Council Appoints Special Rapporteurs on Afghanistan, Burundi and on Human Rights and Climate Change, Renews Mandates on Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Cambodia and Libya, and Appoints Three Mandate Holders

The Human Rights Council today concluded its forty-eighth regular session after adopting 25 resolutions and one Statement by the President, in which it, among others, appointed Special Rapporteurs on Afghanistan, Burundi and on human rights and climate change, extended mandates on the Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Cambodia and Libya, and appointed three mandate holders.

The Council decided to appoint, for a period of one year, a Special Rapporteur to monitor the situation of human rights as it develops in Afghanistan.

Concerning the situation of human rights in Burundi, the Council decided to appoint a Special Rapporteur mandated to collect, examine and assess information from all relevant stakeholders pertaining to human rights in Burundi, building upon the work of the Commission of Inquiry.

The Council created the mandate of a Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change, and requested the Advisory Committee of the Human Rights Council to conduct a study and to prepare a report, in close cooperation with the Special Rapporteur, on the impact of new technologies for climate protection on the enjoyment of human rights.

The Council extended the mandate of the independent expert on the situation of human rights in the Central African Republic for one year

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.

The mandate of the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia was renewed by the Council for a period of one year to assess, monitor and report on the situation of human rights in Somalia.

The mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia was renewed for two years.

The mandate of the fact-finding mission on Libya was extended for nine months to allow for the implementation of its mandate.

The Council filled three vacancies of Special Procedures mandate holders: Alexandra Xanthaki (Greece), Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights; Barbara G. Reynolds (Guyana), member of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, representing Latin American and Caribbean States; and Fernanda Hopenhaym (Mexico), member of the Working Group on business and human rights, representing Latin American and Caribbean States.

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 Group of Asia-Pacific States.

In addition to the 25 resolutions and one Statement by the President that the Council adopted, it rejected by a vote a resolution on the situation of human rights in Yemen. A resolution on realising a better life for everyone was withdrawn.

The Council adopted the Universal Periodic Review outcomes of Namibia, Niger, Mozambique, Estonia, Belgium, Paraguay, Denmark, Somalia, Palau, Solomon Islands, Seychelles, Latvia, Singapore and Sierra Leone.

Nazhat Shameem Khan, President of the Human Rights Council, in her concluding remarks, expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the members of the Bureau for 2021 for their leadership throughout the year. She also thanked all the mandate holders, experts, panellists, delegations, civil society and all stakeholders, as well as Member and Observer States.

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 Statement by the President under Agenda Item One on Organizational and Procedural Matters

In a Statement by the President (A/HRC/48/L.28) on the Reports of the Advisory Committee, adopted without a vote, the Council, recalling its resolutions 5/1 of 18 June 2007 and 16/21 of 25 March 2011, in particular section III of the annexes thereto, including on the functions of the Advisory Committee, takes note of the reports of the Advisory Committee on its twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth sessions, and notes that the Advisory Committee has made four research proposals.

Action on Resolutions under Agenda Item Two on the Annual Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and Reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General

A draft resolution (A/HRC/48/L.11) on the Situation of human rights in Yemen was rejected by a vote of 18 in favour, 21 against and 7 abstentions.

In a resolution (A/HRC/48/L.24/Rev.1) on the Situation of human rights in Afghanistan, adopted by a vote of 28 in favour, 5 against and 14 abstentions as orally revised, the Council appoints a Special Rapporteur to monitor the situation of human rights as it develops in Afghanistan. The Council further encourages the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to update the Human Rights Council before the end of 2021.

Action on Resolutions under Agenda Item Three on the Promotion and Protection of All Human Rights, Civil, Political, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, including the Right to Development

In a resolution (A/HRC/48/L.4/Rev.1) on the Equal participation in political and public affairs, adopted without a vote, the Council requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to organize a one-day intersessional workshop to discuss challenges, good practices and experiences in implementing the right to participate in public affairs, notably in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a resolution (A/HRC/48/L.5/Rev.1) on the Human rights of older persons, adopted without a vote, the Council requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to prepare a report on normative standards and obligations under international law in relation to the promotion and protection of the human rights of older persons, and to convene a multi-stakeholder meeting and report on the same topic.

In a resolution (A/HRC/48/L.9/Rev.1) on the Right to privacy in the digital age, adopted without a vote, the Council requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to prepare a written report identifying recent trends and challenges with regard to the human right to privacy.

In a resolution (A/HRC/48/L.12) on the Use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination, adopted by a vote of 29 in favour, 14 against and 4 abstentions, the Council requests the Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination to broaden their active participation, and requests the Secretary-General and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide the assistance and support necessary.

In a resolution (A/HRC/48/L.7/Rev.1), on Child, early and forced marriage in times of crisis, including the COVID-19 pandemic, adopted without a vote (as orally revised), the Council requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to organize a two-full-day workshop focusing on the adverse impact of forced marriage on the full and effective enjoyment of all human rights by all women and girls, and submit a report on it to the Human Rights Council at its fifty-second session.

In a resolution (A/HRC/48/L.8) on the Negative impact of the legacies of colonialism on the enjoyment of human rights, adopted by a vote of 27 in favour, none against and 20 abstentions, as orally revised, the Council calls relevant stakeholders to take concrete steps to address the negative impact of the legacies of colonialism on the enjoyment of human rights and decides to convene a panel discussion at its fifty-first session.

In a resolution (A/HRC/48/L.13) on the Promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, adopted by a vote of 30 in favour, 14 against and 3 abstentions, the Council requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue to provide all the human and financial resources necessary for the effective fulfilment of the mandate by the Independent Expert.

In a resolution (A/HRC/48/L.17/Rev.1) on the Question of the death penalty, adopted by a vote of 29 in favour, 12 against and 5 abstentions, the Council decides that the upcoming biennial high-level panel discussion to be held during the fifty-second session of the Human Rights Council will address human rights violations relating to the use of the death penalty.

In a resolution (A/HRC/48/L.18) on the Right to development, adopted by a vote of 29 in favour, 13 against and 5 abstentions, the Council urges the Office of the High Commissioner, in the implementation of the Declaration on the Right to Development, to ensure balanced, efficient and visible allocation of both financial and human resources to the existing mechanisms within the Office, including the Expert Mechanism of the Right to Development and the Special Rapporteur on the right to development.

In a resolution (A/HRC/48/L.22) on Human rights and indigenous peoples, adopted without a vote, the Council decides that the theme of the annual half-day panel discussion on the rights of indigenous peoples, to be held during the fifty-first session of the Human Rights Council, will be the impact of social and economic recovery plans in the COVID-19 context on indigenous peoples, with a special focus on food security.

In a resolution (A/HRC/48/L.26/Rev.1) on Human rights implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people, adopted without a vote, the Council requests the High Commissioner to conduct a detailed study on ways to mitigate the impact of the global pandemic on human rights with regard to young people, to be submitted to the Council for consideration at its fifty-first session.

In a resolution (A/HRC/48/L.23/Rev.1) on the Human right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment, adopted by a vote of 43 in favour, none against and 4 abstentions (as orally revised), the Council recognizes the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment and encourages States to adopt policies for the enjoyment of the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment as appropriate, and invites the General Assembly to consider the matter.

In a resolution (A/HRC/48/L.27) on the Mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change, adopted by a vote of 42 in favour, 1 against and 4 abstentions, the Council decides to appoint, for a period of three years, a Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change.

Action on Resolutions under Agenda Item Four on Human Rights Situations that Require the Council’s Attention

In a resolution (A/HRC/48/L.10) on the Situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic, adopted by a vote of 23 in favour, 7 against and 17 abstentions, the Council strongly condemns all violations and abuses and the ongoing human rights situation, emphasizes the need to ensure that all those responsible for such violations and abuses are held to account; and decides to remain seized of the matter.

In a resolution (A/HRC/48/L.19/Rev.1) on the Situation of human rights in Burundi, adopted by a vote of 21 in favour, 15 against and 11 abstentions, the Council decides to appoint a Special Rapporteur mandated to monitor the situation of human rights in Burundi, building upon the work of the Commission of Inquiry.

Action on Resolution under Agenda Item Five on Human Rights Bodies and Mechanisms

In a resolution (A/HRC/48/L.21/Rev.1) on Cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights, adopted without a vote as orally revised, the Council condemns all acts of intimidation or reprisal against individuals and groups who cooperate with the United Nations in the field of human rights and invites the Secretary-General to submit the report he or she presents annually to the Human Rights Council and also to the General Assembly, starting from its seventy-seventh session.

Action on Resolution under Agenda Item Nine 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 and outreach programme to raise awareness about and mobilize global public support for racial equality, and requests the Secretary-General to provide the strategy and outreach programme with the necessary resources.

Action on Resolutions under Agenda Item 10 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 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.

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.

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.

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, and also requests the High Commissioner to present a written report on the implementation of technical assistance 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.

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 that the theme of the annual thematic panel discussion under agenda item 10 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 decides to extend the mandate of the fact-finding mission to Libya for nine months to allow for the implementation of its mandate.

Source: UN Human Rights Council