Twenty-third session of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee taking place in Geneva from 22 to 26 July 2019

GENEVA (18 July 2019) - The Human Rights Council Advisory Committee will hold its twenty-third session from 22 to 26 July 2019 in the Human Rights and Alliance of Civilizations Chamber (Room XX) at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

Over the course of the one-week-session, the Committee’s independent experts will finalise a number of studies and reports, and begin work on new mandates addressing several human rights themes ranging from counter-terrorism measures to racism and discrimination, and empowerment of women to emerging digital technologies and human rights.

During the session, the Committee will continue its discussions on the negative effect of terrorism on the enjoyment of human rights (HRC resolution 34/8); national policies and human rights in the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (HRC resolution 35/32); the global call for comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (General Assembly resolution 72/157); the role of technical assistance and capacity building in fostering mutually beneficial cooperation in promoting and protecting human rights (HRC resolution 37/23); the importance of a legally binding instrument on the right to development (HRC resolution 39/9).

The expert group will also commence work on two new mandates as requested by the Human Rights Council at its recently concluded session: a study on new and emerging technologies and human rights (HRC resolution 41/11) and a report on current levels of representation of women in human rights organs and mechanisms (HRC resolution 41/6).

On Monday, 22 July at 11 a.m., the Advisory Committee will publicly open the session, and adopt its agenda and programme of work.  It will then discuss national policies and human rights in the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals and implementation of the 2030 Agenda and update on the study on the negative impact of the non-repatriation of funds of illicit origin on the enjoyment of human rights, to be finalised and submitted to the Council at its 42nd session in September 2019.

Also on Monday afternoon, the Committee will hold public discussions on the preliminary outline of the study on global call for comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action as well as on the draft study on the role of technical assistance and capacity building in fostering mutually beneficial cooperation in promoting and protecting human rights.

On Tuesday, 23 July, the Advisory Committee will hold several private meetings in the morning.  It will first meet with the chair of the Working Group on Communications, second, discuss about the review process of the statute of the Human Rights Council and, third, on the report on the negative effects of terrorism on the enjoyment of human rights, to be finalised and submitted to the Council at its 42nd session in September 2019.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Committee will hold public discussions on the importance of a legally binding instrument on the right to development with a view to presenting an oral update on the preparation of the report to the Human Rights Council at its 42nd session, in September 2019.  Thereafter, the Committee members will meet privately to continue the drafting group’s work.

On Wednesday, 24 July, the Committee members will hold a private meeting with the Human Rights Council Bureau and regional coordinators, before holding a public meeting with non-governmental organisations and nation human rights institutions at noon.  In the afternoon, the Committee will be meeting in public to set up drafting groups to work on the new mandates (new and emerging technologies and Human Rights and Report on current levels of representation of women in human rights organs and mechanisms), followed by a private meeting of these two drafting groups.

On Thursday, 25 July, the Committee will hold a series of private meetings to advance its work, to discuss its methods of work, with a view to, inter alia, improving its cooperation with other United Nations bodies and to debrief about intersessional activities.  In the afternoon, the Committee will move to a public meeting to discuss its annual programme of work and consider reflection papers and research proposals addressing the impact of the work of the Advisory Committee; economic, social and cultural rights in the agenda of international jurisdiction; refugees and internally displaced  persons’ human rights; the right to a remedy and reparation for victims of gross violations of international human rights law and humanitarian law; and EU ‘hotspots’.

On Friday, 26 July, the Advisory Committee will appoint members of the Working Group on Communications, of the Council’s Complaint Procedure process, and take action on recommendations to the Human Rights Council before adopting its report and concluding its 23rd session.  

Documentation relating to the twenty-third session, including the agenda and programme of work, is available on the Advisory Committee’s webpage.

Background

The Advisory Committee is a body of 18 independent experts serving as a think-tank to the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC). It was established in 2008, pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 5/1, to provide studies and research-based advice, as requested by the Council and meets twice annually.  The Committee’s work is implementation-oriented and follows thematic issues linked to the mandate of the Council, namely, the promotion and protection of all human rights.  It interacts with States, national human rights institutions, non-governmental organizations and other civil society bodies.

Membership

The membership of the Advisory Committee conforms to the following geographical distribution guidelines set out in its establishing resolution: five members each from African and Asian States; three each from Latin American and Caribbean States, and Western European and other States; and two members from Eastern European States.

Following is the list of members of the Advisory Committee and expiration dates for their respective terms of office [NB: Please note that there are exceptionally 17 members at present given the departure of Karla Hananía de Varela (El Salvador) who recently took up another position; the Council will appoint the 18th member of the Committee at its session in September]:

Ibrahim Abdulaziz Alsheddi (Saudi Arabia, 2021); Mohamed Bennani (Morocco, 2020); Lazhari Bouzid (Algeria, 2019); Alessio Bruni (Italy, 2021); Ion Diaconu (Romania, 2020);Ludovic Hennebel (Belgium, 2020); Mikhail Lebedev (Russian Federation, 2019); José Augusto Lindgren Alves (Brazil, 2021); Xinsheng Liu (China, 2019); Ajai Malhotra (India, 2020); Kaoru Obata (Japan, 2019); Mona Omar (Egypt, 2019); Elizabeth Salmón (Peru, 2020); Dheerujlall Baramlall Seetulsingh (Mauritius, 2020); Changrok Soh (Republic of Korea, 2020); Cheikh Tidiane Thiam (Senegal, 2021); and Jean Ziegler (Switzerland, 2019).

Programme of Work

Monday, 22 July

10 a.m.         Expert member meeting (private)

11 a.m.         Opening of the session, adoption of the agenda and programme of work 
12 p.m.         Discussion on national policies and human rights
12:30 p.m.    Update on the study on negative impact of non-repatriation of funds of illicit origin on the enjoyment of human rights.
3 p.m.          Discussion on a global call for comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action
4 p.m.          Discussion on the role of technical assistance and capacity-building in fostering mutually beneficial cooperation in promoting and protecting human rights

Tuesday, 23 July

10 a.m.         Private meetings
3 p.m.          Discussion on the importance of a legally binding instrument on the right to development
4 p.m.           Private drafting group meetings

Wednesday, 24 July

10 a.m.         Private meetings
12 p.m.         Meeting with non-governmental organizations and national human rights institutions
3 p.m.          Discussion on the new and emerging digital technologies
3:45 p.m.      Discussion on women representation in HR organs and mechanisms
4:30 p.m.     Private drafting group meetings

Thursday, 25 July

10 a.m.         Private drafting group meetings
3 p.m.          Private meetings
4 p.m.          Discussion on the agenda and annual programme of work, including new priorities – reflection papers and research proposals

Friday, 26 July

10 a.m.         Private meetings including the appointment of members of the Working Group on Communications

3 p.m.           Action taking by the Advisory Committee and adoption of the session report, closing of the session

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For use of the information media; not an official record