Speech by Foreign Minister Wadephul at the reception for Germany’s candidacy for the United Nations Human Rights Council

We gather here today not merely as representatives of states or organisations, but as guardians of a promise. A promise that was made in the founding resolution of the Human Rights Council of 2006. Namely that the Council will “promote universal respect for the protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all”! This promise may sound abstract, but it is not. Because human rights are not abstract legal formulas.  They affect those who exercise their rights and fight for them: The journalist who risks to speak the truth to an authoritarian government. The daily prayer of a believer who refuses to hide his faith. The dream of a child seeking education in the midst of a war. The hope of women that equality becomes a reality. The simple, fundamental dignity of a glass of clean water and a safe place to wash. Or the shield against the horrors of slavery and torture. At this point: Let me introduce to you the German artist Paula Doepfner, who is with me today. I would like to invite you to later on take a look at her art displayed here today. At first glance, it may appear abstract. Only on closer inspection can one make out the delicate lettering of the Istanbul Pr...