site.btaPresident Radev Participates in 41st Session of UN Human Rights Council

June 24 (BTA special correspondent Lora Metanova) -
During the 41st Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council
(HRC) here, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev noted that the
protection of human rights is impossible without lasting peace
and sustainable development, his Press Secretariat said Monday.
President Rumen Radev is paying a visit to Switzerland on June
24 and 25 for the HRC Session.

As of January 1, 2019, Bulgaria is serving as a Human Rights
Council Member for three years until 2021. This is the first
time it has held a seat since the Council was established. This
country was voted in at the 73rd UN General Assembly Session in
New York in 2018, the Press Secretariat recalled.

Radev noted that having in mind this interdependence between
human rights and peace, connectivity and cooperation between
bodies and agencies within the UN system should be further
strengthened.

"Bulgaria supports the UN's efforts to strengthen
multilateralism through facilitating international solidarity
and carrying out a global, comprehensive and preventive approach
 for dealing with these challenges," the Bulgarian Head of State
 said.

He confirmed Bulgaria's engagement and decisiveness to continue
actively contributing to the respect, encouragement and
protection of human rights by following national policies and
participating in regional and international human rights bodies.

On the topic of climate change, President Radev commented that
it is one of the biggest and most serious challenges of this
era, and noted that climate change is an obstacle to people's
exercising of basic human rights, such as the right to life, to
suitable food, to housing, to medical services and to education.
 According to Radev, it is essential to implement the respective
 measures for reducing the negative effects of climate change.

"We strongly support the Human Rights Council initiatives that
examine the impact of environmental deterioration and of climate
 change on human rights," the President said.

"Our country highly appreciates the fact that the HRS began
examining the impact of digital technologies, both new and in
development, including Artificial Intelligence, on human
rights," Radev noted, adding that Bulgaria is ready to
participate actively in the upcoming debates and to join actions
 on this priority issue.

"Tolerance and understanding are values that make up the very
foundation of modern democracy," the Head of State noted. He
recalled as one of the key moments in this country's
contemporary history the rescue of nearly 50,000 Bulgarian Jews
from deportation to Nazi camps, and noted that Bulgaria's
full-fledged membership in the International Holocaust
Remembrance Alliance acknowledges this country's clear response
to the growing Antisemitism, xenophobia and hate speech.

Radev noted Bulgaria's progress regarding women's rights, citing
 Eurostat data, according to which this country rates first in
the EU in the share of women and girls employed in the
information and communication technologies sector, with 27.7 per
 cent compared to the EU average of 16 per cent.

Within his visit, President Radev will also meet with UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, UN Office
Director-General Michael Moller, and the Directors General of
the WHO and the WTO, Tedros Ghebreyesus and Roberto Azevedo. He
will also meet with representatives of the Bulgarian community
in Geneva. Nearly 1,000 Bulgarians live in Geneva.

On June 25, the President will visit the European Organization
for Nuclear Research (CERN) and will talk with Bulgarians who
work there. More than 13,000 scientists from 97 countries do
research at CERN and more than 100 Bulgarians collaborate with
the organization. RY/ZH,TH


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