Statement by Director of the Department for Multilateral Human Rights Cooperation, Special Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation for Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law Mr. Grigory Lukiyantsev

Statement by Director of the Department for Multilateral Human Rights Cooperation, Special Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation for Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law Mr. Grigory Lukiyantsev on the margins of the 59th Session of the UN Human Rights Council

“Universality and Indivisibility of Human Rights for All: States Practices”

June 27, 2025, Geneva

It is indeed a pleasure to be here once again for the third consecutive year. This is becoming an annual event, and we certainly would like to discontinue this practice, but unfortunately, there is still too much happening around the world – and in certain countries – that makes our task even more difficult to discontinue this.

As our colleagues have already mentioned, human rights violations continue to occur. No single state can claim to be completely free from them. However, it is important to recognize these problems and to search and look for the solutions through collective efforts. We certainly hope that this event, along with the accompanying Report, will contribute to achieving that goal.

At the outset, I would also like to express our gratitude and appreciation to the Permanent Missions of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus for hosting this side event. It is my pleasure to respond to all questions and comments, if there are any. I would also like to thank everyone attending this meeting for your attention to this important event.

The subject of our discussion holds significant relevance, particularly as we examine the challenges and shortcomings in today's global efforts to advance and safeguard human rights. What we are observing is a disturbing trend where the core principles enshrined in fundamental documents and texts such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Vienna Declaration and Program of Action and the two International Covenants are being overlooked. There are flagrant violations of human rights in a number of States that consider themselves to be exemplary democracies, as well as in countries that adhere to rules invented and imposed by these so-called "democracies", and they are contrary to the norms and principles of international law enshrined in universally recognized international documents.

Human rights are increasingly exploited as a justification for meddling in the sovereign affairs of independent nations, undermining their autonomy. This pattern is particularly evident among self-proclaimed "model democracies" of the so-called collective West, which frequently replace meaningful international discourse with accusatory rhetoric and public condemnation. Their approach manifests in moral grandstanding, linking financial and developmental aid to so-called "democratic reforms", issuing demands, and employing coercive tactics in global diplomacy.

These troubling developments must be addressed collectively. As the international order evolves toward greater fairness, it is crucial to reinforce the principles of sovereign equality and respect for the diverse historical, cultural, and religious identities of nations. A just and equitable global system must reject all forms of colonialism, neo-colonialism, racism, and discrimination.

To begin this complex process, we propose a thorough review of existing harmful practices so as to develop actionable solutions. In this spirit, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus have undertaken a sincere effort by compiling a Report highlighting recurring issues within Western States and their allies. This initiative builds upon our ongoing commitment to spotlighting pressing human rights concerns, particularly those arising from nations that claim to be "flawless democracies" while unjustly criticizing others.

Today, we present the second joint Report by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Belarus and Russia, a testament to our close collaboration in advancing human rights.

The strong reaction to last year's Report – within the UN, OSCE, and the broader international community – has motivated us to make this a regular endeavor.

Before going into several key specific conclusions that we came to while preparing this Report, I would simply like to echo what Mr. Mettan has said about the volume of this Report. He mentioned the Report is 1,600 pages long – that refers to the English version. The original, however, was prepared in Russian and comprises 1,860 pages.This difference arises from the nature of the languages themselves: Russian tends to be more elaborate, while English is more concise. The shorter length of the English version is not due to the omission of issues, specifics, or concrete examples, but simply reflects linguistic characteristics. There is no difference in content between the two versions. Both are available on the websites of our Ministries of Foreign Affairs, both in English and Russian.

If you're curious about what these Reports look like when printed – here is one example. This is the English version, and what’s notable is that it’s printed on both sides of each page. So, if you thought this would be a quick read, I’m afraid I have to disappoint you.

These Reports are comprehensive. They cover key developments that have taken place since last year’s presentation of the Report. Moreover, to provide a broader and clearer understanding of our perspective, each country section includes historical context to help readers grasp the origins of these problems and the reasons they occur in specific circumstances.

Now, allow me to briefly outline some of the key findings from our analysis.

The Report reveals deep-seated racist and neo-colonial attitudes in Western States, all the more evident from their push for a "rules-based order" tailored to their interests rather than one grounded in universally recognized international law.

Through documented cases, the Report exposes systemic human rights violations in the West – practices that the global community must confront. Ironically, these same nations aggressively promote their own human rights interpretations as allegedly universal while hypocritically scrutinizing others.

We have consistently warned in international fora about the resurgence of racist ideologies in certain countries. These narratives fuel nationalism, xenophobia and intolerance, sometimes escalating into outright neo-Nazi movements – as seen today in Ukraine and the Baltic states. And it would be extremely wrong, to say it very mildly, to view these manifestations of racism, neo-Nazism, xenophobia, and so on as mere manifestations of the exercise of the right to freedom of expression, the right to peaceful assembly, and so on. These are clear violations of international human rights law, and they should be dealt with in accordance with these documents, and national legislation, but also keeping in mind in particularly Article 4 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which clearly treat these as illegal and unlawful manifestations that should be prosecuted at the national level by all means, including criminal means.

This is directly linked to historical revisionism. Western States and their allies are actually and actively distorting WWII history, rehabilitating war criminals and glorifying Nazi collaborators as "freedom fighters." Their tactics include erasing historical truths, attacking cultural heritage, demolishing monuments, and persecuting religious institutions. Ukraine, the Baltic States, and increasingly Moldova are at the forefront of this dangerous trend.

A separate place in the Report is given to the topic of violation of the rights of Russian, Belarusian citizens and, in general, people for whom Russian is their native language. After the Russian Federation began a special military operation to denazify and demilitarize Ukraine and protect the civilian population of Donbass, Western countries began to vigorously promote an emerging form of xenophobia - Russophobia. The authorities of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Ukraine have been the most "successful" in this, making the most active efforts to squeeze the Russian language out of all spheres of life.

The central takeaway from current global challenges is that they are largely manufactured – created by attempts to present the interests of a select few nations as presumably universally applicable standards. Regrettably, Western States show no willingness to move away from this divisive strategy and embrace genuine multilateral cooperation. Worse still, their actions actively undermine established human rights frameworks within the UN and OSCE weakening these institutions rather than reinforcing them.

Regarding the Report we present today, its findings are based on official assessments from UN and regional human rights mechanisms, including treaty bodies as well as publicly available data from printed media, digital sources and nongovernmental organizations.

The document – published in English and Russian on our Foreign Ministries' websites – compiles verified cases of human rights abuses in the countries examined.

Notably, we have deliberately avoided prescribing solutions to these issues. Such an approach would mirror the very practices we critique in the Report. Our commitment is to dialogue, not unilateral dictates.

We appreciate your presence today and your engagement with this important discussion.