55th Regular Session of the Human Rights Council: post-session assessment and key outcomes
The 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council began on 26 February in the context of ongoing and unfolding human rights crises and grave human rights violations and abuses. The session, consisting of six weeks of interactives debates, negotiations and events, as well as a high-level segment, discussed key human rights issues in the international arena. The 55th session closed on 5 April with 32 resolutions, 2 Decisions and 14 outcomes of the Universal Periodic Review adopted by the Human Rights Council membership.
Civil society has been instrumental in facilitating dialogue, promoting ideas and negotiating Resolutions for the advancement of fundamental freedoms, and ensuring that voices of civil society and excluded groups are heard. CIVICUS called on the Council to address severe crises and situations of concern across the globe. The Council’s response varied on situations, with Resolutions in line with key civil society asks on certain situations and weak Resolutions or lack thereof on other situations, calling into question States’ willingness to address human rights violations and abuses promptly and effectively.
We particularly welcome the adoption of the Decision on remote participation modalities for hybrid meetings, which formally qualifies civil society participation. In the Decision, the Council requested the General Assembly to consider authorising the Council to continue its practice of using the modalities for remote participation for all its future formal and informal meetings during its sessions. Nevertheless, we regret that civil society representatives faced obstacles to engaging in discussions, both in person and remotely, during this session. The Council’s mandate, as set out in HRC Resolution 5/1, requires that arrangements be made, and practices observed to ensure ‘the most effective contribution’ of NGOs. We encourage UNOG and UN Member States to address access issues that may undermine the effectiveness of civil society participation [LINK TO END OF SESSION STATEMENT HERE].
KEY OUTCOMES
Thematic Resolutions
The Council adopted several key Resolutions on thematic and country-specific issues. CIVICUS worked towards enhanced protection and promotion civic space in some of the Resolutions below, and towards mainstreaming of civic space related issues.
The Council adopted a Resolution on prevention of genocide with focus on impunity as a major risk factor, as well as on early warnings. We welcome that the Resolution encourages the engagement of civil society in the prevention of genocide, including through advocacy and monitoring, and emphasis on prohibition of starvation of civilians as a method to combat. We also welcome the inclusion of references to the International Court of Justice in regard to the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide, alongside the International Criminal Court. Nonetheless, we regret that the resolution does not adequately respond to many of the current concerns related to risks of genocide. During the session, the Special Rapporteur on the OPT concluded that the actions of Israel in Gaza meet the legal qualifications of genocide.
We welcome the resolution on countering disinformation, which addresses new issues whilst rejecting censorship and reaffirming the “essential role” that the right to freedom of expression plays in countering disinformation. We welcome the ‘roadmap’ for the approach to be followed by States which includes combating disinformation through positive measures, including by ensuring a diverse, free and independent media environment, protecting journalists and media workers, and implementing comprehensive right to information laws. The Resolution also mandates the Advisory Committee to produce a new report on disinformation, which could reinforce existing standards on the topic and incorporate key elements and findings of various reports of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression.
A Resolution was adopted on the renewal of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, following recognition of this right by the Human Rights Council in its resolution 48/13 of 2021 and the General Assembly Resolution 76/300 of 2022. In line with other civil society organisations and several States, CIVICUS calls on the Special Rapporteur to pay further attention to the protection of environmental defenders. For the first time ever, the Council appointed a woman from the Global South to fulfill this mandate.
Similarly, we welcome the nomination of a new Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change. We encourage further linkages and complementarities to be created with the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders under the Aarhus Convention, whose meeting of the Parties adopted by consensus Decision VII/9 establishing a rapid response mechanism in the form of a Special Rapporteur to deal with cases related to article 3 (8) of the Convention. We also urge the realisation of joint consultations involving the three Special Rapporteurs with a focus on the development, implementation and possible strategies for the protection of environmental human rights defenders, who are individuals, activists, journalists, communities, citizens' associations, NGOs, CSOs and others seeking to protect the right to live in an environment adequate to their health and well-being. Across geographies, many of them are experiencing persecution, intimidation, harassment and reprisals for their work
We warmly welcome the appointment of the new Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, Ms. Gina Romero. We also welcome the extension of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy as well as the appointment of other mandate holders, including members of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, and Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence.
Country-specific Resolutions
| Africa |
CIVICUS welcomes the renewal of the mandate of the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Mali and encourages the Independent Expert to work closely with the African Union and with Malian civil society. We also welcome that the Resolution provides for the next dialogue to focus on the issue of the protection of civilians while countering terrorism. CIVICUS welcome the adoption of a Resolution on advancing human rights in South Sudan, which ensures that international scrutiny of South Sudan’s human rights situation will cover the country’s first-ever national elections to take place in December 2024. The Council also extended the mandate of its Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan. Amid severe humanitarian crisis and serious human rights violations, the Commission remains the only mechanism tasked with collecting and preserving evidence of violations of international law with a view to ensuring accountability. |
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Asia
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We welcome the adoption of the Resolution on DPRK, which mandates the High Commissioner to submit a the comprehensive report containing an update on the situation of human rights in the DPRK since 2014. We also welcome the extension of the mandate of Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the DPRK for a period of one year. CIVICUS welcomes the adoption of the Resolution on Myanmar, which indicates the high level of attention to the global concern for the deepening human rights and humanitarian crisis as a result of the military's brutal war against the people resisting its attempted coup. We further welcome the Council's unreserved support for Myanmar peoples' aspirations for human rights, democracy, and justice as well as the recognition of serious human rights implications of the continuing sale of arms to Myanmar. We also welcome the general focus on accountability and references to the human rights situation of women and children. |
| Central America |
We welcome the Resolution on technical assistance and capacity building in regard to the human rights situation in Haiti and emphasis on the role civil society plays in the promotion and protection of human rights and the importance of creating and maintaining an enabling environment in which civil society can operate independently and free from insecurity. We similarly welcome the call on the Haitian authorities to step up its efforts to support national human rights institutions and to pursue an inclusive dialogue between all Haitian actors concerned in order to find a lasting solution to the multidimensional crisis, which severely impacts civil society. We welcome the renewal of the mandate of the Independent human rights expert and reference to women children in regard to the monitoring of human rights situation and abuses developments. Progress on the question of the establishment of an office of the Office of the High Commissioner in Haiti remains of paramount importance. We nonetheless regret that the Resolution does not address the multifaceted challenges civil society faces, including human rights violations against journalists and difficulties facing grassroots CSOs amid escalating violence, fails to further address the link between the circulation of firearms and the human rights violations and abuses, and does not identify concrete avenues for the protection of civilians and solidarity action to ensure the safety, dignity and rights of civilians are upheld. |
| Eastern Europe |
We welcome the adoption of a new resolution on the human rights situation in Belarus creating a new independent investigative mechanism that will inherit the work of the OHCHR Examination. The newly created mechanism will focus on advancing accountability by collecting and preserving evidence of potential international crimes beyond the 2020 elections period. The Resolution also ensures the renewal of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur who remains key to Belarusian civil society. We regret that, as part of the long campaign by authorities to stifle opposition, before the adoption of the Resolution three more activists of Viasna have been arrested on fabricated charges. Viasna counts 1,400 political prisoners in Belarus. We welcome the resolution on the situation of human rights in Ukraine stemming from the Russian aggression and extension of the mandate of the Commission of Inquiry. The mandate extension remains crucial for ongoing investigations and ensuring justice for victims. We encourages civil society, among others, to cooperate fully with the Commission of Inquiry to allow it to effectively fulfil its mandate. |
| Middle East |
The Resolution on the human rights situation in Iran decides to extend the mandate of Special Rapporteur for a further period of one year in order to continue to monitor the ongoing situation of human rights, including civil and political rights and, to extend the mandate of the independent international fact-finding mission to allow it to complete its mandate, including by ensuring that the large amount of evidence of human rights violations, especially with respect to women and children, is fully and effectively documented and consolidated. CIVICUS welcomes the adoption of three resolutions on OPTs calling for the implementation of effective accountability measures to ensure justice for atrocity crimes committed by Israel against the Palestinian people. Special Procedures called on States to implement an “arms embargo on Israel, heightened by the International Court of Justice’s ruling […] that there is a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza […]”. The Resolutions do not, however, comprehensively respond to the most pressing needs related to deteriorating civic space conditions. We equally welcome the resolution on the human rights situation in Syria, after the concerning silence on the country situation at the last Council session despite continued deterioration of the humanitarian and situation, as reported by the Commission of Inquiry, and brutal repression of recent protests. The Resolution tackled the renewal of the mandate of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry, which will continue to investigate and report on human rights violations and abuses from all sides of the conflict. Syria continues to commit systematic and widespread attacks against civilians and use arbitrary detention and indiscriminate attacks against civil society. The resolution also calls for compliance with Provisional Measures by the International Court of Justice. |
Country situations that were not addressed
While the Council’s adoption of these Resolutions will be crucial in fulfilling the HRC’s mandate and credibility, we regretfully have witnessed failure to act on number of concerning situations during this session.
CIVICUS regrets that the Council has remained silent on India despite the clear early warning signs of further deterioration that necessitate preventive action by the Council. Similarly, we regret that the Council did not take any action on the Philippines, which is long overdue in light of the deteriorating civic space conditions. A joint statement urged the adoption of a Resolution mandating the High Commissioner to undertake a comprehensive evaluation of the UN Joint Program on Human Rights (UNJP).
We also regret that other situations of concern throughout the Middle East and North Africa where civil society is subjected to wide-spread human rights violations intended to clamp down on fundamental freedom and eradicate independent civil society were not addressed. Similarly, we regret that no Resolution on Georgia was adopted at this Council session.
Other concerns
Human rights defenders, journalists and activists continue to be arbitrarily detained across the globe. Those arbitrarily detained must be immediately and unconditionally released. CIVICUS’s Stand As My Witness Campaign highlights particular cases of arbitrary detention, underscoring the urgent need for a concrete action plan to prevent and put an end to arbitrary arrest and detention on the international level. CIVICUS continues to draw attention to specific cases in its thematic and country-focussed statements at the Human Rights Council. In this Council session, we highlighted specific cases of arbitrary detention in DRC and Venezuela, and highlighted widespread use of arbitrary detention in the OPTs.
CIVICUS StatementsCIVICUS and its members made statements in a number of important debates at this session, including on DRC [LINK TO BE ADDED], Nicaragua, OPTs and Israel, South Sudan, and Venezuela. Attention was also given to situation of concern in Africa and Asia (Mali, Myanmar and Sri Lanka), including in the context on mandate renewals. The international community should closely monitor situations in Watchlist countries CIVICUS highlighted the serious and rapid decline of civic space taking place in Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan and Venezuela, as highlighted by the CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist. The lack of respect for civic space, particularly in the aftermath of the 75th anniversary year of the UDHR, puts States’ commitment to human rights into serious question. The international community must take its responsibilities seriously and call out violations of human rights wherever they occur. The UN must demand accountability and intensify efforts on human rights in Nicaragua The situation of civic space in the country remains critical and is deteriorating further due to the concerted effort of the government to stop all forms of dissident opinion. CIVICUS has highlighted that the Ministry of Interior that since the end of 2018 has cancelled the legal personality of more than 3,549 non-governmental organizations, with 55 cancelled this year. Continued persecution of defenders in Nicaragua remains severe, with more than 27 indigenous people having arrest warrants for their work. UN Human Rights Council should Extend and Strengthen Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela Grave situation in Gaza demands assertive and decisive action |
Events
CIVICUS facilitated and joined a number of events organised by partners and fellow civil society organisations throughout the session.
Shaping the Future - Youth activists breaking barriers
In the context of the Council session CIVICUS contributed to a pre-session event organised with Right Livelihood and other civil society organisations focussing on young human rights defenders: ‘Shaping the future - Young activists breaking down barriers'. The discussion focused on the challenges faced by young human rights defenders, including online attacks, age restrictions, and limited funding, and featured panelists such as UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders, Ms. Mary Lawlor, and Right Livelihood Laureates. CIVICUS emphasises the need for better protection and support for youth activists globally and advocates for a Resolution on youth participation in decision-making and elections to address these challenges.
The role of defenders in fostering accountability for atrocity crimes
In times of escalating conflicts driven by repression and human rights abuses, upholding human rights and ensuring accountability for violations is crucial for resolving crises. This entails States supporting and safeguarding the work of human rights defenders at both national and international levels, as they prevent violations, document abuses, and advocate for accountability and solutions rooted in community needs. Moreover, resolving conflicts necessitates prioritising human rights and consistently applying international laws and standards, as selective enforcement undermines the global human rights system. CIVICUS co-sponsored an event on accountability for atrocity crimes at the Human Rights Council, highlighting cases studies, including Myanmar and OPTs, and the vital role of defenders in mobilising stakeholders to take effective measures against impunity and ensure accountability.
Shaping Asia's human rights future with youth human rights defenders
Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) are pivotal in advancing and protecting human rights across Asia. They face, however, considerable risks and attacks by both state and non-state actors ranging from arbitrary arrest and detention to judicial harassment, intimidation, threats, and physical violence. The vulnerability of youth and women human rights defenders, particularly those involved in environmental advocacy and pro-democracy movements, is especially concerning. They face targeted attacks and harassment, underscoring the urgent need for enhanced support and protection mechanisms. In response to these dynamics, the side event ‘Shaping Asia’s Human Rights Future with Youth Human Rights Defenders’ served as an opportunity to reflect on the situation of HRDs in Asia, highlighting key trends, emblematic cases of attacks against them, and the unique challenges they face in light of the latest development in the region, with a specific focus on youth HRDs and those working in crisis-affected areas.
Human Rights In Azerbaijan ahead of UNFCCC COP29
In light of the upcoming 2024 UN Climate Change Conference (COP 29) to be held in November in Baku, Azerbaijan, and its focus on environmental sustainability, it is imperative to shed light on the human rights violations occurring in Azerbaijan, particularly in relation to the exploitation of oil and gas resources. This side event organized by the Institute for Human Rights, the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety and CIVICUS discussed the suppression of environmental activism in Azerbaijan and aimed to foster a nuanced understanding of the interplay between governance, economic factors, and human rights in Azerbaijan. By promoting dialogue and cooperation, it also aimed to identify opportunities for enhancing human rights protections while supporting the common sustainable development goals. Overall, the side event explored how the promotion of human rights can serve as a catalyst for environmental protection and sustainable development.
During the Council session CIVICUS contributed to an event organised by Jssor Youth Organization on the ‘Human Rights situation in the MENA Region: Efforts during the current humanitarian and security crises’. The MENA region in general and the Arab world in particular face great challenges in the current time, such as situations of armed conflict, violent extremism, and hate speech that negatively affect the civil and political rights of the people in the area. Civil society organisations in the area are working continuously and diligently, through national strategies and programs, to build policies and responses based on respect for human rights and personal freedoms for the purpose of promoting human rights in their countries and giving their citizens, especially the youth, the largest role in this field. The event discussed various examples of national peacebuilding programs in the area and provided an important opportunity for national and international organisations, civil society activists and government representatives to identify gaps and challenges and propose recommendations and suggestions that would contribute to strengthening the human rights and peacebuilding process in the area.
The UN Human Rights Council responded to the deteriorating human rights situation in the Philippines with various Resolutions in 2019 and 2020. Resolution 51/58 acknowledged the UNJP addressing drug control and accountability. Despite disappointing results, including few convictions in extrajudicial killings cases, the UNJP continues as a vital platform for civil society engagement. While violations persist a side event was organised in the margins of the Council session by partners of Franciscans International, including CIVICUS. This event aimed to provide updates and amplify the voices of civil society and UN Human Rights Experts on accountability for human rights abuses in the Philippines.
