The Human Rights Council this morning extended mandates on the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Cambodia and Libya, appointed mandate holders, and closed its forty-eighth regular session.
The Council also adopted resolutions on racial discrimination, Yemen, and on technical assistance and capacity building in the field of human rights. In total, the Council adopted eight resolutions this morning.
On technical assistance and capacity-building in the field of human rights in the Central African Republic, the Council decided to extend the mandate of the independent expert on the situation of human rights in the Central African Republic for one year. The Council also decided to convene a high-level dialogue at its forty-ninth session to assess human rights developments on the ground.
On technical assistance and capacity-building in the field of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Council decided to renew the mandate of the Team of International Experts on the situation in the Kasai and to extend it to the entire national territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
On assistance to Somalia in the field of human rights, the Council decided to renew the mandate of the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia, under agenda item 10, for a period of one year to assess, monitor and report on the situation of human rights in Somalia with a view to making recommendations on technical assistance and capacity-building in the field of human rights.
On advisory services and technical assistance for Cambodia, the Council decided to extend for two years the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia.
On technical assistance and capacity-building to improve human rights in Libya, the Council decided to extend the mandate of the fact-finding mission for nine months to allow for the implementation of its mandate, considering the exceptional circumstances that the mission faced since its establishment owing to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and the liquidity crisis that the United Nations faced at the time.
On technical assistance and capacity-building for Yemen in the field of human rights, the Council requested the High Commissioner to continue to provide substantive capacity-building and technical assistance to the Government of Yemen and all requisite technical and logistical support to the National Commission of Inquiry, at the same level as any investigation commission, to enable it to continue to investigate allegations of violations and abuses committed by all parties to the conflict in Yemen.
On the enhancement of technical cooperation and capacity-building in the field of human rights, the Council decided that the theme of the annual thematic panel discussion under agenda item 10, to be held during its fiftieth session, will be “Technical cooperation on the full and effective participation of women in decision-making and in public life and on the elimination of violence, with a view to achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls”.
In a resolution on “from rhetoric to reality: a global call for concrete action against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance”, adopted by a vote of 32 in favour, 10 against and 5 abstentions, the Council requested the Office of the High Commissioner to establish and launch a two-year comprehensive communications strategy, inclusive of an outreach programme, to raise awareness about and mobilize global public support for racial equality, including about the content and contribution of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action to the struggle against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
The following three mandate holders were appointed: with regard to the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, member from Latin American and Caribbean States, Barbara G. Reynolds (Guyana); as the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, Alexandra Xanthaki (Greece); and in relation to the Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, member from Latin American and Caribbean States, Fernanda Hopenhaym (Mexico).
The following three experts were elected as members of the Advisory Committee by acclamation: Frans Jacobus Viljoen (South Africa) from the Group of African States; José Augusto Lindgren Alves (Brazil) from the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States; and Vassilis Tzevelekos (Greece) from the Group of Western European and other States. Nurah Maziad S. Alamro (Saudi Arabia) was elected by secret ballot as the member from the Asia-Pacific States.
The webcast of the Human Rights Council meetings can be found here. All meeting summaries can be found here. Documents and reports related to the Human Rights Council’s forty-eighth regular session can be found here.
The forty-ninth regular session of the Human Rights Council is tentatively scheduled to be held from 28 February to 25 March 2022.
Action on Resolution under the Agenda Item on Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Forms of Intolerance, Follow-up to and Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action
In a resolution (A/HRC/48/L.3/Rev.1) on From rhetoric to reality: a global call for concrete action against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance adopted by a vote of 32 in favour, 10 against and 5 abstentions, the Council requests the Office of the High Commissioner to establish and launch a two-year comprehensive communications strategy, inclusive of an outreach programme to raise awareness about and mobilize global public support for racial equality, including about the content and contribution of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action to the struggle against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; the activities of the strategy should include the publication and wide dissemination through United Nations information centres and the field presences of the Office of the High Commissioner, also in easily accessible printed and digital formats, of the Convention, the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and the programme of activities for the International Decade for People of African Descent, in all official languages of the United Nations; engagement with universities, schools and other educational entities; identifying new challenges for individuals and groups facing racial discrimination on social media; the production of promotional material on racial equality with a youth-friendly approach for educational purposes; publicizing positive examples of the implementation of the Convention and the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action; engagement with news media; outreach to civil society to enhance networking; and engagement with the general public, mainly young people, on social media; and requests the Secretary-General to provide the strategy and outreach programme with the necessary resources.
The results of the vote were as follows:
In favour (32): Argentina, Armenia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, China, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Eritrea, Fiji, Gabon, India, Indonesia, Libya, Malawi, Mauritania, Mexico, Namibia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Russian Federation, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Uzbekistan and Venezuela.
Against (10): Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Ukraine and United Kingdom.
Abstentions (5): Bulgaria, Japan, Marshall Islands, Republic of Korea and Uruguay.
Action on Resolutions under the Agenda Item on Technical Assistance and Capacity Building
In a resolution (A/HRC/48/L.1) on Technical assistance and capacity-building in the field of human rights in the Central African Republic, adopted without a vote, the Council decides to extend the mandate of the independent expert on the situation of human rights in the Central African Republic for one year, and requests the independent expert to pay particular attention to alleged violations of human rights and international humanitarian law by all parties to the conflict. The independent expert will present an oral update at the fiftieth session (June 2022) and a written report at the fifty-first session. The Council also decided to convene a high-level dialogue at its forty-ninth session to assess human rights developments on the ground, with particular emphasis on the reconciliation process and the establishment of guarantees of non-repetition, including through the effective implementation of the mandate of the Truth, Justice, Reparation and Reconciliation Commission.
In a resolution (A/HRC/48/L.2) on Technical assistance and capacity-building in the field of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo adopted without a vote (as orally revised), the Council decides to renew the mandate of the Team of International Experts on the situation in the Kasai and to extend it to the entire national territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and requests the Team to present its final report to the Council at its fifty-first session and an oral update at its forty-ninth session. The Council further requests the High Commissioner to provide an oral update on the situation of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including Kasai, at its forty-ninth session, and to prepare a comprehensive report on the situation of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, at its fifty-first session. The Council welcomes the continuation of the trial against the alleged perpetrators of the murder of two United Nations experts and their escorts, as well as the conviction of those responsible and the compensation of the victims in the case related to the Kamuina Nsapu militia in the Kasai region.
In a resolution (A/HRC/48/L.15/Rev.1) on Assistance to Somalia in the field of human rights, adopted without a vote, the Council decides to renew the mandate of the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia, under agenda item 10, for a period of one year to assess, monitor and report on the situation of human rights in Somalia with a view to making recommendations on technical assistance and capacity-building in the field of human rights. The Council further requests the Independent Expert to report to the Human Rights Council at its fifty-first session and to the General Assembly at its seventy-seventh session; requests the Independent Expert to provide an update to the Human Rights Council in her report on progress on the implementation of the benchmarks and indicators in the transition plan to inform future action by the Council, and requests the Office of the High Commissioner and other relevant United Nations agencies to provide the Independent Expert with all the human, technical and financial assistance necessary to carry out the mandate fully.
In a resolution (A/HRC/48/L.6) on Technical assistance and capacity-building for Yemen in the field of human rights, adopted without a vote, the Council requests the High Commissioner to continue to provide substantive capacity-building and technical assistance to the Government of Yemen and all requisite technical and logistical support to the National Commission of Inquiry, at the same level as any investigation commission, to enable it to continue to investigate allegations of violations and abuses committed by all parties to the conflict in Yemen, and in line with international standards, and to submit its comprehensive report on alleged human rights violations and abuses in all parts of Yemen, in accordance with Presidential Decree No. 9 of 28 September 2021, as soon as it is available, and encourages all parties to the conflict in Yemen to extend full and transparent access and cooperation to the National Commission; and also requests the High Commissioner to present a written report on the implementation of technical assistance, as stipulated in the present resolution, to the Human Rights Council at its fifty-first session.
In a resolution (A/HRC/48/L.16) on Advisory services and technical assistance for Cambodia, adopted without a vote (as orally revised), the Council decides to extend for two years the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, and requests the Special Rapporteur to report on the implementation of his mandate to the Human Rights Council at its fifty-first and fifty-fourth sessions and to provide the Council with an oral update at its forty-ninth and fifty-second sessions, and to engage in a constructive manner with the Government of Cambodia for the further improvement of the situation of human rights in the country. The Council further requests the Secretary-General to report to the Human Rights Council at its fifty-first and fifty-fourth sessions on the role and achievements of the Office of the High Commissioner in assisting the Government and the people of Cambodia in the promotion and protection of human rights.
In a resolution (A/HRC/48/L.20/Rev.1) on Enhancement of technical cooperation and capacity-building in the field of human rights, adopted without a vote, the Council decides, in accordance with paragraphs 3 and 4 of its resolution 18/18 of 29 September 2011, that the theme of the annual thematic panel discussion under agenda item 10, to be held during its fiftieth session, will be “Technical cooperation on the full and effective participation of women in decision-making and in public life and on the elimination of violence, with a view to achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls”.
In a resolution (A/HRC/48/L.25) on Technical assistance and capacity-building to improve human rights in Libya adopted without a vote, the Council commends the efforts of the High Commissioner, pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 43/39, to establish and dispatch a fact-finding mission to Libya, and to appoint experts to implement the mandate of that mission. The Council further decides to extend the mandate of the fact-finding mission for nine months to allow for the implementation of its mandate, considering the exceptional circumstances that the mission has faced since its establishment owing to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and the liquidity crisis that the United Nations faced at the time; it also requests the fact-finding mission to present a follow-up report of its findings to the Human Rights Council at its forty-ninth session, with the participation of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya, to be followed by an interactive dialogue, and to present to the Council at its fiftieth session a comprehensive report on the situation of human rights in Libya, including on efforts to prevent, and ensure accountability for, violations and abuses of human rights, with recommendations for follow-up, to be followed by an interactive dialogue.
Appointment of Mandate Holders
The following three mandate holders were appointed: with regard to the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, member from Latin American and Caribbean States, Barbara G. Reynolds (Guyana); as the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, Alexandra Xanthaki (Greece); and in relation to the Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, member from Latin American and Caribbean States, Fernanda Hopenhaym (Mexico).
The following three experts were elected by acclamation as members of the Advisory Committee: Frans Jacobus Viljoen (South Africa), member from the Group of African States; José Augusto Lindgren Alves (Brazil), member from the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States; and Vassilis Tzevelekos (Greece), member from the Group of Western European and other States. Nurah Maziad S. Alamro (Saudi Arabia) was elected by secret ballot as member from the Group of Asia-Pacific States.
Thirty-ninth Session of the Universal Periodic Review
NAZHAT SHAMEEM KHAN, President of the Human Rights Council, further proceeded to approval of extraordinary modalities for the thirty-ninth session of the Universal Periodic Review. The Bureau acknowledged that in light of the COVID measures, it would be reasonable to anticipate that the social distancing requirements would remain in place in November. The Bureau presented to the Council, for its approval, the extraordinary modalities to be applied to the thirty-ninth session of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review. The Council approved the modalities.
Remarks by the Rapporteur of the Council
PAUL BEKKERS, Vice-President and Rapporteur of the Council, introduced the draft report of the forty-eighth regular session of the Human Rights Council, saying that the draft was made available yesterday on the extranet, containing procedural description of the work. After the session, the Secretariat would finalise the report and circulate it for inputs and comments, which should be provided within two weeks. The draft report contained 10 chapters, corresponding to the items of the Agenda. The Council this session held a number of interactive dialogues with the High Commissioner, Special Procedures, mandate holders and expert mechanisms, two commissions of inquiry, two fact-finding missions and other investigative mechanisMs. The Council also discussed a wide range of topics during panel discussions. The Council adopted 25 resolutions and one President Statement, considered the outcomes of the Universal Periodic Review of 14 States, and appointed three Special Procedure mandate holders.
The Council adopted the report ad referendum.
Concluding Remarks by the President
NAZHAT SHAMEEM KHAN, President of the Human Rights Council, expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the members of the Bureau for 2021 – the distinguished Representatives of the Bahamas, Bulgaria, Netherlands, Sudan and Somalia for their leadership throughout the year. She thanked the Secretariat of the Council and staff in the Office of the President, the Division for Conference Management, and all who supported the session. She also thanked all the mandate holders, experts, panellists, delegations, civil society and all stakeholders, as well as Member and Observer States. The President then closed the forty-eighth regular session of the Council.