Pretoria - International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, will represent South African in Geneva at the High-Level Segment of the 16th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council to be held on 28 February.
South Africa goes to Geneva determined to ensure that the international protection regime focuses on maximum protection of victims, provision of adequate remedies to victims in all cases of violations and zero tolerance on impunity for grave violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms globally.
The United Nations Human Rights Council was established through the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 60/251 of March 2006 as the principal UN Organ responsible for the promotion and protection of all the universally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms globally, as well as to take concrete interventions in mitigation of the violations.
Since SA's return to the community of nations in 1995, it has been a key and leading player in the international human rights and humanitarian discourse, particularly in the development of international human rights law, norms and standards.
South Africa participates in the programmes of the Human Rights Council in the context of having earned its place in history as a defender and promoter of human rights and human dignity.
