UN General Assembly
2020

Seeking to make a lasting contribution and support human rights, Lithuania for the first time presented its candidacy for membership in the United Nations Human Rights Council. If elected for the term starting in 2022, Lithuania would pay close attention to the safety of journalists and the protection of human rights defenders, as well as the rights of women and girls, the rights of the child, the rights of persons with disabilities, freedoms of expression, assembly and association. Mr. President, These are the troubled times. The ongoing conflicts continue to devastate many regions around the world. Millions of people are still suffering, some of them — in Lithuania’s immediate neighborhood. As the recent case of Alexey Navalny’s poisoning shows, in some countries the pressure directed against opposition voices quickly turns into a deadly physical action. If we honestly seek to maintain international order, we must be prepared to investigate the crimes against humanity and punish the perpetrators by all the available means.