© Yann Forget / Wikimedia Commons
As the Human Rights Council marks its 20th anniversary, 26 civil society organisations have outlined key expectations for the incoming Council President and Bureau.
The organisations emphasise meaningful civil society participation, hybrid and remote engagement, transparency in the Special Procedures appointment process, and protection against intimidation and reprisals.
The letter calls on the Council President to:
Serve as a focal point for civil society and provide regular briefings and updates on the Council’s status review process, efficiency measures, impact of budget cuts, the UN liquidity crisis, and all other issues affecting civil society access.
Promote hybrid and remote participation as a standard practice, engaging with the President of the General Assembly to institutionalise these modalities.
Conduct impact assessments of efficiency measures to ensure they do not inadvertently limit civil society participation.
Strengthen transparency in the appointment of new mandate holders and speak out in defence of their independence and against attacks against mandate holders.
The letter states, ‘the 20th anniversary of the Council is a renewed opportunity to reaffirm its founding promise: a Human Rights Council that is accessible, inclusive, and responsive to those who need it most.’
Read the full letter here.
ISHR responded to the UN Human Rights Committee’s call for input regarding a draft General Comment on Article 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) on the right to freedom of association, focusing on the rights of human rights defenders and civil society’s engagement with multilateral fora.
States at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) have voted to pick the 19 members of the Committee on NGOs, electing a majority of States with grave records of repressing or obstructing civil society at home and at the UN.
The Human Rights Council was confronted with stark new evidence of the scale, sophistication, and transnational reach of repression by Nicaraguan authorities. The latest report of the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua and public calls by States and civil society at the Council and the General Assembly, underscore the pressing need for accountability and coordinated international action.
