Václav Bálek
Ambassador, Permanent Representative,
Permanent Mission of the Czech Republic to the UN and other international organizations in Geneva and President of the Human Rights Council
The principle of equality and non-discrimination requires that nobody should be denied their rights on the grounds of gender. By promoting equal opportunities, economic empowerment and participation in public life; by speaking up against discrimination and by mainstreaming equality issues we can and we must do better.
I support the IGC Panel Parity Pledge.
I support the IGC gender-based violence pledge.
Personal Commitments
To strengthen the implementation of the Gender-based Violence Pledge, I will explicitly affirm the Human Rights Council should be a safe and respectful place with zero tolerance of harassment, sexism and gender-based violence and support actions to ensure that the highest ethical standards are upheld. I personally have zero tolerance for gender-based violence and will stand up against any case brought to my attention.
We cannot achieve meaningful results without meaningful participation. I will strive to ensure that women and girls can participate in the same manner as men and boys in the meetings that I chair or attend.