Mr Vice President,
\n\nSeventy years on from Hungarians’ courageous struggle for democracy in 1956, the UK welcomes the important steps already taken by the new government to strengthen democratic checks and balances, and judicial independence; reform the public service media; introduce anti-corruption safeguards and improve consultation with civil society.
\n\nThe UK welcomes recent measures to strengthen child protection legislation, including removal of discriminatory provisions against LGBT+ individuals. The UK recognises the scale of the reforms being undertaken by the new government and offers its strong support.
\n \nThe UK recommends that Hungary:
Addresses remaining discriminatory provisions in legislation relating to sexual orientation and gender identity in line with Hungary’s international human rights obligations.
\nSets out a pathway towards ratification of the Istanbul Convention, adopts a cross-government strategy on Violence Against Women & Girls, and a Women, Peace & Security National Action Plan.
\nConsiders further strengthening protections for vulnerable and marginalised groups, especially Roma, in line with international standards.
\nThank you.
\nThe UK’s Ambassador for Human Rights exists to defend and advance human rights and democracy globally. Promoting human rights and the rule of law is fundamental to maintaining stability and preventing conflict and is therefore at the heart of the UK’s interests.
\n\nThe Ambassador for Human Rights has 3 main objectives:
\n\nThe Ambassador engages with civil society and human rights defenders. Through country missions, she engages with states, human rights institutions and other international partners to champion positive progress made by states, encourage advances and identify areas for collaboration and partnership to support protections and promotion of human rights within those countries.
\n","role_payment_type":null},"document_type":"ambassador_role","links":{},"locale":"en","public_updated_at":"2026-03-02T16:11:40Z","schema_name":"role","title":"Ambassador for Human Rights and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva ","withdrawn":false}],"speaker":[{"api_path":"/api/content/government/people/eleanor-sanders","api_url":"https://www.gov.uk/api/content/government/people/eleanor-sanders","base_path":"/government/people/eleanor-sanders","content_id":"4301c606-5fdc-4e77-bbf1-1dbce629f3c8","document_type":"person","links":{},"locale":"en","public_updated_at":"2024-09-24T08:38:41Z","schema_name":"person","title":"Eleanor Sanders","web_url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/people/eleanor-sanders","withdrawn":false}],"taxons":[{"api_path":"/api/content/international/human-rights-internationally","api_url":"https://www.gov.uk/api/content/international/human-rights-internationally","base_path":"/international/human-rights-internationally","content_id":"cb7db7bb-d0b4-4e22-9f0b-58a28c2db38c","details":{"internal_name":"Human rights internationally [P]","notes_for_editors":"","visible_to_departmental_editors":false},"document_type":"taxon","links":{"parent_taxons":[{"api_path":"/api/content/international","api_url":"https://www.gov.uk/api/content/international","base_path":"/international","content_id":"37d0fa26-abed-4c74-8835-b3b51ae1c8b2","description":"","details":{"internal_name":"International","notes_for_editors":"","visible_to_departmental_editors":true},"document_type":"taxon","links":{"root_taxon":[{"api_path":"/api/content/","api_url":"https://www.gov.uk/api/content/","base_path":"/","content_id":"f3bbdec2-0e62-4520-a7fd-6ffd5d36e03a","document_type":"homepage","links":{},"locale":"en","public_updated_at":"2026-02-18T13:00:23Z","schema_name":"homepage","title":"GOV.UK homepage","web_url":"https://www.gov.uk/","withdrawn":false}]},"locale":"en","phase":"live","public_updated_at":"2018-09-16T20:30:28Z","schema_name":"taxon","title":"International","web_url":"https://www.gov.uk/international","withdrawn":false}]},"locale":"en","phase":"live","public_updated_at":"2018-09-05T16:14:19Z","schema_name":"taxon","title":"Human rights internationally","web_url":"https://www.gov.uk/international/human-rights-internationally","withdrawn":false}],"world_locations":[{"analytics_identifier":"WL59","content_id":"5e9f03ad-7706-11e4-a3cb-005056011aef","document_type":"world_location","links":{"world_location_news":[{"analytics_identifier":"WL59","api_path":"/api/content/world/hungary/news","api_url":"https://www.gov.uk/api/content/world/hungary/news","base_path":"/world/hungary/news","content_id":"a03097e3-2e46-4779-9856-425251040372","description":"Updates, news and events from the UK government in Hungary","document_type":"world_location_news","links":{},"locale":"en","public_updated_at":"2022-08-08T07:01:13Z","schema_name":"world_location_news","title":"Hungary and the UK","web_url":"https://www.gov.uk/world/hungary/news","withdrawn":false}]},"locale":"en","public_updated_at":"2022-08-08T07:01:13Z","schema_name":"world_location","title":"Hungary","withdrawn":false},{"analytics_identifier":"WL150","api_path":"/api/content/world/uk-mission-to-the-wto-un-and-other-international-organisations-geneva","api_url":"https://www.gov.uk/api/content/world/uk-mission-to-the-wto-un-and-other-international-organisations-geneva","base_path":"/world/uk-mission-to-the-wto-un-and-other-international-organisations-geneva","content_id":"5e9f266d-7706-11e4-a3cb-005056011aef","description":"Updates, news and events from the UK government in UK Mission to the WTO, UN and Other International Organisations (Geneva)","document_type":"world_location_news","links":{},"locale":"en","public_updated_at":"2025-07-03T14:03:34Z","schema_name":"world_location_news","title":"UK Mission to the WTO, UN and other international organisations (Geneva)","web_url":"https://www.gov.uk/world/uk-mission-to-the-wto-un-and-other-international-organisations-geneva","withdrawn":false}]},"locale":"en","phase":"live","public_updated_at":"2026-11-05T10:24:17+00:00","publishing_app":"whitehall","publishing_request_id":"21-1793874257.578-10.13.22.25-2698","publishing_scheduled_at":null,"rendering_app":"frontend","scheduled_publishing_delay_seconds":null,"schema_name":"speech","title":"53rd Universal Periodic Review of human rights: UK Statement on Hungary","updated_at":"2026-11-05T10:24:17+00:00","withdrawn_notice":{}}