During his speech at the 37th session of the UN’s Human Rights Council on Monday in Geneva, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó called on the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid bin Ra'ad Al-Hussein, to immediately resign for accusing Prime Minister of Viktor Orbán of racism and xenophobia.

“This is unacceptable from an official of an international organisation, the accusation is unworthy and outrageous, the High Commissioner must resign”, the Minister stressed in his speech.

In his opening statement, the High Commissioner for Human Rights said: Oppression is once again in fashion, security has been reduced, and fundamental human rights are being given less significance throughout the world. Shame is also beating a retreat. Racists and xenophobes in Europe are concealing themselves and keeping up appearances to an increasingly lesser extent, such as Viktor Orbán, who at the beginning of this month said “we don’t want our colour to become mixed with that of others”. “Don’t you know what happens in countries whose leaders strive for ethnic, national and racial purity?”, Zeid bin Ra'ad Al-Hussein asked.

In a telephone statement to Hungarian news agency MTI, Mr. Szijjártó noted that this was not the first time that the High Commissioner had launched accusations against Hungary, not the first time that he had attempted to clothe Hungary in the characteristics of history’s darkest dictatorship, and not the first time that he has accused Hungary’s democratically elected government “in an undeserved manner”.

Explaining the essence of his speech, the Minister said that Hungary’s standpoint it absolutely clear: “Migration is not a fundamental human right, we will continue to protect our borders and will do everything possible to make our position as clear as possible in the UN during the debate on migration”.

In February, the UN published a draft of a global migration treaty, which amongst others states that illegally crossing a border should no longer be regarded as a crime.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)