Montenegrin Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Milorad Scepanovic addressed the 13th Session of the U.N. Human Rights Council

Today, this Tuesday March 2nd, 2010 at 05:30pm local time, H.E. Mr. Milorad Šćepanović, departing Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Montenegro — soon to be appointed the country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (U.N.) in New York City, N.Y., USA, addressed at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, the High-Level Segment (4th Plenary Meeting) of the U.N. Human Rights Council, of which the 13th Regular Session opened yesterday and will last until March 26. The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the U.N. system made up of 47 States responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe. The Council was created by the U.N. General Assembly on March 15, 2006 with the main purpose of addressing situations of human rights violations and make recommendations on them.

Following is the audio record of Deputy Foreign Minister Šćepanović’s address at the High-Level Segment (4th Plenary Meeting) of the 13th Regular Session of the U.N. Human Rights Council, in Geneva, Switzerland, March 2nd 05:30pm:

SUMMARY: In his address, Deputy Foreign Minister Šćepanović expressed the firm belief of Montenegro that the Universal Periodic Review had provided a good method for a transparent and objective assessment of the human rights situation in each U.N. Member State, adding that human rights were among the Government’s top priorities on the domestic policy agenda. He also said that the national legal framework in the field of the promotion and protection of human rights and freedoms was a continuous process of improvement and adjustment to the highest international values. In support to Montenegro’s candidacy for the Human Rights Council, the Deputy Foreign Minister pledged his country to actively contribute to the universal strive for human rights by strengthening co-operation between Member States, U.N. agencies and all other stakeholders to continue development of an efficient and effective Human Rights Council.

On behalf of Montenegro, Deputy Foreign Minister Šćepanović confirmed his belief in peaceful resolution of all outstanding issues through dialogue and compromise. He noted that the Durban Declaration generated political commitment to fight racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, which Montenegro recognised as scourges of modern time, continuing by firmly advocating his country’s fulfilment of the Millennium Development Goals and saying that it was the primary responsibility of States to take measures aimed at improving social security of the poor and vulnerable. The Deputy Foreign Minister reiterated the particular importance and his country’s attachment to the policy of addressing the needs of refugees, asylum-seekers and internally displaced persons and reminded that Montenegro was conducting extensive activities towards finding lasting solutions for refugees and internally displaced persons from the territory of the former Yugoslavia. He finally encouraged new initiatives in the field of international humanitarian law, adding that Montenegro strongly supported all the programs aimed at full implementation of the existing instruments and their enhancement.

Full text of the address by Deputy Foreign Minister Milorad Šćepanović, March 2nd, 2010