Human Rights Council Advisory Committee concludes twelfth session

Human Rights Council Advisory Committee
ROUNDUP

28 February 2014

Adopts Seven Recommendations to the Human Rights Council, Including on Four New Mandates on Sport, Local Government, Unilateral Coercive Measures and Albinism
   
The Human Rights Council Advisory Committee concluded today its twelfth session, held from 24 to 28 February, adopting seven recommendations to the Human Rights Council concerning topics already approved by the Council on post-disaster and post-conflict situations, international cooperation in the field of human rights, corruption and human rights, sport and the Olympic ideal and human rights, local government and human rights, human rights and unilateral coercive measures, and the human rights of persons living with albinism. The Committee also adopted its report of the session to the Council.
 
Four of the recommendations concerned new mandates approved by the Human Rights Council at its last regular session in September on sport and the Olympic ideal, local government and human rights, human rights and unilateral coercive measures and attacks against persons with albinism.  The Advisory Committee formalized the creation and composition of the drafting groups for the new mandates.  It also decided to send out questionnaires to all stakeholders on each of the new mandates by Monday, 10 March, with a deadline of 11 April 2014.  A questionnaire would also be sent to United Nations Agencies and other international organizations regarding human rights in post-disaster and post-conflict situations. 
 
During the session , the Advisory Committee also discussed other issues of study entrusted to it by the Human Rights Council, relating to the strengthening of international cooperation in the field of human rights, the promotion and protection of human rights in post-disaster and post-conflict situations, and the negative effects of corruption on the enjoyment of human rights.  With regard to these latter two areas, the Committee asked the Council to give it more time to submit its reports. 
 
It was agreed that the rapporteurs on the enhancement of international cooperation, the negative impact of corruption on the enjoyment of human rights, sport and the Olympic ideal and local government and human rights would submit progress, interim or final reports to the twenty-seventh session of the Council in September 2014. 
 
Regarding new priorities and research initiatives, the Committee considered two study proposals that could be made to the Council, on the possible creation of a world human rights court, and on citizens’ safety.  The proposals would be annexed to the Committee's report for this session, for consideration by the Council. 
 
The Advisory Committee is a body of 18 independent experts serving as a think-tank to the Human Rights Council and mandated to provide studies and recommendations supported by research to the Council, upon the request of the Council.  The Committee is not mandated to adopt resolutions or decisions. 

The report on the work of the twelfth session of the Advisory Committee and additional documentation will be made available on the Committee’s webpage. 
 
The next session of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee will take place in Geneva from 11 to 15 August 2014.

Recommendations Adopted by the Advisory Committee to the Human Rights Council
 
On best practices and main challenges in the promotion and protection of human rights in post-disaster and post-conflict situations, the Committee asks the Council to take note of the recommendation of the Committee on the progress of work on the report, and to request it to submit a progress report to the Council at its twenty-seventh session, and the final report at its twenty-eight session.

Concerning ways and means to enhance international cooperation in the field of human rights, the Committee recommends that the Council take note of the progress report presented by the Committee and to request the drafting group to finalise its progress report and to submit it to the Human Rights Council at its twenty-sixth session.

With regard to the negative impact of corruption on the enjoyment of human rights, the Committee recommends that the Council take note on the progress of work on the report on this subject and request the Committee to submit a progress report to the Council at its twenty-sixth session and a final report at its twenty-eighth session.

On the possibilities of using sport and the Olympic ideal to promote human rights for all and to strengthen universal respect for them, bearing in mind both the value of relevant principles enshrined in the Olympic Charter and the value of good sporting example, the  Committee recommends that the Council approve its designation of members of the drafting group of this topic and request the group to submit a draft progress report to the Advisory Committee before its thirteenth session in view of its submission to the Council at its twenty-seventh session.
 
Concerning the role of local government in the promotion and protection of human rights, including human rights mainstreaming in local administration and public services, with a view to compiling best practices and main challenges, the Committee recommends that the Council approve its designation of members of the drafting group on the topic and that it request the group to submit a draft progress report to the Advisory Committee before its thirteenth session in view of its submission to the Council at its twenty-seventh session, taking into account the replies to the questionnaire distributed after the discussion at the twelfth session of the Advisory Committee;
 
On the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights and to promote accountability, the Committee recommends that the Council approve its designation of members of the drafting group and request that the group submit a draft progress report to the Committee at its thirteenth session. 

Concerning the situation of human rights of persons living with albinism, the Committee recommends that the Council approve its designation of members of the drafting group and request the group to submit a draft progress report to the Advisory Committee at its thirteenth session.
 
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