Monday, 10 August 2015, 11 a.m.
Palais des Nations, Salle XX

Mr. Obiora Chinedu Okafor, Chairperson of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee
Distinguished members of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee,
Mr. Eric Tistounet, Officer-in-Charge of the Human Rights Council Mechanisms Division at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the President of the Human Rights Council, it is with great pleasure that I welcome all of you to the opening of this fifteenth session of the Advisory Committee.

The President would have loved to be here today. He extends his personal regards to you and notes that thanks to our unified efforts, the Human Rights Council mandated two new studies to be carried out by your Committee.

Distinguished members,
Ladies and gentlemen,

As is customary, I would like to start by giving you an overview of the work of the Human Rights Council in areas that are of relevance to your deliberations since you last met.

The Council acceded to your proposal for a study on the global issue of unaccompanied migrant children and adolescents and human rights. In its resolution 29/12, it specifically requested the Advisory Committee to identify areas, reasons and cases where this issue arises in the world, and the ways in which human rights are threatened and violated. It also asked the Committee to make recommendations for the protection of the human rights of members of this population, and to submit the research-based study to the Human Rights Council at its thirty-third session for its consideration. In this regard, it may be of interest to your Committee that the last report of the Special Rapporteur on torture focused on the issue of detention of irregular migrants, including unaccompanied minors.

Furthermore, the Council mandated the Committee to follow-up on its work undertaken previously in the area of elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members. Resolution 29/5, which the Council also adopted in June, stresses the importance of implementing the principles and guidelines for the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members which were developed by your Committee in 2010, and requested the Committee to undertake a study which reviews the implementation of these principles and guidelines, together with the obstacles thereto. It also requests the Committee to submit a report to the Council at its 35th session in June 2017, containing practical suggestions for the wider dissemination and more effective implementation of the principles and guidelines in order to eliminate discrimination and the stigma associated with leprosy and to promote, protect and respect the human rights of those affected by leprosy, and their family members.

As you will be considering a preliminary report on the impact of vulture funds on human rights this week, you might want to note that during its March session, the Council held an interactive dialogue with the Independent Expert on foreign debt, during which some States expressed concerned about the activities of vulture funds also noting that they presented a danger to debt structuring. The resolution adopted at the end of the session on the effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the full enjoyment of all human rights, condemned the activities of vulture funds and called upon creditors and debtors alike to consider the preparation of human rights impact assessments with regard to development projects, loan agreements or poverty reduction strategy papers.

A topic your Committee worked on recently is albinism. In this regard, I am pleased to inform you that the Council in March acknowledged the report of the Advisory Committee and followed the Committee’s main recommendation by establishing a new mandate of an Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights of persons with albinism. Ms. Ikponwosa Ero will present her first report on this topic at the 31st session of the Council in March 2016. You may also be interested to note that the High Commissioner presented a report to the Council, at its last session, on initiatives taken to raise awareness and promote the protection of the rights of persons with albinism.

Also at the March session, your Committee submitted its final report on the negative impact of corruption on human rights. In June, the Council adopted a resolution that takes note with interest of this report, encourages the mechanisms of the Human Rights Council to consider, within their existing mandates, the issue of the negative impact of corruption on the enjoyment of human rights, and requests the High Commissioner to prepare a compilation of best practices of efforts to counter the negative impact of corruption on the enjoyment of all human rights with a view to submitting it to the Council at its 32nd session. Another report of your Committee which was considered by the Council at its March session, explored best practices and main challenges in the promotion and protection of human rights in post-disaster and post-conflict situations.

You will recall that in line with your Committee’s recommendation, the Council recently established the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, for a period of three years. In March, it appointed Mr. Idriss Jazairy as Special Rapporteur on this topic, who will present his first annual report in 2016. This issue will also be on the Council’s agenda for the upcoming 30th session in September. A panel discussion will be held in the first week of the session.

I would also like to update you on the progress made by the Intergovernmental Working Group in elaborating a draft United Nations declaration on the right to peace, for which your Committee laid the groundwork. The third session of the working group took place from 20 to 24 April, and while the draft declaration could not be finalized as envisaged, participating delegations engaged constructively in the negotiations and reached an agreement on a number of issues as reflected by the new Chairperson’s text that will serve as a basis for future negotiations.

Distinguished Members,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Let me briefly turn to the upcoming 30th session of the Human Rights Council session, which will take place one month from now from 14 September to 2 October.

The Advisory Committee is due to present its final report on 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. Local government is a power that can be instrumental and crucial in the promotion and protection of human rights. The second report to be presented by your committee during the 30th session is the final report on the possibilities of using sport and the Olympic ideal to promote human rights for all and to strengthen universal respect for them. I look forward to the Interactive Dialogue of your Chairperson with the Council and the consideration of both reports.

Distinguished members,

This brings me to the end of these welcoming remarks, and I would like at this stage to express my appreciation for the work of this Committee. Your commitment to protect and promote human rights through your work and your efforts to engage with a broad range of stakeholders are very much valued.

Before closing, I note that this will be Mr. Al Faihani’s last session, and I would like to acknowledge his valuable contribution to the work of this Committee over the past three years, especially on the topics of international cooperation, albinism, corruption, and sport and the Olympic ideal. Mr. Al Faihani, your participation and valuable expertise has been greatly appreciated, and I wish you all the best in your future endeavors in the promotion of human rights

Distinguished members,

It was a pleasure to address you this morning at the start of what I trust will be an interesting and fruitful 15th session of the Advisory Committee.

Thank you.