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Putting people first – Foreign Minister Wadephul is in Geneva to promote Germany’s candidacy for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council and in Munich to discuss promoting Germany’s image abroad.
UN Human Rights Council in Geneva © dpa
Germany is running for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council. In Geneva, Foreign Minister Wadephul will send a clear message on how we stand by our responsibility at a challenging time. Before going to Geneva, Wadephul will visit the Goethe-Institut head office and the Bavarian Cabinet in Munich.
People are at the heart of Foreign Minister Wadephul’s visits to Munich and Geneva. At the election in October for membership of the Human Rights Council for the 2027-2029 term, Germany hopes to be elected to this body for the sixth time. The Council promotes and protects human rights in a unique way so that, for example, journalists are able to do their important work, people can practise their religion without facing threats and minorities do not have to fear for their rights.
Prior to his departure, Foreign Minister Wadephul said:
Germany’s commitment in a world of wars and crises is the focus of my trip to the human rights capital – to Geneva, with meetings at the United Nations and humanitarian organisations. In times when human rights are under increasing pressure around the world, we want to strengthen the UN organisations and mechanisms that put people at the heart of our action. That is why Germany is applying for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council.“
Geneva – the world capital of human rights
During his visit to Geneva, Foreign Minister Wadephul will present Germany’s candidacy for membership of the UN Human Rights Council, which was founded 20 years ago, for the 2027–2029 term. Our candidacy reflects the decades-long responsibility that Germany has taken on for human rights worldwide. Germany stands up via humanitarian diplomacy for the protection of civilians, for example in the Sudan. With a seat on the Human Rights Council, we would aim to ensure that the worst humanitarian crises of our time remain on the agenda in Geneva in the future, too, and that the Council is further developed and made more effective in a difficult global situation.
Foreign Minister Wadephul will also meet other partners in Geneva with whom Germany works closely, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, and the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Munich – foreign policy in the service of our ambitious economic aspirations
German foreign policy abroad also involves representing the interests of Germany’s 16 Länder and fostering national economic interests, which are of great importance for places such as Munich and Bavaria as a location for business and investment. Foreign Minister Wadephul’s visit to the Free State of Bavaria will provide an opportunity to speak with the Bavarian Cabinet about how our country’s interests can be represented even more effectively by the over 220 German missions abroad.
For 75 years now, the over 154 Goethe-Institut offices in 100 countries have also played a part here. Their global German-language programmes are often the first point of contact for ambitious skilled workers who go on to apply for jobs in Germany in sectors such as IT or space. During his visit to the Goethe-Institut head office in Munich, Foreign Minister Wadephul will underline that we must champion our country and economic interests – and thus our model of freedom – even more energetically as Team Germany at international level.