Mr. President,

The Kingdom of the Netherlands aligns itself with the EU statement and wishes to thank the High Commissioner for his update. 

We once again underscore our continuous support for his mandate, express our concern about the structural underfunding of his Office, and call on all States to ensure the safety and security of UN staff, and the immediate release of those detained in Yemen. 

We welcome the recent update on OHCHR’s work regarding China and the High Commissioner’s use of his global mandate to address the situation in Bangladesh at the request of the interim government.  

Mr. President,

The Netherlands reiterates its strongest condemnation of the brutal terrorist attacks conducted by Hamas and other terrorist groups against Israel on 7 October 2023. We are deeply concerned about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza noting the unacceptable number of civilian casualties. We call on all parties to comply with international law, including international humanitarian law. We wish to use this opportunity to pay special attention to the findings of the OHCHR regarding the situation of Palestinian detainees in Israeli detention centers and Israeli hostages in Gaza. Furthermore, in light of the mandate of the International Committee of the Red Cross, as anchored in the Geneva Conventions, we call for their full and immediate access to detainees and hostages.

Mr. President,

We remain deeply concerned about persisting displays of religious intolerance. A blight affecting every region of the world. In this age, with polarisation on the rise both between and within communities, freedom of religion or belief requires continuous attention and reflection.

In Nigeria, we are concerned about the violence and impunity affecting the security of civilians and the enjoyment of constitutional rights. We call on Nigeria to strengthen accountability and enhance security and protection of individuals to ensure the enjoyment of freedom of religion or belief. 

With the recent closure and confiscation of property of more than 1600 NGOs including many religious associations, such as the Church of Morava, the crackdown on civil society in Nicaragua has reached a new low. The use of restrictive legislation to structurally erase civic space must end.

Thank you.