Thank you Chair. Welcome back to Permanent Council Director. I know many colleagues will wish to commend you today for ODIHR’s excellent work in challenging circumstances; I will preload my thanks to theirs and keep my remarks brief.

First, I wish to reaffirm the UK’s continued support for ODIHR’s mandate. Our predecessors all agreed that human rights and fundamental freedoms were indivisible from regional security. That is as true in 2025 as in 1975. We urge all participating States to agree a Unified Budget as soon as possible and to ensure adequate funding for the autonomous institutions. We applaud Finland and ODIHR’s stewardship of WHDC this year and call for a mandated Human Dimension Implementation Meeting in 2026. We are proud that the UK continues to provide ODIHR with extrabudge

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