Hungary is highly committed to respecting fundamental rights, given its history, Christian heritage and geographical location, Hungary's foreign minister emphasized at the meeting of the UN Human Rights Council. In his speech, he pointed out that Hungary lies along the busiest land migration route into the European Union. Over the past decade, crowds of illegal migrants have attempted to cross the southern border, often violently, attacking police officers and border guards. He stressed the importance of clarifying what could be considered a human right and what could not.
We must make it clear that violating the border between two peaceful countries is not a human right. In contrast, the right to a safe and peaceful life at home very much is. This is why human rights themselves must be protected, not those who violate them,
he pointed out.
We need to double efforts in addressing the root causes of illegal migration and ensuring that everyone on Earth has the right to live safely in their homeland.
he emphasized. Hungary, owing to history, no longer has borders that coincide with the nation, making Hungarians particularly sensitive to the protection of national minority rights, and this is not simply a bilateral issue, he explained.
Regretfully, we have had very bad experiences in this respect. In our eastern neighbor, the rights of the Hungarian minority have been continuously violated over the past ten years. Their rights to use their mother tongue in education, culture, the media, and public administration have been severely violated. Despite Hungary's good faith and constant attempts at reconciliation over the past ten years, no progress has been made, and these rights have not been restored. This fact influences Hungary’s position when it comes to discussing Ukraine’s European integration,
the minister warned. Peter Szijjarto noted that Hungary, as a country with more than a thousand years of Christian statehood, feels heavy responsibility for the world's Christian communities, especially for those who are threatened by persecution.
Christianity is the most persecuted religion in the world today, with some 380 million of our brothers and sisters facing persecution. Last year alone, 4,500 Christians were killed because of their faith. On average, thirteen Christians are murdered every day. Additionally, seven thousand Christian institutions, churches, and other sites were attacked,
he said.
We find this totally unacceptable, as we find it equally unacceptable that we do not talk about it. That's why the Hungarian government launched its Hungary Helps program, under which we have supported Christian communities across the world, from Syria to Lebanon, with tens of millions of dollars,
he added. Finally, he addressed a topic he believed many were avoiding. He reminded the audience that the United States and Israel recently withdrew from the UN Human Rights Council, and he said it is worth examining the reasons behind their decision. Too often in recent years, judgment, lecturing, and stigmatization have taken the place of mutual respect, he pointed out, arguing that the organization would become irrelevant in the future unless mutual respect were restored.
We must reduce the influence of NGOs that attempt to influence our decisions based on their biased and unbalanced opinions. It must be made clear that governments represent their countries and societies because they were elected by the people. NGOs may represent certain interest groups, but they do not represent societies,
he argued.
Based on the decisions of the new US president, the time for political strategies aiming at interference in domestic affairs of other countries is over, which we consider good news (...) We hope that the Human Rights Council will return to the ground of mutual respect and regain its relevance in the future. In this important work, you can count on us,
he concluded.
Cover photo: Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto (Source: Facebook)
