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The message reads, in part:

“In the year that marks the 75^th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights came up with a relevant initiative to hold a major public forum to discuss the key issues of human rights protection in the contemporary world. Such detailed, constructive dialogue is very necessary because serious tensions have accumulated in this area over the years, requiring thoughtful reflection and a solution.

I want to emphasise that the current deep crisis is the result of constant attempts by countries of the collective West to use the doctrine of human rights to secure their dominance and destroy states’ sovereignty. Unfortunately, during the entire history of the conflict in Donbass and Novorossiya, international organisations and institutions that were supposed to ensure and promote human rights (the UN Human Rights Council, the Council of Europe and others) showed their bias and an inability to deal with the tasks they faced. Given their obviously prejudiced attitude, Russia was forced to revoke its membership of these agencies while continuing to fulfil its obligations in terms of human rights.

A demand for radical change has emerged in the international community. There is an obvious need to ensure a just approach towards the implementation of human rights, based on mutual respect and taking account of the cultural and historical development of various states. Civil society institutions should play a crucial role in reaching this goal.

I am sure that this conference will make a significant contribution to dealing with issues related to human rights and help expand interaction with interested foreign partners.”