site.btaBulgaria Adheres to Highest Standards for Protection, Promotion of Human Rights, FM Georgiev Says

Bulgaria remains committed to cooperating with all international organizations and mechanisms in the field of human rights, Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev said while presenting the country’s implementation of its commitments under the UN Universal Periodic Review on human rights.
Quoted in a Foreign Ministry press release on Thursday, Georgiev emphasized that Bulgaria is serving, for the second time in the past five years, as a member of the UN Human Rights Council, adding that the country stands by its commitments and continues to work consistently toward fulfilling them.

During the review of the Bulgarian delegation, Georgiev outlined the key legislative changes and initiatives undertaken in response to recommendations made during the previous review in 2020. He noted that despite the challenges on the international agenda, Bulgaria continues to apply the highest international standards in the area of human rights.

Among the measures implemented, Georgiev highlighted efforts to combat intolerance and discrimination, empower women and girls, protect the rights of children and persons with disabilities, and ensure the full inclusion of vulnerable groups in society. He also pointed out that in 2025, Bulgaria has strengthened its national human rights institutions with the election of a new Ombudsman and new leadership of the Commission for Protection against Discrimination.

During the ensuing interactive dialogue, more than 90 UN member states took the floor to present their observations and recommendations regarding the human rights situation in Bulgaria. Particular attention was given to measures against domestic violence, the safety of journalists, and the integration of the Roma community.

As a UN member state, Bulgaria undergoes the Universal Periodic Review once every five years — the UN’s largest human rights monitoring mechanism. The Bulgarian delegation was led by Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev and included deputy ministers of justice, interior, and labour and social policy, as well as heads of key institutions working on human rights-related issues.

Following the conclusion of the review, Bulgarian authorities will have another five-year period to implement the recommendations received, the press release further said.