Thank you, Madam Chair.
And thank you Director Telalian, to you and your ODIHR team.
As we conclude this year’s meeting, I particularly want to express our thanks to the Finnish Chairpersonship for ensuring this conference could take place. Of course, it should have been held as the mandated OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting. The UK strongly condemns Russia’s continued obstruction of that mandate – an attempt to undermine the OSCE’s essential focus on human rights and democracy.
Despite these challenges, this conference has remained a key moment in the OSCE calendar. Through plenary sessions and side events, we’ve addressed critical human rights developments and held ourselves accountable as states.
We’ve heard powerful testimony about the impact of Russia’s war against Ukraine, and about the systematic dismantling of rights and freedoms inside Russia too. The UK calls on Moscow to end its illegal war, withdraw its troops from Ukraine, and uphold OSCE principles both domestically and internationally.
We’ve also discussed Russia’s attempts to interfere in democratic elections across our region. The UK will continue to work with partners to counter this malign foreign interference, including information manipulation, to protect democratic integrity.
Beyond Russia, we’ve discussed broader regional challenges. The deterioration of human rights in Georgia has been a key concern. The UK urges the release of unjustly detained opposition figures, the restoration of judicial independence, and the repeal of laws targeting civil society.
Belarus remains another area of deep concern. The UK supports Belarusian civil society and the democratic opposition in their peaceful struggle for fundamental rights.
Yesterday, I had the privilege of moderating the plenary session on human rights defenders. The UK remains committed to supporting these courageous individuals who protect freedoms and strengthen democratic resilience across our region.
And I want to close by paying tribute to civil society throughout the OSCE region. A colleague visiting from London remarked that engaging with civil society here was a sobering reminder of how vital their work is. He was absolutely right. Their expertise and bravery defend the rule of law, media freedom, and democracy, across our region, every single day.
In this anniversary year, their efforts are a powerful demonstration of the spirit of Helsinki.
Thank you.
