The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al Hussain stressed that international human rights law cannot be "trifled with or circumvented, but must be fully observed", at the opening of the 28th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

"Our discussions during this session will only be of some worth if every State represented here will take the recommendations of the Council, its Universal Periodic Review, and its expert mechanisms out of this room, and give them real impact where it matters – in your countries," he said in his first address since taking over from Navanetham Pillay last year.

Mr Hussain pointed out human rights are disregarded, and violated regularly by some states, who claim exceptional circumstances, picking and choosing between which rights to protect.

The high commissioner said he was disturbed by the contempt and disregard shown by some states to people appointed by the Council as independent experts, calling on UN member states to focus on substance of complaints, rather than lash out at critics.

Human rights abuses are not spontaneously generated, he further said, adding that violations mostly result from policy choices made by states "which limit freedom and participation, and create obstacles to the fair sharing of resources and opportunities".

See full copy of Mr Zeid Ra'ad al Hussain's address at the opening of the 28th session of the Human Rights Council here.