On 28 February 2023, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, met with the newly-appointed United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, and the Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Rebeca Grynspan. The meeting took place on the margins of the session of the UN Human Rights Council.
Edgars Rinkēvičs congratulated Volker Türk upon assuming the post. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights is contributing considerably to the protection of human rights. The Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed strong support from Latvia for the independence of the Office and he pointed out to the need for ensuring appropriate financing for the human rights pillar.
The Foreign Minister underlined the impact made on human rights by Russia’s war in Ukraine. The UN bodies and agencies must take the lead to ensure Russia’s accountability for its crimes committed in Ukraine. Russia must compensate for the losses it has incurred. The international community must also retain its focus on internal repressions and human rights abuses in Russia and Belarus.
The involvement of the United Nations in resolving the food crisis caused by Russia’s war against Ukraine was discussed in the conversation with Rebecca Grynspan. The Foreign Minister underlined the need to counter the disinformation spread by Russia concerning the root causes of the food crisis.