"Human rights violations will not disappear if a government blocks access to international observers and then invests in a public relations campaign to offset any unwanted publicity." - UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein In a wide-ranging statement on the worldwide human rights situation today, High Commissioner Zeid expressed concern over an emerging pattern of the growing refusal of an increasing number of States to grant the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, or the human rights mechanisms, access to countries or to specific regions. Speaking at the opening of the 33rd regular session of the UN Human Rights Council at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, the High Commissioner stressed that there was no alternative to working together and committing to collective action in order to solve common problems, such as terrorism and its main exponent Da’esh, the alienation and frustration of many throughout the world who felt short-changed by poor governance and corruption, and the fact that dangerous xenophobes and bigots were running for office in several well-established democracies. Watch excerpts from his speech, and read his full statement here: http://goo.gl/kBu4ke #HRC33