“There are many countries in the world where human rights are under severe pressure, including restrictions on freedom of expression, discrimination, political persecution and violence,” Ambassador Salsa-Audiffren said. “Membership of the Council gives Estonia the opportunity to stand up for the universality of human rights at the global level and to help shape the international value space. Estonia also wishes to contribute to increasing the effectiveness and visibility of the Human Rights Council and to support activities that protect and promote human rights worldwide.”
In October this year, Estonia was elected a member of the UN Human Rights Council for the 2026–2028 period. This is a special recognition of Estonia’s human rights policy and foreign policy as a whole. As a member, Estonia will focus in particular on promoting women’s rights and gender equality, protecting children’s rights, safeguarding human rights in the digital sphere, and defending media freedom. Estonia will also pay attention to the fight against impunity.
The UN Human Rights Council was established in 2006 by a decision of the UN General Assembly. It is an intergovernmental body tasked with protecting and promoting human rights worldwide. The Council has 47 member states, elected for three-year terms. Estonia previously served on the Human Rights Council from 2013 to 2015.
