#Romania2019.eu/Ciamba voices in Geneva Romania's firm committment to promote human rights observance

Minister Delegate for European Affairs George Ciamba had a meeting in Geneva on Thursday with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, in which he voiced Romania's firm commitment as holder of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union to promote respect for human rights, to combat hate speech, anti-Semitism, racism, and intolerance. According to a press release issued by the Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE), George Ciamba conveyed to Michelle Bachelet the willingness to support the achievement of synergy between the actions of the UN High Commissioner and the EU Special Representative on Human Rights. The minister underlined the firm commitment of Romania, as the holder of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, to promote respect for human rights, to combat hate speeech, anti-Semitism, racism and intolerance. "The Romanian official pointed out that the Romanian Presidency is taking important steps in the fight against disinformation, a phenomenon that leads to the propagation of hate speech, to the division of societies for the achievement of unprincipled goals that could affect the European democracies. During the discussion, George Ciamba reminded of the advancement of concrete steps to implement the Action Plan against Disinformation, a plan adopted at the end of last year at EU level, which includes four pillars and a set of ten actions, endorsing an integrated response," the press release said. Minister George Ciamba assured Michelle Bachelet of the special attention that the Romanian Presidency gives to the fight against anti-Semitism. Recent polls show that anti-Semitism is growing in Europe, and this should not leave us indifferent, the Romanian official said, according to MAE. During the meeting, held on the sidelines of the high-level session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, George Ciamba handed the invitation to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to attend the Gender Equality Conference to be held in late May, in Bucharest, an event organized under the patronage of the Prime Minister of Romania. AGERPRES (RO - editor: Antonia Nita; EN - author: Bogdan Gabaroi, editor: Simona Iacob)