulnerable people in northwest Syria.

Mr. Chair,

As a party to core international human rights treaties, Türkiye aims at full compliance with its international obligations even in the face of grave security threats and terrorism.

In the same token, the universal promotion and protection of human rights is a priority for Türkiye. For human rights, there is always room for improvement and our new Action Plan on Human Rights launched in March 2021 is a testament to our commitment in this field.

The Action Plan which embraces the goals of “free individual, strong society, more democratic Türkiye” is set to be the fundamental policy document of Türkiye for the next two years for the enhancement of human rights.


Mr. Chair,

We attach great importance to the work of all human rights bodies and the concerted efforts within the UN and its related agencies.

Yet, we are disturbed by the obstacles that prevent millions of people across the world from full enjoyment of their human rights.

In this context, we remain deeply concerned about the re-emergence of extremist political currents and ideologies, especially across Europe, which translate into new forms of racism, such as xenophobic nationalism, anti-semitist movements and Islamophobia.

Mr. Chair,

As the President of the Republic of Türkiye stated in his address during the General Debate of the 76th UN General Assembly, while developing our relations with China in a mutually beneficial way and in a way that will serve global peace and stability, we attach importance to the protection of the fundamental rights and freedoms of the Uyghur Turks and other Muslims. We respect China’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Within the framework of our ongoing dialogue with China at the bilateral level, we emphasize the importance of the Uyghur Turks to live in prosperity, freedom and peace, and to transmit their language, religion and culture to future generations without interruption. We follow the issue closely on international platforms, including here at the UN.

It is our expectation that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights makes an unrestricted, meaningful, and comprehensive visit to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region within the shortest time.

Mr. Chair,

The oppression by Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territories continues unabated. Demolition of Palestinian houses, arbitrary arrests, regular attacks from the settlers and movement restrictions remain as daily practices in the Occupied Territories. The people of Palestine deserve to live in freedom in their independent state based on 1967 borders.

The conflict in Syria entered its eleventh year with devastating impact on the Syrian people. The official account of the casualties, more than 350 thousand, announced last week by the High Commissioner for Human Rights laid bare the grave scale of the tragedy which has no parallel in recent history. We call for accountability for the regime’s crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan requires our immediate attention. Now more than ever, Afghan people and especially vulnerable groups need our support and solidarity. We stepped up our aid efforts through the Turkish Red Crescent. Türkiye will continue to stand by Afghan people particularly with women and girls in preserving the gains they made over the last two decades in the field of fundamental rights. Global efforts are now urgently needed in order to respond to the deteriorating situation. Neighboring countries should also be supported to avoid another refugee crisis.

Libyan people have endured a decade of great suffering, insecurity and injustice. We witnessed atrocities amounting to war crimes in Libya, such as in Tarhouna and in other places throughout the country, as also identified by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court recently. Yet, Libyans stood up firm in the face of oppression and they stopped the aggressor and prevented the country from plunging into chaos. We reiterate our call for the international community to take necessary steps to investigate and hold those responsible accountable.

Mr. Chair,

As I conclude, I would like to reiterate Türkiye’s commitment for the promotion and protection of human rights and also extend our full support to you and the Members of the Bureau in your efforts to advance the work of the Third Committee.

Thank you.