Five years after its last term, Italy returns to the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) as a voting member, reaffirming its role in the universal defense of human rights.
Today, the UN General Assembly confirmed Italy’s candidacy with 179 votes. Italy was the most-voted nation in the Group of Western European and other States, for the third consecutive time after the results of the elections to the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (2023) and to the Economic and Social Council (2024).
Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani welcomed this expression of international confidence, a recognition of our country’s long-standing commitment and focus on the protection of human rights, the promotion of global dialogue, the safeguarding of minorities, and the irreplaceable value of civil society.
With this new term—the fourth since the Council’s establishment in 2006—Italy is set to step up its engagement. Italy’s action at the HRC will focus on combating all forms of discrimination; protecting the rights of children, older persons and persons with disabilities; defending freedom of expression and freedom of religion; and safeguarding cultural and religious heritage. Added to these priorities is a historic cause of Italian diplomacy: a universal moratorium on the death penalty, as a first step toward its complete abolition.
Italy will continue working side by side with all international partners to strengthen the effectiveness of the HRC. The goal is clear: to make the Council an ever more robust point of reference for the promotion of fundamental human rights, upholding their universality, interdependence, and non-selective nature.
