Human Rights Council 
ROUNDUP

3 July 2015

Extends Mandates of the Commission of Inquiry and Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Eritrea, Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Belarus, and Independent Expert on Technical Cooperation in Côte d’Ivoire

The Human Rights Council concluded its twenty-ninth regular session this afternoon after adopting 26 texts on a wide range of issues and its report for the session.  The Council also adopted the outcome of the Universal Periodic Review of 14 countries and appointed six Special Procedure mandate holders.

The mandates of the Commission of Inquiry on Eritrea and of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea were extended for one year.  The Council reiterated its call to the Government of Eritrea to end its use of arbitrary detention of its citizens, to end the use of torture or other cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment or punishment, to account for and release all political prisoners and to end the practice of forcing citizens to participate in the militia. 

The Council also extended the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus for a period of one year, in a resolution in which it urged the Government of Belarus to carry out a comprehensive reform of the justice sector and immediately and unconditionally release and rehabilitate all political prisoners. 

The Council decided to extend, by one year, the mandate of the Independent Expert on capacity building and technical cooperation with Côte d’Ivoire in the field of human rights.  The Council, in another resolution, welcomed the technical assistance to Ukraine in the field of human rights and acknowledged further need for such assistance.

In a resolution on the human rights situation of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar, the Council condemned the systematic gross violations of human rights and abuses committed against all, including Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State, and called upon the Government of Myanmar to ensure the protection of human rights of all persons in Myanmar. 

In a resolution on the grave and deteriorating human rights and humanitarian situation in Syria, the Council demanded that the Syrian authorities cooperate fully with the Human Rights Council and the Commission of Inquiry, and emphasized the need to ensure that all those responsible for violations of the international humanitarian law or violations and abuses of human rights law be held accountable.

In a resolution on the fact-finding mission to improve human rights, accountability and reconciliation for South Sudan, the Council demanded a halt by all actors to all human rights violations and abuses and all violations of international humanitarian law, and asked the Government of South Sudan to ensure the protection and promotion of human rights. 

The Council President announced the following appointments to fill vacancies for Special Procedure mandate holders: Monica Pinto (Argentina) as the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers ,and following the Consultative Group; Dubravka Šimonović (Croatia) as the Special Rapporteur on the violence against women; Leigh Toomey (Australia) as a Member of the  Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; and Tae-Ung Baik (Republic of Korea) as a Member of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances.  The President also appointed Ikponowosa Ero (Nigeria) as the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism, and Joseph Cannataci (Malta) as the Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy; these two mandates had been created at the twenty-eighth session of the Council.
 
Concerning the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, the Council adopted a resolution calling upon States to ensure that any measure taken to counter terrorism complied with the international law, and urged them to ensure that measures taken to counter terrorism were not discriminatory and based on profiling.  On unaccompanied migrant children and adolescents, the Council called upon countries of origin, transit and destination to facilitate family reunification, in order to promote the welfare and the best interest of migrant children.  In a resolution on migrants in transit, the Council requested the Office of the High Commissioner to submit to the Human Rights Council before its thirty-first session a study on the situation of migrants in transit.

Protection of family was addressed in a resolution which reaffirmed that the family was the natural and fundamental group unit of society and was entitled to protection by society and the State, and Member States were urged to create a conducive environment to strengthen and support all families, recognizing equality between women and men.  In another resolution, the Council strongly condemned all forms of violence against women, including domestic violence, and urged States to take effective action to prevent domestic violence, including by publicly condemning, addressing and penalizing perpetrators.  In a resolution on the elimination of discrimination against women, the Council called upon States to promote the equal and full access, participation and contribution of women and girls in all aspects of life, and urged States to ensure that women had equal access to all economic, financial, fiscal and social services and benefits without discrimination.

A resolution on child, early and forced marriage called upon States to exercise due diligence in investigating, prosecuting and punishing violence against all children as well as to enact, enforce, harmonise and uphold laws and policies aimed at preventing and ending child, early and forced marriage.  In a resolution on the right to education, the Council called upon stakeholders to ensure that the post-2015 development agenda fostered the universal realization of the right to education, including by establishing education targets that are specific, measurable, realistic and relevant.

The Council requested the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to conduct a detailed analytical study on the relationship between climate change and the human right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health to be submitted to the Council prior to its thirty-first session.  A resolution on the independence of judiciary encouraged States to put in place legal and policy frameworks conducive to the development and reinforcement of a child-sensitive justice system.  In another resolution, the Council requested the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to organize a panel discussion on the incompatibility between democracy and racism.

Under its agenda item on the Human Rights Situation in Palestine and Other Occupied Arab Territories, the Council adopted a resolution on ensuring accountability and justice for all violations of international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, which called upon the parties concerned to cooperate fully with the preliminary examination of the International Criminal Court.

Other adopted resolutions addressed the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption and the fortieth anniversary of the entry into force of the International Covenants on Human Rights; the importance of the Social Forum; human rights and international solidarity; elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members; human rights and the regulation of civilian acquisition, possession and use of firearms; and the negative impact of corruption on the enjoyment of human rights.

The Council also adopted a Presidential Statement on the effectiveness of the Human Rights Council, deciding, inter alia, to further improve the voluntary yearly calendar for thematic resolutions of the Human Rights Council.

The Council adopted its report of the twenty-ninth session, which is available on its website.

In concluding remarks, Joachim Rücker, President of the Human Rights Council, reminded the States that it was in their hands to improve the efficiency of the Council and create an atmosphere of trust, transparency and cooperation.  He announced that no proposals had yet been received for the Mainstreaming Panel to be held in 2016 and suggested extending the deadline.

Documentation, statements, resolutions and reports relating to this and all Human Rights Council session are available on its webpage.  Detailed, speaker-by-speaker coverage of every public meeting can be found on the webpage of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva.

The twenty-ninth regular session of the Human Rights Council was held from 15 June to 3 July 2015.  The thirtieth regular  session will be held in Room XX of the Palais des Nations from 14 September to 2 October 2015.

Summary of the Session
 
Opening the twenty-ninth session of the Human Rights Council, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said that political turbulence, repression, violence and war had become so widespread that they impelled millions of people to risk their lives to find a place of relative safety, adding that the Council would address the human rights of migrants.  The conflict in Syria had killed at least 220,000 women, men and children, and had forced the largest movement of people since the Second World War.  Mr. Zeid expressed concern about the human rights situations in a number of other countries, including in Libya, Yemen, Burundi, Somalia, Nigeria, Mali, Egypt, Bahrain, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Burundi, South Sudan, eastern Ukraine, Venezuela, countries affected by Boko Haram, Myanmar, Eritrea,  and also about the plan to scrap the United Kingdom's Human Rights Act.

The Independent International Commissions of Inquiry on Syria and Eritrea presented their updates to the Council, followed by interactive dialogues with States and non-governmental organisations.  The Commission of Inquiry on the 2014 Gaza Conflict also presented its report, which was followed by a general debate.  Situations of human rights in Belarus, Occupied Palestinian Territories, South Sudan, Central African Republic and Cote d’Ivoire were discussed. The Council also heard an oral update from Mr. Zeid on human rights violations and abuses committed by Boko Haram, followed by an interactive dialogue.

A full-day annual discussion on the human rights of women was held.  Panel discussions were also convened on realizing the equal enjoyment of the right to education by every girl and on the effects of terrorism on the enjoyment by all persons of human rights and fundamental freedoms.  Presentations were given by 23 Special Procedures, consisting of individual human rights experts, special rapporteurs, working groups and forums on various issues, including migrants, minority issues, the right to education, international solidarity, counter-terrorism, racism and business and human rights. The Council also discussed technical assistance and capacity-building in the field of human rights.  During the session, the Council approved the outcomes of the Universal Periodic Reviews of the following 14 countries (in order of review): Kyrgyzstan, Guinea, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Spain, Lesotho, Kenya, Armenia, Guinea-Bissau, Sweden, Grenada, Turkey,  Kuwait, Kiribati and Guyana.

Resolutions and Decisions

Action on Text under Agenda Item 1 on Organizational and Procedural Matters

In a statement by the President of the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/29/L.34) on enhancing the efficiency of the Human Rights Council, adopted without a vote as orally revised, the Council decides to improve the voluntary yearly calendar for thematic resolutions of the Human Rights Council; decides that the Bureau shall make recommendations and identify modalities to adjust the terms of mandate holders, in order to better spread the appointment process over time; and requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to develop a more distinguishable, accessible and user-friendly webpage for the Human Rights Council.

Action on Resolutions under Agenda Item 2 on the Annual Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
 
In a resolution (A/HRC/29/L.8) on the fact-finding mission to improve human rights, accountability and reconciliation for South Sudan, adopted without a vote, the Council demands a halt by all actors to all human rights violations and abuses and all violations of international humanitarian law, calls upon the Government of South Sudan to ensure the protection and promotion of human rights; and strongly urges the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army to immediately end violations and abuses against children.

In a resolution (A/HRC/29/L.30) on the human rights situation of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar, adopted without a vote, the Council calls upon the Government of Myanmar to ensure the protection of human rights of all persons in Myanmar, including Rohingya Muslims; calls upon the Government of Myanmar to take the necessary measures to address the spread of discrimination and prejudice against Muslims; and urges the Government of Myanmar to protect places of worships, belonging to all religions.
 
Action on Resolutions under Agenda Item 3 on the Promotion and Protection of All Human Rights
 
In a resolution (A/HRC/29/L.2) on the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption and the fortieth anniversary of the entry into force of the International Covenants on Human Rights, adopted without a vote, the Council calls for the strictest compliance by States parties with their obligations under the International Covenants; and decides to convene at its thirty-first session a high-level panel discussion on the topic “The fiftieth anniversary of the International Covenants on Human Rights: universality, indivisibility, interdependence and interrelatedness of all human rights”.

In a resolution (A/HRC/29/L.3) on the protection of the human rights of migrants: migrants in transit, adopted without a vote as orally revised, the Council calls upon States that have not yet done so to consider signing and ratifying or acceding to the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families; and requests the Office of the High Commissioner to submit to the Human Rights Council before its thirty-first session a study on the situation of migrants in transit.

In a resolution (A/HRC/29/L.6) on human rights and international solidarity, adopted by a vote of 33 in favour, 14 against and no abstentions, the Council requests all States, United Nations agencies, other relevant international organizations and non-governmental organizations to mainstream the right of peoples and individuals to international solidarity into their activities; and requests the Independent Expert to continue to participate in relevant international forums and major events with a view to promoting the importance of international solidarity.

In a resolution (A/HRC/29/L.7/Rev.1) on the elimination of discrimination against women, adopted without a vote, the Council calls upon States to promote the equal and full access, participation and contribution of women and girls in all aspects of life, and reject any discriminatory practice and gender stereotypes; urges States to ensure that women have equal access to all economic, financial and social services and benefits without discrimination; and calls upon States to support the empowerment of women and girls.

In a resolution (A/HRC/29/L.10) on the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members, adopted without a vote, the Council requests the Advisory Committee to undertake a study which reviews the implementation of the principles and guidelines for the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members.

In a resolution (A/HRC/29/L.11) on the independence and impartiality of the judiciary, jurors and assessors, and the independence of lawyers, adopted without a vote, the Council calls upon all States to guarantee the independence of judges and lawyers and the objectivity and impartiality of prosecutors, as well as their ability to perform their functions; and encourages States to put in place legal and policy frameworks conducive to the development and reinforcement of a child-sensitive justice system.

In a resolution (A/HRC/29/L.14/Rev.1) on the right to education, adopted without a vote, the Council urges all States to give full effect to the right to education by, inter alia, complying with their obligations to respect, protect and fulfil the right to education by all appropriate means, paying particular attention to girls, marginalized children and persons with disabilities; and calls upon all relevant stakeholders to ensure that the post-2015 development agenda fosters the universal realization of the right to education.

In a resolution (A/HRC/29/L.15) on strengthening efforts to prevent and eliminate child, early and forced marriage, adopted without a vote, the Council urges States to enact, enforce, harmonise and uphold laws and policies aimed at preventing and ending child, early and forced marriage; calls upon States to exercise due diligence in investigating, prosecuting and punishing violence against all children; and urges States to strengthen their efforts to ensure free birth registration.

In a resolution (A/HRC/29/L.16/Rev.1) on accelerating efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women: eliminating domestic violence, adopted without a vote, the Council urges States to support initiatives aimed at promoting gender equality and at preventing, responding to, and protecting women and girls from domestic violence; and calls upon States to take effective action to prevent domestic violence, including by publicly condemning, addressing and penalizing perpetrators.

In a resolution (A/HRC/29/L.17/Rev.1) on protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, adopted without a vote, the Council calls upon States to ensure that any measure taken to counter terrorism complies with the international law, in particular the international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law; and urges States to ensure that measures taken to counter terrorism are not discriminatory.

In a resolution (A/HRC/29/L.18) on human rights and the regulation of civilian acquisition, possession and use of firearms, adopted by a vote of 41 in favour, none against and six abstentions, the Council calls upon all States to do their utmost to take measures, consistent with the international human rights law and their constitutional frameworks, to ensure that civilian acquisition, possession and use of firearms are effectively regulated with the aim of enhancing the protection of human rights.

In a resolution (A/HRC/29/L.19) on the negative impact of corruption on the enjoyment of human rights, adopted without a vote, the Council urges States that have not yet done so to consider ratifying or acceding to the United Nations Convention against Corruption; and stresses that preventive measures are one of the most effective means of countering corruption and of avoiding its negative impact on the enjoyment of human rights.

In a resolution (A/HRC/29/L.21) on human rights and climate change, adopted without a vote, the Council requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to conduct a detailed analytical study on the relationship between climate change and the human right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health to be submitted to the Council prior to its thirty-first session.

In a resolution (A/HRC/29/L.24) on unaccompanied migrant children and adolescents and human rights, adopted without a vote, the Council calls upon countries of origin, transit and destination to facilitate family reunification, in order to promote the welfare and the best interest of migrant children; and requests the Advisory Committee develop a research-based study on the global issue of “Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Adolescents and Human Rights”.

In a resolution (A/HRC/29/L.25) on the protection of the family: contribution of the family to the realization of the right to an adequate standard of living for its members, particularly through its role in poverty eradication and achieving sustainable development, adopted by a vote of 29 in favour, 14 against and four abstentions, the Council urges Member States to create a conducive environment to strengthen and support all families, recognizing equality between women and men; and resolves to pay particular attention to family units headed by women and children.

Action on Resolutions under the Agenda Item 4 on Human Rights Situations that Require the Council’s Attention
 
In a resolution (A/HRC/29/L.4) on the grave and deteriorating human rights and humanitarian situation in the Syrian Arab Republic, adopted by a vote of 29 in favour, six against and 12 abstentions, the Council demands that the Syrian authorities cooperate fully with the Commission of Inquiry; strongly condemns the continued gross systematic and widespread violations and abuses of human rights by the Syrian authorities and affiliated militias; and strongly condemns the terrorist acts and violence committed against civilians by the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Daesh), al-Nusra Front and other extremist groups.

In a resolution (A/HRC/29/L.12) on the situation of human rights in Belarus, adopted by a vote of21 in favour, eight against and 18 abstentions, the Council urges the Government of Belarus to carry out a comprehensive reform of the justice sector and bar associations in order to guarantee the full independence and impartiality of the judiciary, the presumption of innocence, and the right to a fair trial; and strongly urges the Government of Belarus to immediately and unconditionally release and rehabilitate fully all political prisoners.

In a resolution (A/HRC/29/L.23) on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, adopted without a vote, the Council strongly condemns the systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations that have been and are being committed by the Government of Eritrea in a climate of generalized impunity; decides to extend, for a period of one year, the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and of the commission of inquiry to investigate systematic, widespread and gross violations of human rights in Eritrea; and decides to extend, for a period of one year, the mandate of the commission of inquiry to investigate systematic, widespread and gross violations of human rights in Eritrea with a view to ensuring full accountability, including where these violations may amount to crimes against humanity.

Action on Resolution under Agenda Item 5 on Human Rights bodies and mechanisms

In a resolution (A/HRC/29/L.5/Rev.1) on the Social Forum, adopted without a vote, the Council decides that the Social Forum will meet for three working days in 2016, in Geneva;  requests the President of the Human Rights Council to appoint, as early as possible, from candidates nominated by regional groups, the Chairperson-Rapporteur for the 2016 Social Forum;  and decides that the Social Forum will remain open to the participation of representatives of Member States and other interested stakeholders.
 
Action on Resolution under Agenda Item 7 on the Human Rights Situation in Palestine and Other Occupied Arab Territories
 
In a resolution (A/HRC/29/L.35) on ensuring accountability and justice for all violations of international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, adopted in a vote of 41 in favour, one against and five abstentions, the Council calls upon all duty bearers and United Nations bodies to pursue the implementation of all the recommendations contained in the report of the United Nations Independent Commission of Inquiry on the 2014 Gaza Conflict; and calls upon the parties concerned to cooperate fully with the preliminary examination of the International Criminal Court and with any subsequent investigation that may be opened.

Action on Resolution under Agenda Item 9 on Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance
 
In a resolution (A/HRC/29/L.1) on the incompatibility between democracy and racism, adopted without a vote, the Council decides to convene, at its thirty-first session, a panel discussion on the incompatibility between democracy and racism with a view to identifying challenges and good practices; and requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to organize the panel discussion.

Action on Resolutions under Agenda Item 10 on Technical Assistance and Capacity-Building
 
In a resolution (A/HRC/29/L.9) on cooperation and assistance to Ukraine in the field of human rights, adopted by a vote of 21 in favour, six against and 20 abstentions, the Council invites the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to present orally to the States Members of the Human Rights Council and observers the findings of each of the periodic reports of the Office of the High Commissioner on the situation of human rights in Ukraine, as part of the interactive dialogues, until the thirty-second session of the Council.
 
In a resolution (A/HRC/29/L.13/Rev.1) on capacity-building and technical cooperation with Côte d’Ivoire in the field of human rights, adopted without a vote, the Council requests the international community to continue to support the reconstruction and reconciliation process under way in Côte d’Ivoire; and requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue to provide the technical assistance requested by the Government, to help Côte d’Ivoire to meet its human rights obligations.

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