UNHRC adopts 33 resolutions to promote and protect human rights

CAIRO – 30 September 2017: The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) concluded on Friday its 36th regular session that started on September 11 in Geneva. The session was opened by the president of the council, Joaquín Alexander Maza Martelli, and addressed a wide range of key developments on human rights around the world.

The UNHRC heard an oral update by U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al-Hussein on human rights concerns in 40 countries, and it adopted 33 resolutions addressing multiple themes, including the human rights situations in Yemen, Burundi, Myanmar, Syria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, Sudan, Somalia and Cambodia.

Furthermore, the session witnessed the establishment of a Group of Eminent International and Regional Experts on Yemen and extended mandates on Burundi, Myanmar, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Sudan and Somalia.

In this article, we present a summary of the most important resolutions adopted by the UNHRC during its 2017 session:

Resolutions on human rights situations that require the council’s attention:

Burundi: Urgently deploy a team of experts to collect and forward information on the human rights situation to the judicial authorities in Burundi to ensure that the perpetrators of deplorable crimes are held accountable.

Syria: Convene a high-level panel discussion on violations of the human rights of children at the 37th UNHRC session. The panel will focus on attacks against children, including attacks on schools and hospitals, as well as the denial of humanitarian access.
Myanmar: Extend the mandate of the independent international fact-finding mission to establish the facts and circumstances of human rights violations by military and security forces, along with abuses in the country.

Resolutions on the promotion and protection of all human rights:

Use of armed forces to violate human rights and to impede the right of people to self-determination: The council requested the dedicated working group to continue to study and identify sources and causes, emerging issues, manifestations, and trends regarding the use of armed forces and their impact on human rights.

Human rights in the administration of justice, including juvenile justice: The council requested the High Commissioner to submit to the UNHRC at its 42nd session a report on violence, death and serious injury in situations of deprivation of liberty, drawing on the experience of U.N. and regional human rights mechanisms, and seeking the views of states, civil society and other relevant stakeholders.

The question of the death penalty: The council decided to address the human rights violations related to the death penalty in its 40th session, in particular with respect to the rights to non-discrimination and equality.

Human rights of unaccompanied migrant children and adolescents: The council requested the High Commissioner to help identify concrete measures and best practices to improve the human rights situation of unaccompanied migrant children and adolescents.

Enforced or involuntary disappearances: The council extended the mandate of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances for three years, and requested the U.N. Secretary General (UN-SG) to provide the Working Group with all financial and human resources necessary to enable it to fully carry out its mandate.

The Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence: The council extended the mandate of the Special Rapporteur for three years to explore the contribution of transitional justice to the prevention of gross violations of human rights and serious violations of international humanitarian law, including genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, as well as their recurrence.

Systematic mainstreaming of a gender perspective into the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: The council seeks to consider gaps, challenges and best practices aimed at the full enjoyment of human rights by all women and girls, and the systematic mainstreaming of a gender perspective in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The World Program for Human Rights Education: The council requested the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to seek the views of states, national human rights institutions, civil society organizations and other relevant stakeholders on the focus areas and thematic human rights issues for the fourth phase of the World Program for Human Rights Education and to submit a report to the UNHRC at its 39th session.

Mental health and human rights: The council seeks to consult with the World Health Assembly on all the relevant issues and challenges pertaining to the fulfillment of a human rights perspective in mental health and submit a report on the outcome of the consultation to the UNHRC’s 39th session.

Human rights and indigenous peoples: The council decided to include a panel on the rights of indigenous people in its 39th session to discuss means of participation and inclusion of indigenous people in strategies in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and related goals, and it requested the OHCHR to submit a summary report to the UNHRC prior to its 41st session.

Mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes: The council decided to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur for a period of three years to report to the council in accordance with its program of work annually to the U.N. General Assembly.

Resolutions on racism, racial discrimination and related intolerance:

Yemen: Build the technical capacity in the field of human rights, including establishing a group of Eminent International and Regional Experts on Yemen no later than the end of 2017 to monitor and report on the situation of human rights and carry out a comprehensive examination of all violations and abuses of international human rights since September 2014. The group will also recommend on improving the respect for and protection and fulfillment of human rights and to provide guidance on access to justice accountability, reconciliation and healing, as appropriate.

Central African Republic (CAR): Build the technical capacity in CAR to assess the evolution of the human rights situation on the ground, with special emphasis on the impact of peace and reconciliation efforts on human rights.

Sudan: Improve human rights by renewing the mandate of the Independent Experts for a period of one year. The council also called upon the government of Sudan to continue its full cooperation with the Independent Experts and to continue to permit effective access to visit all areas of the country.

Cambodia: Extend the Special Rapporteur’s mandate on the situation of human rights in Cambodia for two years and to report to the council at its 39th and 42nd sessions. The council urged the rapporteur to engage with the government of Cambodia to improve the situation of human rights in the country.

Somalia: Renew the mandate of the Independent Experts on the situation of human rights in Somalia for a period of one year, and request the Independent Experts to report to the UNHRC’s 39th session and to the UNGA.

Congo: OHCHR is to prepare a comprehensive report on the situation of human rights in the Congo, including in the context of the electoral process, and to present it to the UNHRC at its 39th session.

Enhancing human rights capacity-building efforts: The council decided to discuss “Human rights and the Sustainable Development Goals: enhancing human rights technical cooperation and capacity-building to contribute to the effective and inclusive implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” in its 38th session. The council also invited states to gradually increase their voluntary contributions to enable states to establish or strengthen their respective national human rights follow-up systems and processes, including their national mechanisms for reporting and follow-up.

Resolutions on human rights bodies and mechanisms:

The council adopted two resolutions on the cooperation with the U.N., its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights and the promotion and protection of the human rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas, respectively.

Through these resolutions, the UNHRC condemned all acts of intimidation or reprisal by states and non-state actors against individuals and groups who seek to cooperate with the U.N. in the field of human rights. Furthermore, the council requested the working group on the U.N declaration on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas to submit an annual progress report to the UNHRC and the General Assembly for their consideration.