Mr. President,

The continuous and large-scale violations in Sudan remain profoundly concerning, especially attacks against women and children, widespread sexual violence and child recruitment. We urgently call on the warring parties to end the fighting, to enable a lasting ceasefire, and to cooperate with the fact-finding mission. 

We condemn in the strongest possible terms this continuing war of aggression by Russia against Ukraine. Russia must immediately and unconditionally cease its aggression, withdraw all of its military forces and equipment, release unlawfully detained civilians and prisoners of war, and return all forcibly transferred or deported persons. 

Mr. President,

We deeply deplore the unacceptable level of civilian casualties, including women and children, during and in the aftermath of the heinous terror attacks of Hamas on October 7, 2023 and in the war that unfolded. The Netherlands expresses deep concern about the resumption of hostilities. 
It is crucial to prevent civilian casualties. We call on all parties to adhere to the ceasefire deal and reach an agreement on the second phase. The blockage of humanitarian aid and electricity should be lifted and the hostages should be released in a safe and dignified manner. All parties must comply with their obligations under international law. We express our concern about the increasingly deteriorating situation in the West Bank, and the need to prevent further escalation. We call in this respect for the immediate implementation of the Advisory Opinion of the ICJ of 19 July 2024. We continue to strive for a lasting solution that has the support of both parties, for which the two-state solution remains the basis.

We call on China to implement without delay all recommendations of the UPR, CEDAW and CESCR reviews and the OHCHR’s Xinjiang report. The Freedom of Religion or Belief of Uyghur Muslims, Tibetan Buddhists and other communities must be protected. We reiterate our call to guarantee the rights of the recently deported Uyghur refugees. 

Iran’s continued oppression of women, girls, human rights defenders, LGBTIQ+ persons, and ethnic and religious minorities is of great concern. We strongly condemn arbitrary detention and the staggering number of executions. Iran must cooperate with all UN mandate holders and grant the Special Rapporteur unrestricted access. 

Thank you.