Over the last six months, the General Assembly met in many informal plenary meetings to discuss aspects of the review of the status of the Human Rights Council. In a welcome move, the co-facilitators of the New York review process (Liechtenstein and Morocco), supported by States, invited NGOs to participate during the process.
A cross-regional group of NGOs, including ISHR, have made several statements during the informals. In one joint intervention on 17 March they urgently called on the General Assembly to discharge its review mandate in a meaningful way that would help meet the hopes and expectations of victims of human rights violations and human rights defenders all over the world. States were asked to use the review process as an opportunity to give full effect to the election-related provisions in Resolution 60/251, including by supporting the establishment of a public pledge review mechanism, and committing to a competitive and principled electoral process for future Human Rights Council elections.
NGOs also made statements supporting timely financing of Council decisions, and to argue that the Council should report to the plenary of the General Assembly, rather than the Third Committee. They also sent a joint letter to States reiterating the same calls for action. Other NGO statements focused on expressing disappointment with a non-paper, which was circulated by the co-facilitators on 13 April on the basis of the discussions in informal plenary meetings and wide consultations with States. In particular, NGOs expressed concern that the non-paper, insofar as it represented States’ myriad positions, revealed a timid, minimalist undertaking that loses sight of what should be the review’s ultimate objective, namely the improved promotion and protection of all human rights for all people. At an informal open-ended meeting on May 5 to discuss a subsequent “zero draft” text, NGOs expressed concern about the ‘toothless provision’ on the presentation of pledges and commitments.
The New York process is wrapping up. The negotiations have now moved to a more informal format and States are discussing the text paragraph by paragraph. Several more informal plenary meetings are planned and it is expected that an outcome will be achieved in early June.
At the seventh informal at the end of March, the co-facilitators indicated that the resolution adopting the outcome would supplement Resolution 60/251, which established the Council. They also reiterated their hope that the resolution would be adopted by consensus, as in Geneva.
A newly-released confidential letter by a UN Special Rapporteur documents the disbarment of human rights lawyers in China and the tightening ideological control over lawyers and law firms. The UN expert denounces disappearances, closed-door trials, harassment of relatives, travel bans, and other abuses targeting human rights lawyers.
On Tuesday 16 April 2024, ISHR delivered to both Geneva’s Administrative Council and its legislative counterpart, the Municipal Council, physical copies of the more than 1000 signatures collected in support of a memorial honouring Chinese human rights defender Cao Shunli.
The 79th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights will be held in Banjul, The Gambia, from 14 May to 3 June 2024. The session will be preceded by the NGO Forum, which will be held in hybrid format from the 11-13 May 2024.
