The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is organising the Budapest Human Rights Forum for the tenth time on 28-29 November 2017. Similarly to previous years, the Forum provides an outstanding opportunity for national and international human rights experts, representatives of governmental and non-governmental organisations, and scientific researchers to exchange views on topical subjects of common interest.

The internationally recognised two-day Forum was opened by Minister of State for Security Policy and International Cooperation Dr. István Mikola, who emphasised the significant contribution of the event, marking its 10th anniversary this year, towards efforts aimed at the protection of human rights. The Minister of State made reference to the growing global challenges we are witnessing today, underlining the increasingly complex security challenges arising from terrorism and extremism, uncontrolled migration, the violation of the rights of people belonging to minorities and other vulnerable groups, as well as the ever-growing inequalities between and within societies.

At the opening ceremony, speeches were given by Permanent Representative of Georgia to the UN Office and current Vice-President of the UN Human Rights Council Ambassador Shalva Tsiskarashvili, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary János Martonyi, and Director of the United Nations Information Service in Vienna Martin Nesirky.

The tenth Budapest Human Rights Forum is an intrinsic part of dialogue on human rights issues on the international stage, and reinforces the commitment and openness of Hungary to debating current human rights challenges.

The themes of this year’s Forum were inspired by our national pledges regarding Hungary’s membership of the United Nations Human Rights Council, current human rights challenges and Hungary’s human rights priorities. Accordingly, the various panel discussions will be discussing minority rights and women’s rights, the increasing human rights challenges generated by terrorism and violent extremism, as well as the human rights aspects of the sustainable development goals set down within the Agenda 2030 framework.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade/MTI)