Thank you Mr. President,

The Kingdom of the Netherlands aligns itself with the EU statement.

Regarding Israel and the Palestinian Territories, we condemn in the strongest possible terms the heinous terrorist attacks of Hamas on 7 October 2023. We condemn all acts of sexual and gender based violence and such acts should be credibly investigated. We are gravely concerned about the deplorable humanitarian situation, the looming famine and the devastating number of civilian casualties. An immediate humanitarian ceasefire leading to a sustained cessation of hostilities is urgently needed. All parties have the obligation to respect and protect civilians and to allow humanitarian relief in line with IHL. We urge the parties directly involved to respect the ICJ’s legally binding ruling on provisional measures. 

We continue to be gravely concerned about the mass human rights violations in Sudan. This demands investigation and accountability. We welcome well-documented research in the report of the HC and encourage further documentation efforts.  

We are alarmed by the continuous deterioration of women and girls’ rights in Afghanistan. We remind the Taliban of their international obligations and that without demonstrated improvements there can be no steps towards normalization.

We urge China to implement all recommendations of the UPR, the High Commissioner’s Xinjiang report and the CEDAW and CESCR reviews on coercive boarding school system imposed on Tibetan children. We furthermore call on China to stop the erosion of civil and political rights in Hong Kong.

The deteriorating human rights situation in Iran, particularly of women and girls, and the rise in executions, are alarming. We urge the authorities to implement an immediate moratorium on the death penalty.

Lastly, the evidence documented by the CoI on Ukraine that Russia has committed indiscriminate attacks, war crimes of torture, sexual violence and deportation of children to Russia is deeply disturbing. We urge Russia to end its deliberate and systematic actions and we call for accountability and justice.

Thank you.