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Human Rights Council Adopts Two Resolutions on Climate Change and on Maternal Mortality and Morbidity, Appoints Seven Special Procedure Mandate Holders, and Concludes Forty-Seventh Regular Session
14 July 2021
MORNING
14 July 2021
The Human Rights Council this morning adopted two resolutions on human rights and climate change, and on maternal mortality and morbidity and human rights. It also appointed seven Special Procedure mandate holders and concluded its regular forty-seventh session.
In a resolution on human rights and climate change, the Council encouraged the continued discussions among States and relevant stakeholders on the possible creation of a new Special Procedure addressing the adverse impact of climate change on the full and effective enjoyment of human rights. It also decided to incorporate into its annual programme of work, beginning in 2023, sufficient time, at a minimum a panel discussion, to discuss different specific themes on the adverse impacts of climate change on human rights.
Concerning maternal mortality and morbidity and human rights, the Council urged all States to eliminate preventable maternal mortality and morbidity and to respect, protect and fulfil sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights. It urged States to ensure the availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality of health-care services, including mental health and psychosocial services and sexual and reproductive health-care services, free of coercion, discrimination and violence. The Council also called upon States, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure the continuity of sexual and reproductive health-care services.
Turning to the human rights implications of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nazhat Shameem Khan, President of the Human Rights Council, said that she had no choice but to withdraw the Presidential Statement on the human rights implications of the COVID-19 pandemic due to the objection by the Russian Federation. She thanked all other delegations for their participation in consultations.
Monique T.G. Van Daalen, Vice-President of the Council and Rapporteur, said the Council had held a number of interactive dialogues with the High Commissioner, Special Procedure mandate holders, one Special Representative of the Secretary-General and one Commission of Inquiry. It had also discussed a wide range of topics during seven panel discussions.
The Council adopted ad referendum the report of its forty-seventh session.
The Council appointed seven new Special Procedure mandate holders: Attiya Waris (Kenya) as the Independent Expert on the effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the full enjoyment of all human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights; Reem Alsalem (Jordan) as the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences; Gabriella Citroni (Italy) as member from Western European and other States of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances; Muluka-Anne Miti-drummond (Zambia) as the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights of persons with albinism; Ana Brian Nougreres (Uruguay) as Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy; Sushil Raj (India) as member from Asia-Pacific States of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent; and Miriam Ekiudoko (Hungary) as member from Eastern European States of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent.
In her concluding remarks, Ms. Khan, the President of the Human Rights Council, thanked those present for their dedication and flexibility in implementing the many extraordinary measures that had become necessary in order to ensure that the Council continued its important work during these difficult times.
The webcast of the Human Rights Council meetings can be found here. All meeting summaries can be found here. Documents and reports related to the Human Rights Council’s forty-seventh regular session can be found here.
The forty-eighth regular session of the Human Rights Council is scheduled to be held from 13 September to 1 October 2021.
Action on Resolutions under the Agenda Item on the Promotion and Protection of All Human Rights, Civil, Political, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, including the Right to Development
Action on Resolution on Human Rights and Climate Change
In a resolution (A/HRC/47/L.19) on human rights and climate change, adopted by a vote of 46 in favour, none against and 1 abstention as orally revised, the Council emphasizes the urgent importance of continuing to address, as they relate to States’ human rights obligations, the adverse consequences of climate change for all, particularly in developing countries and for the people whose situation is most vulnerable to climate change. The Council also decides to incorporate into its annual programme of work, beginning in 2023, sufficient time, at a minimum a panel discussion, to discuss different specific themes on the adverse impacts of climate change on human rights, and further decides that the panel discussion will have international sign interpretation and captioning. The Council encourages the continued discussions among States and relevant stakeholders on the possible creation of a new special procedure addressing the adverse impact of climate change on the full and effective enjoyment of human rights.
The results of the vote were as follows:
In favour (46): Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, China, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Eritrea, Fiji, France, Gabon, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Libya, Malawi, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mexico, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Republic of Korea, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Venezuela.
Against (0):
Abstentions (1): Russian Federation.
Prior to adopting the resolution, the Council voted on and rejected 5 amendments, namely L.44, L.46, L.47, L.49, L.50.
Action on Resolution on Preventable Maternal Mortality and Morbidity and Human Rights
In a resolution (A/HRC/47/L.23/Rev.1) on preventable maternal mortality and morbidity and human rights, adopted without a vote, the Council urges all States to eliminate preventable maternal mortality and morbidity and to respect, protect and fulfil sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights. It urges States to ensure the availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality of health-care services, including mental health and psychosocial services and sexual and reproductive health-care services, free of coercion, discrimination and violence. The Council also calls upon States, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure the continuity of sexual and reproductive health-care services. The Council also calls upon States to address the underlying determinants of health, such as gender discrimination and socioeconomic factors, which render certain women and girls more vulnerable to maternal morbidities. The Council requests States and other relevant actors to give renewed emphasis to maternal mortality and morbidity initiatives in their development partnerships and international assistance and cooperation arrangements. The Council requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to prepare, in consultation with States, United Nations agencies and all other relevant stakeholders, a follow-up report on good practices and challenges in the application of a human rights-based approach to the elimination of preventable maternal mortality and morbidity, and to present it to the Human Rights Council at its fifty-fourth session.
Prior to adopting the resolution, the Council voted on and rejected 6 amendments, namely L.58, L.59, L.60, L.61, L.62, L.63.
Statement by the President of the Council
NAZHAT SHAMEEM KHAN, President of the Human Rights Council, said that she had no choice but to withdraw the draft Presidential Statement on human rights implications of the COVID-19 pandemic (A/HRC/47/L.21) due to the objection by the Russian Federation. She thanked all other delegations for their participation in consultations.
Through this President’s Statement, the Council would have requested the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to prepare a report on the human rights implications of the responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, including best practices, lessons learned and ongoing challenges.
Remarks by the Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council
MONIQUE T.G. VAN DAALEN, Vice-President of the Council and Rapporteur, said the Council had held a number of interactive dialogues with the High Commissioner, Special Procedure mandate holders, one Special Representative of the Secretary-General and one Commission of Inquiry. It had also discussed a wide range of topics during seven panel discussions.
Among other important decisions, the Council had considered and adopted the outcomes of the Universal Periodic Review of 13 countries and appointed seven Special Procedure mandate-holders.
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