For the past seven and a half years, the United States has devoted substantial diplomatic effort to improving the performance of the UN Human Rights Council, the preeminent intergovernmental body devoted to human rights. When the US began to engage with the Council in 2009, it identified two areas of the body’s performance as in particular need of improvement: (1) the number of human rights violators that the Council identified by name and targeted for scrutiny in its resolutions; and (2) the Council’s strikingly disproportionate focus on one State –Israel.
In an effort to review the effect of US engagement on the Council’s performance, the Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights (JBI) has reviewed the number of “country-specific resolutions” adopted by the Council, the number of special sessions convened by the Council on human rights crises, and the number of independent “special procedure mandates” created by the Council to investigate country-specific and thematic human rights issues.
Our review reveals that US engagement has made a significant mark on the Council’s performance. In particular, US engagement brought about a significant increase in the number of Council resolutions that address specific human rights violations. For example, in 2015, the last year of the second US term of membership, the Council adopted 31 “country-specific” resolutions, more than twice as many as the Council adopted in 2006, 2007, or 2008. These resolutions address and call for further UN reporting on human rights violations in North Korea, Iran, Syria, Myanmar (Burma), South Sudan, Belarus, Eritrea, Sri Lanka, Burundi, Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Somalia, Libya, Mali, Yemen, Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, Cambodia, and Ukraine. In 2015 the Council also adopted resolutions condemning human rights abuses perpetrated by the terrorist groups Da’esh and Boko Haram.
Moreover, the number of Israel-specific resolutions adopted by the Council declined during the period of US membership, both in absolute terms and as a percentage of all country-specific resolutions. From 2006 to 2008, the period of US disengagement from the Council, Israel was condemned in more than half (17 out of 33) of all country-specific resolutions. In contrast, in 2015 the Council adopted five resolutions condemning Israel, which constituted 19 percent of the country-specific resolutions adopted by the Council that year.
The US served two three-year terms on the Council, from 2009 to 2015. Procedural rules required the US to rotate off the Council in 2016. During this mandatory off-year, the US remained deeply engaged: the US maintained a dedicated Ambassador to the Council in Geneva who served as coordinator of the Western European and Others Group of States (WEOG) and continued to make the Council a diplomatic priority. This was reflected in the Council’s performance; the number of country-specific resolutions adopted in 2016 declined slightly, but not substantially, and by the end of the year the Council had adopted 27 country-specific resolutions.
The US has been re-elected to a three-year term of membership on the Council beginning in 2017, and thus far the Council has completed only one of its three annual sessions. There, the Council adopted more country-specific resolutions (15) than it did at the corresponding sessions in 2016 (12) and 2015 (12). The number of country-specific resolutions on Israel remained the same (5) from the Spring 2016 to Spring 2017 sessions.
Despite these positive changes, the Human Rights Council’s performance remains lacking in key respects. The Council continues to focus its attention exceedingly disproportionately on the human rights situation in Israel. It also has not adopted resolutions criticizing a number of States that bear responsibility for the commission of particularly serious violations of human rights, though groups of Member States have made joint statements expressing concern about human rights conditions on some of these countries, including China.
Nevertheless, this updated review demonstrates that US engagement has corresponded with a marked improvement in the Council’s performance. The findings suggest that this hard-earned progress might well be lost should the US retreat from its leadership role.
Our detailed documentation and analysis of trends over time, as well as background information, can be found in the full analysis below.
* In this study, the term “country-specific” is used to designate resolutions and special sessions that draw attention to particular human rights violations as opposed to thematic human rights issues. This term includes resolutions and special sessions that address specific countries and those that are primarily aimed at monitoring human rights abuses perpetrated by specific non-State actors, such as armed terrorist groups.
In the first few years following the creation of the Human Rights Council, the US refused to seek election to the body on the grounds that it suffered from structural flaws that would doom it to repeating the practices of the Commission on Human Rights, its predecessor institution at the United Nations. The Commission had been criticized by Secretary-General Kofi Annan for declining professionalism and credibility that had “cast a shadow on the reputation of the United Nations system as a whole.” When the Council was created to replace it, the US particularly objected to the fact that all UN member States were eligible to seek membership on it, no matter how poor their human rights record or questionable their commitment to universality of human rights.
Indeed, in the Council’s initial years of operation, from 2006 to the end of 2008, its performance was decidedly poor. States including Algeria, Cuba, China, Iran, Pakistan, Syria, South Africa and India called for the elimination of all country-specific scrutiny – except in the case of Israel, which remained the subject of several annually adopted resolutions and mechanisms, and is the subject of the Council’s only country-specific agenda item.[1] In its early years, the Council did not adopt a significant number of country-specific resolutions on human rights. The Council also discontinued several country-specific special procedure mandates that had been carried over from the Commission on Human Rights, such as those of the “Special Rapporteurs” on Belarus, Cuba, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The few country-specific actions the Council did take focused to an extraordinarily disproportionate extent on Israel.
In March 2009, the US changed course and announced its intention to seek a seat on the Council. Ambassador Susan Rice, the US Permanent Representative to the UN, justified the decision on the grounds that “we believe that working from within, we can make the Council a more effective forum to promote and protect human rights.” The US was elected to membership on the Council in May of that year, and began its term on the Council in September 2009.
The Human Rights Council’s Performance Prior to and During US Engagement
From September 2009 – December 2015, the period in which the US served on the Council, while the body’s performance still left much to be desired, it addressed human rights conditions in countries other than Israel far more often than before. The US championed a number of initiatives at the Council and played an important behind-the-scenes role in supporting many others that have placed much-needed attention on key human rights situations that merited international scrutiny. The US was among those leading calls for the Council to hold special sessions on the government crackdowns in Libya and Syria and successfully pressed for the establishment of country-specific special rapporteurs on Iran and Belarus. It also advocated successfully for creation of a thematic rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and association as well as a working group on laws that discriminate against women. The US also provided critical support for the successful effort for the Council to adopt its first-ever resolution condemning violence and discrimination against persons on the basis of their sexual orientation and calling on the High Commissioner to report to the Council on these abuses. The US led or supported calls for the Council to create independent “commissions of inquiry” on country situations including Libya, Syria, Cote d’Ivoire, North Korea and Eritrea and to request that the High Commissioner for Human Rights undertake investigations into abuses perpetrated in many places around the world, including Sri Lanka and by the so-called Islamic State in Iraq (Da’esh). Each of these accomplishments is important; and cumulatively they have led to substantial changes in the Council’s performance. In 2015, the last year of the second US membership term, the Council adopted 31 country-specific resolutions, more than twice as many as the Council adopted in 2006, 2007, or 2008.
In 2016, even as the US was forced to rotate off of the Council for a year, US engagement continued to impact the Council’s performance. While the total number of country-specific resolutions adopted by the Council decreased in absolute terms from 2015, the Council nevertheless adopted 27 country-specific resolutions. The US resumed its membership on the Council as of January 2017, although there was no dedicated US Ambassador to the Human Rights Council in place at the time of the Council’s 34th session in Spring 2017. Nevertheless, the Council adopted more country-specific resolutions at its Spring 2017 session (15)[2] than in its Spring sessions in 2016 (12) and 2015 (12).
Another important consequence of US engagement by the Council has been a decrease in the proportion of the Council’s country-specific resolutions that focus on Israel. By the end of the second US term of membership on the Council in 2015, the number of Israel-specific resolutions adopted annually had declined to five (from a maximum of eight) and the frequency with which Israel was condemned as a percentage of all country-specific resolutions declined as well. By 2015, resolutions condemning Israel made up 19 percent of the Council’s annual country-specific resolutions, a significant decrease from the period in which the US was not a member of the Council, during which time Israel was condemned by more than half of all country-specific resolutions adopted.
Despite this achievement, it remains true that the total number of Council resolutions targeting Israel – both annually and as a proportion of all country-specific resolutions– remains disproportionate. Indeed, no country has ever been the subject of more country-specific Human Rights Council resolutions in a single year than Israel (in 2012, Israel and Syria were each criticized in five resolutions).
Country-Specific* Resolutions Adopted by the UN Human Rights Council, 2006-2016[3]
|
Year |
Country-Specific Resolutions |
# on Israel |
% on Israel |
|
2006 [4] |
7 |
7 |
100% |
|
2007 [5] |
11 |
4 |
36% |
|
2008 [6] |
15 |
6 |
40% |
|
2009 [7] |
17 |
7 |
41% |
|
2010 [8] |
18 |
8 |
44% |
|
2011 [9] |
29 |
7 |
24% |
|
2012 [10] |
30 |
5 |
17% |
|
2013 [11] |
28 |
6 |
21% |
|
2014 [12] |
27 |
6 |
22% |
|
2015 [13] |
31 |
5 |
16% |
|
2016 [14]
|
27 |
5 |
19% |
|
Total 2006-2008 |
33 |
17 |
52% |
|
Total 2009-2016 (US Engagement) |
207 |
49 |
24% |
|
Grand Total (2006-2016) |
240 |
66 |
28% |
* In this study, the term “country-specific” is used to designate resolutions and special sessions that draw attention to particular human rights violations as opposed to thematic human rights issues. This term includes resolutions and special sessions that address specific countries and those that are primarily aimed at monitoring human rights abuses perpetrated by specific non-State actors, such as armed terrorist groups.
US engagement with the Council has also had the effect of significantly increasing the number of “Special Sessions” addressing diverse human rights emergencies. These sessions are only convened if one-third of Council members agree to do so. From 2006-2008, the Council convened seven country-specific special sessions, four of which (or 57 percent) were on Israel. From 2009-2016, as a direct result of US engagement the Council convened more than twice as many special sessions (16) as during the period of US non-engagement (7). In sharp contrast to the period of US non-engagement, less than 20 percent of the special sessions convened by the Council during the period of US engagement have been on Israel.
Country-Specific* Special Sessions Convened by the Human Rights Council, 2006-2016
|
Year |
Country-Specific Special Sessions |
# on Israel |
% on Israel |
|
2006 [15] |
4 |
3 |
75% |
|
2007 [16] |
1 |
0 |
0% |
|
2008 [17] |
2 |
1 |
50% |
|
2009 [18] |
3** |
2 |
67% |
|
2010 [19] |
1 |
0 |
0% |
|
2011 [20] |
4 |
0 |
0% |
|
2012 [21] |
1 |
0 |
0% |
|
2013 |
0 |
0 |
0% |
|
2014 [22] |
3 |
1 |
33% |
|
2015 [23] |
2 |
0 |
0% |
|
2016 [24] |
2 |
0 |
0% |
|
Total 2006-2008 |
7 |
4 |
57% |
|
Total 2009-2016 (US Engagement) |
16 |
3 |
19% |
|
Grand Total |
23 |
7 |
30% |
* In this study, the term “country-specific” is used to designate resolutions and special sessions that draw attention to particular human rights violations as opposed to thematic human rights issues. This term includes resolutions and special sessions that address specific countries and those that are primarily aimed at monitoring human rights abuses perpetrated by specific non-State actors, such as armed terrorist groups.
** Includes the May 2009 special session on Sri Lanka in which the Council did not condemn the government for its indiscriminate use of force in its conflict against the LTTE. Does not include the May 2008 special session on “the negative impact of the worsening of the world food crisis,” the February 2009 special session on “the impact of the global economic and financial crises on the universal realization and effective enjoyment of human rights,” or the January 2010 special session on “the support of the HRC to the recovery process in Haiti after the earthquake of January 12, 2010: a human rights approach” as these special sessions did not address human rights violations.
The period of US engagement on the Council also coincided with a significant increase in the number of independent “special procedures” mandates designated by the Council to investigate thematic human rights issues or country situations. While the US has championed all of the country-specific special procedure mandates that the Council has created or maintained since 2009, several thematic special procedures mandates have been created notwithstanding US objections. Since 2009, the Council has maintained several important country-specific mandates that existed prior to the beginning of US engagement, including those on Myanmar, Cambodia, Haiti, North Korea, Somalia, and Sudan; and it has created new mandates on Belarus, the Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Eritrea, Iran, Mali, and Syria. In recent years, with US support, the Council has also created fact-finding and other investigative mechanisms not classified by the Council as “Special Procedures” that have ensured that the human rights situations in other countries including South Sudan and Burundi receive particularly exacting scrutiny. The increase in the total number of country-specific special procedures mandates from 8 in 2008 to 14 in 2016 thus represents a significant achievement during the period of the United States’ engagement with the Council.
Special procedures mechanisms reporting to the Human Rights Council, 2006-2016
|
Year |
Country-Specific Mandates |
Thematic Mandates |
|
2006 [25] |
13* |
28* |
|
2007 [26] |
12 |
28 |
|
2008 [27] |
8 |
30 |
|
2009 [28] |
8 |
31 |
|
2010 [29] |
8 |
33 |
|
2011 [30] |
11** |
35 |
|
2012 [31] |
12** |
36 |
|
2013 [32] |
14** |
37 |
|
2014 [33] |
14** |
39 |
|
2015 [34] |
14**^ |
41 |
|
2016 [35] |
14**^+ |
43 |
* All were previously established by the Commission on Human Rights and automatically transferred to the new Council in 2006.
** Includes the Special Rapporteur on Syria, a mandate which was created in 2011 but will not become active until the conclusion of the mandate of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) on Syria.
^ Does not include a mandate on Burundi, although the Council established a United Nations Independent Investigation on Burundi in December 2015.
+ Does not include a mandate on South Sudan, although the Council established a “Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan” in 2016.
Conclusion
Over the past seven and a half years, the US has made significant progress towards accomplishing some of the key goals it set out as it began to engage with the UN Human Rights Council. In particular, the US has been successful in significantly increasing the attention that the Council devotes to particularly severe human rights violators, such as those in North Korea, Iran, and Syria, and in ensuring that targeted resolutions address abuses perpetrated by terrorist groups such as the so-called Islamic State (Da’esh) and Boko Haram.
Despite these positive changes, the Human Rights Council’s performance remains lacking in key respects. The Council continues to focus its attention exceedingly disproportionately on the human rights situation in Israel. It also has not adopted resolutions criticizing a number of States that bear responsibility for the commission of particularly serious violations of human rights, though groups of Member States have made joint statements expressing concern about human rights conditions on some of these countries, including China.
Nevertheless, the US record of achievement at the Human Rights Council justifies continued engagement. With redoubled commitment, the US can continue to improve the Council’s performance, prevent a return to the practices that undermined the Council’s credibility in its first years, and continue to assert US leadership on behalf of respect for human rights on the world stage.
----------
[1] See Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, “Human Rights Council takes up situation of human rights in Belarus and Cuba,” (12 June 2007), http://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=7267&LangID=E. At this meeting, Council members Algeria, China, Cuba, and India and observers Angola, Iran, North Korea, and Venezuela, along with the Palestinian representative, called for the categorical elimination of all country-specific special procedures, and many other States called for limiting their mandates. See also, Keith Harper, “Statement by US Ambassador Keith Harper on the Human Rights Council’s agenda item 7 (Israeli violations of human rights in the Palestinian territories)” (13 Mar 2015), https://geneva.usmission.gov/2015/03/23/statement-by-u-s-ambassador-keith-harper-on-unhrc-item-7-israeli-violations-of-human-rights-in-the-palestinian-territories/. The US has declared that it “strongly and unequivocally opposes the very existence of Agenda Item 7 and any HRC resolutions that come from it” commenting that no other country has a separate agenda item to deal with it. The US does not participate in Council debates on this agenda item as a demonstration of its view that it is illegitimate. See also, “Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967” (23 Mar 2015). The EU has taken a similar position, suggesting that the issues addressed under Agenda Item 7 would be better addressed under Agenda Item 4 (“Human rights situations that require the Council's attention”) under which many of the Council’s other country-specific resolutions are proposed.
[2] Country-Specific Resolutions adopted at the March 2017 session of the Human Rights Council: ITEM 2: A_HRC_34_L.1, Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka. ITEM 4: A_HRC_34_L.8_Rev.1 Situation of human rights in Myanmar; A_HRC_34_L.17 Situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran; A_HRC_34_L.23 Situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; A_HRC_34_L.34 Situation of human rights in South Sudan; A_HRC_34_L.37 The human rights situation in the Syrian Arab Republic. ITEM 7: A_HRC_34_L.11 Human rights in the occupied Syrian Golan; A_HRC_34_L.38 Ensuring accountability and justice for all violations of international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem; A_HRC_34_L.39 Right of the Palestinian people to self-determination; A_HRC_34_L.40 Human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem; A_HRC_34_L.41_Rev.1 Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan. ITEM 10: A_HRC_34_L.13 Cooperation with Georgia; A_HRC_34_L.18 Technical assistance and capacity-building to improve human rights in Libya; A_HRC_34_L.19 Assistance technique et renforcement des capacités dans le domaine des droits de l’Homme au Mali; A_HRC_34_L.53 Situation des droits de l’homme en Haïti
[3] 2006 – 7, all on Israel; 2007 – 11, 4 on Israel; 2008 – 15, 6 on Israel.
[4] Some commentators have calculated the number of country-specific resolutions adopted by the Human Rights Council according to a different methodology than that applied here. For example, some would consider the Council’s resolutions on the “Durban World Conference” to be country-specific with regard to Israel because the outcome document from that 2001 meeting, the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, addresses Israel critically and mentions no other country by name. Some commentators exclude from the list of “country-specific” resolutions a significant number of resolutions that the Council has adopted that discuss the human rights situation in particular countries without using explicitly condemnatory language to be “country specific.” These resolutions are adopted under the Council’s agenda item 10 on technical assistance.
[5] 2006: Res. 3/3, Report of the Commission of Inquiry on Lebanon); Res. 3/1, Human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory: follow-up to Human Rights Council resolution S-1/1); Res. 2/3, Human rights in the occupied Syrian Golan); Res. 2/4, Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the occupied Syrian Golan); Res. S-3/1, Human rights violations emanating from Israeli military incursions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including the recent one in northern Gaza and the assault on Beit Hanoun ); Res. S-2/1, The grave situation of human rights in Lebanon caused by Israeli military operations); Res. S-1/1, Human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory).
[6] 2007: Res. OM/1/2, Human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory: follow-up to Human Rights Council resolutions S-1/1 and S-3/1; Res. 6/19, Religious and cultural rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem; Res. 6/18, Human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory: follow-up to Human Rights Council resolutions S-1/1 and S-3/1; Res. 4/2, Human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory: follow-up to Human Rights Council resolutions S-1/1 and S-3/1; Res. 6/35, Human Rights Council Group of Experts on the situation of human rights in Darfur; Res. 6/34, Mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Sudan; Res. OM/1/3, Follow-up to resolution 4/8 of 30 March 2007 adopted by the Human Rights Council at its fourth session entitled “Follow-up to decision S-4/101 of 13 December 2006, adopted by the Council at its fourth special session entitled ‘Situation of human rights in Darfur’”); Res. 4/8, Follow-up to decision S-4/101 of 13 December 2006 adopted by the Human Rights Council at its fourth special session entitled “Situation of human rights in Darfur”); Res. 6/33, Follow-up to the report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar; Res/S-5/1, Situation of human rights in Myanmar; Res. 6/5, Advisory services and technical assistance for Burundi.
[7] 2008: Res. 9/18, Follow-up to resolution S-3/1: human rights violations emanating from Israeli military incursions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the shelling of Beit Hanoun; Res 7/30, Human rights in the occupied Syrian Golan); Res 7/18, Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan; Res 7/17, Right of the Palestinian people to self-determination; Res 7/1, Human rights violations emanating from Israeli military attacks and incursions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly the recent ones in the occupied Gaza Strip; Res S-6/1, Human rights violations emanating from Israeli military attacks and incursions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly in the occupied Gaza Strip; Res 8/14, Situation of human rights in Myanmar; Res 7/32, Mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar; Res 7/31, Situation of human rights in Myanmar; Res. 9/17, Situation of human rights in the Sudan; Res 7/16, Situation of human rights in the Sudan; Res. 9/15, Advisory services and technical assistance for Cambodia; Res 7/15, Situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; Res. S-8/1, Situation of human rights in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Res 7/35, Assistance to Somalia in the field of human rights.
[8] 2009: Res. S-12/1, The human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem; Res 10/21, Follow-up to Council resolution S-9/1 on the grave violations of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly due to the recent Israeli military attacks against the occupied Gaza Strip; Res 10/20, Right of the Palestinian people to self-determination; Res 10/19, Human rights violations emanating from the Israeli military attacks and operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory; Res 10/18, Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan; Res 10/17, Human rights in the occupied Syrian Golan; Res. S-9/1, The Grave Violations of Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory including the recent aggression in the occupied Gaza Strip; Res. 12/20, Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners in Myanmar; Res 10/27, Situation of human rights in Myanmar; Res. 12/26, Assistance to Somalia in the field of human rights; Res 10/32, Assistance to Somalia in the field of human rights; Res. 12/25, Advisory services and technical assistance for Cambodia; Res 10/16, Situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; Res 10/33, Situation of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the strengthening of technical cooperation and consultative services; Res. 12/14, Situation of human rights in Honduras since the coup d’état on 28 June 2009); Res. 11/10, Situation of human rights in the Sudan; S-11/1: Assistance to Sri Lanka in the promotion and protection of human rights.
[9] 2010: Res 15/1, Follow-up to the report of the independent international fact-finding mission on the incident of the humanitarian flotilla; Res 15/6, Follow-up to the report of the Committee of independent experts in international humanitarian and human rights law established pursuant to Council resolution 13/9; Res 14/1, The grave attacks by Israeli forces against the humanitarian boat convoy; Res 13/5, Human rights in the occupied Syrian Golan; Res 13/8, The grave human rights violations by Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem; Res 13/7, Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan; Res 13/6, Right of the Palestinian people to self-determination; Res 13/9, Follow-up to the report of the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict; Res 14/15, Addressing attacks on school children in Afghanistan; Res 15/20, Advisory services and technical assistance for Cambodia; Res S-14/1, Situation of human rights in Côte d’Ivoire in relation to the conclusion of the 2010 presidential election; Res 13/14, Situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; Res 13/22, Situation of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the strengthening of technical cooperation and consultative services; Res 13/21, Strengthening of technical cooperation and consultative services in the Republic of Guinea; Res 14/14, Technical assistance and cooperation on human rights for Kyrgyzstan; Res 13/25, Situation of human rights in Myanmar; Res 15/28, Assistance to Somalia in the field of human rights; Res 15/27, Situation of human rights in the Sudan.
[10] 2011: A/HRC/RES/17/10, Follow-up to the report of the independent international fact-finding mission on the incident of the humanitarian flotilla; A/HRC/RES/16/30, Right of the Palestinian people to self-determination; A/HRC/RES/16/31, Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan; A/HRC/RES/16/29, Human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem; A/HRC/RES/16/20, Follow-up to the report of the independent international fact-finding mission on the incident of the humanitarian flotilla; A/HRC/RES/16/32, Follow-up to the report of the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict; A/HRC/RES/16/17, Human rights in the occupied Syrian Golan; A/HRC/RES/S-18/1, The human rights situation in the Syrian Arab Republic; A/HRC/RES/S-17/1, Situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic; A/HRC/RES/S-16/1, The current human rights situation in the Syrian Arab Republic in the context of recent events; A/HRC/RES/17/21, Assistance to Côte d’Ivoire in the field of human rights; A/HRC/RES/16/25, Situation of human rights in Côte d’Ivoire; A/HRC/RES/17/17, Situation of human rights in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; A/HRC/RES/S-15/1, Situation of human rights in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; A/HRC/RES/17/24, Situation of human rights in Belarus; A/HRC/RES/18/25, Advisory services and technical assistance for Cambodia; A/HRC/RES/16/8, Situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; A/HRC/RES/16/35, The human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the strengthening of technical cooperation and advisory services; A/HRC/RES/16/9, Situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran; A/HRC/RES/17/20, Technical assistance and cooperation on human rights for Kyrgyzstan; A/HRC/RES/16/24, Situation of human rights in Myanmar; A/HRC/RES/17/25, Assistance to Somalia in the field of human rights; A/HRC/RES/18/16, Technical assistance for the Sudan in the field of human rights; A/HRC/RES/18/19, Technical assistance and capacity-building for Yemen in the field of human rights; Res 18/17: Technical assistance and capacity-building to South Sudan in the field of human rights; Res 18/24: Advisory Services and technical assistance for Burundi; Res 16/34: Advisory services and technical assistance for Burundi; Res16/36: Strengthening of technical cooperation and consultative services in Guinea; Res 16/19: Cooperation between Tunisia and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
[11] 2012: A/HRC/RES/19/14, Human rights in the occupied Syrian Golan; A/HRC/RES/19/15, Right of the Palestinian people to self-determination; A/HRC/RES/19/16, Human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem; A/HRC/RES/19/17, Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan; A/HRC/RES/19/18, Follow-up to the report of the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict; A/HRC/RES/20/22, Situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic; A/HRC/RES/21/26, Situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic; A/HRC/RES/S-19/1, The deteriorating situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic, and the recent killings in El-Houleh; A/HRC/RES/19/1, The escalating grave human rights violations and deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Syrian Arab Republic; A/HRC/RES/19/22, Situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic; A/HRC/RES/20/21, Assistance to Somalia in the field of human rights; A/HRC/RES/21/31, Assistance to Somalia in the field of human rights; A/HRC/RES/19/28, Assistance to Somalia in the field of human rights; A/HRC/RES/20/20, Situation of human rights in Eritrea; A/HRC/RES/21/1, Situation of human rights in Eritrea; A/HRC/RES/20/17, Human rights situation in Mali; A/HRC/RES/21/25, Situation of human rights in the Republic of Mali; A/HRC/RES/21/22, Technical assistance and capacity-building for Yemen in the field of human Rights; A/HRC/RES/19/29, Technical assistance and capacity-building for Yemen in the field of human rights; A/HRC/RES/20/13, Situation of human rights in Belarus; A/HRC/RES/20/19, Technical assistance to Côte d’Ivoire in the field of human rights; A/HRC/RES/19/13, The situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; A/HRC/RES/19/27, The human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the strengthening of technical cooperation and advisory services; A/HRC/RES/19/30, Strengthening of technical cooperation and consultative services in Guinea; A/HRC/RES/19/12, Situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran; A/HRC/RES/19/21, Situation of human rights in Myanmar; A/HRC/RES/19/2, Promoting reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka; A/HRC/RES/21/27, Technical assistance for the Sudan in the field of human rights; 19/39: Assistance to Libya in the field of human rights; 21/28: Technical assistance and capacity building for South Sudan in the field of Human Rights.
[12] 2013: March Session: 22/1 Promoting reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka [item 2]; 22/13 The situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea [item 4];22/14 Situation of human rights in Myanmar [item 4]; 22/17 Human rights in the occupied Syrian Golan [item 7]; 22/18 Assistance to the Republic of Mali in the field of human rights [item 10]; 22/19 Technical assistance for Libya in the field of human rights [item 10]; 22/23 Situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran [item 4]; 22/24 Situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic [item 4]; 22/25 Follow-up to the report of the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict [item 7]; 22/26 Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan [item 7]; 22/27 Right of the Palestinian people to self-determination [item 7]; 22/28 Human Rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem [item 7]; 22/29 Follow-up to the report of the independent international fact-finding mission to investigate the implications of Israeli settlements on the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of the Palestinian people throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem [item 7]. June Session: 23/1 The deteriorating situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic, and the recent killings in Al-Qusayr [item 1]; 23/15 Situation of human rights in Belarus [item 4]; 23/18 Technical assistance to the Central African Republic in the field of human rights [item 10]; 23/21 Situation of human rights in Eritrea [item 4]; 23/22 Technical assistance to Côte d’Ivoire in the field of human rights [item 10]; 23/23 Strengthening of technical cooperation and consultative services in Guinea [item 10]; 23/24 Technical assistance and capacity-building for South Sudan in the field of human rights [item 10]; 23/26 The deterioration of the situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic, and the need to grant immediate access to the commission of inquiry [item 4]. September Session: 24/22 The continuing grave deterioration of the human rights and humanitarian situation in the Syrian Arab Republic [item 4]; 24/27 Technical assistance and capacity-building for human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo [item 10]; 24/28 Technical assistance for the Sudan in the field of human rights [item 10]; 24/29 Advisory services and technical assistance for Cambodia [item 10]; 24/30 Assistance to Somalia in the field of human rights [item 10]; 24/32 Technical assistance and capacity-building for Yemen in the field of human rights [item 10]; 24/34 Technical assistance to the Central African Republic in the field of human rights [item 10].
[13] 2014: Special Session 1: S-20/1 Situation of human rights in the Central African Republic and technical assistance in the field of human rights (21 January 2014); March Session: 25/1 Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka [Item 2]; 25/23 The continuing grave deterioration of the human rights and humanitarian situation in the Syrian Arab Republic [Item 4]; 25/24 Situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran [Item 4]; 25/25 Situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea [Item 4]; 25/26 Situation of human rights in Myanmar [Item 4]; 25/27 Right of the Palestinian people to self-determination [Item 7]; 25/28 Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan [Item 7]; 25/29 Human rights situation in Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem [Item 7]; 25/30 Follow-up to the report of the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict [Item 7]; 25/31 Human rights in the occupied Syrian Golan [Item 7]; 25/35 Strengthening of technical cooperation and consultative services in Guinea [Item 10]; 25/36 Assistance to the Republic of Mali in the field of human rights [Item 10]; 25/37 Technical assistance for Libya in the field of human rights [Item 10]. June Session: 26/23 The continuing grave deterioration in the human rights and humanitarian situation in the Syrian Arab Republic [Item 4]; 26/24 Situation of human rights in Eritrea [Item 4]; 26/25 Situation of human rights in Belarus [Item 4]; 26/30 Cooperation and assistance to Ukraine in the field of human rights [Item 10]; 26/31 Technical and capacity-building assistance for South Sudan in the field of human rights [Item 10]; 26/32 Capacity-building and technical cooperation with Côte d’Ivoire in the field of human rights [Item 10] Special Session 2: S-21/1 Ensuring respect for international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem (23 July 2014); Special Session 3: S-22/1 The human rights situation in Iraq in the light of abuses committed by the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and associated groups (1 September 2014); September Session: 27/16 The continuing grave deterioration in the human rights and humanitarian situation in the Syrian Arab Republic [item 4]; 27/19 Technical assistance and capacity-building for Yemen in the field of human rights [item 10]; 27/27 Technical assistance and capacity-building for human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo [Item 10]; 27/28 Technical assistance and capacity-building in the field of human rights in the Central African Republic [Item 10]; 27/29 Technical assistance and capacity-building to improve human rights in the Sudan [Item 10].
[14] 2015 March Session: 28/20 The continuing grave deterioration in the human rights and humanitarian situation in the Syrian Arab Republic [Item 4]; 28/21 Situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran [Item 4]; 28/22 Situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea [Item 4]; 28/23 Situation of human rights in Myanmar [Item 4]; 28/24 Human rights in the occupied Syrian Golan [Item 7]; 28/25 Right of the Palestinian people to self-determination [Item 7]; 28/26 Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan [Item 7]; 28/27 Human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem [Item 7]; 28/30 Technical assistance and capacity-building to improve human rights in Libya [Item 10]; 28/31 Technical assistance and capacity-building for Mali in the field of human rights [Item 10]; 28/32 Technical assistance and capacity-building in strengthening human rights in Iraq in the light of abuses committed by Daesh and associated terrorist groups [Item 10]; 28/33 Strengthening of technical cooperation and consultative services in Guinea [Item 10]; Special Session 1: S-23/1, Atrocities committed by the terrorist group Boko Haram and it effects on human rights in the affected states (21 May 2015); June Session: 29/13 Mission by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to improve human rights, accountability and reconciliation in South Sudan [Item 2]; 29/16 The grave and deteriorating human rights and humanitarian situation in the Syrian Arab Republic [Item 4]; 29/17 Situation of human rights in Belarus [Item 4]; 29/18 Situation of human rights in Eritrea [Item 4]; 29/21 Situation of human rights of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar [Item 2]; 29/23 Cooperation and assistance to Ukraine in the field of human rights [Item 10]; 29/24 Capacity-building and technical cooperation with Cote d’Ivoire in the field of human rights [Item 10]; 29/25 Ensuring accountability and justice for all violations of international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem [Item 7]. September Session: 30/1, Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka [Item 2]; 30/10, The grave and deteriorating human rights and humanitarian situation in the Syrian Arab Republic [Item 4]; 30/18 Technical assistance and capacity-building for Yemen in the field of human rights [Item 10]; 30/19 Technical assistance and capacity-building in the field of human rights in the Central African Republic [Item 10]; 30/20 Assistance to Somalia in the field of human rights [Item 10]; 30/22, Technical assistance and capacity-building to improve human rights in the Sudan [Item 10]; 30/23, Advisory services and technical assistance for Cambodia [Item 10]; 30/26, Technical assistance and capacity-building for human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo [Item 10]; 30/27, Technical cooperation and capacity-building for Burundi in the field of human rights [Item 10]. Special Session 2: S-24/1, Preventing the deterioration of the human rights situation in Burundi (17 December 2015).
[15] 2016: March Session: 31/17 The human rights situation in the Syrian Arab Republic [Item 4]; 31/18 Situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea [Item 4]; 31/19 Situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran [Item 4]; 31/20 Situation of human rights in South Sudan [Item 4]; 31/24 Situation of human rights in Myanmar [Item 4]; 31/27 Technical assistance and capacity-building to improve human rights in Libya [Item 10]; 31/28 Technical assistance and capacity-building for Mali in the field of human rights [Item 10]; 31/29 Strengthening technical cooperation and advisory services for Guinea [Item 10]; 31/33 Right of the Palestinian people to self-determination [Item 7]; 31/34 Human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem [Item 7]; 31/35 Ensuring accountability and justice for all violations of international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem [Item 7]; 31/36 Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan [Item 7]; 31/25 Human rights in the occupied Syrian Golan [Item 7]. June Session: 32/24 Situation of human rights in Eritrea [Item 4]; 32/25 The human rights situation in the Syrian Arab Republic [Item 4]; 32/25 The human rights situation in the Syrian Arab Republic [Item 4]; 32/26 Situation of human rights in Belarus [Item 4]; 32/29 Cooperation with and assistance to Ukraine in the field of human rights [Item 10]; 32/30 Renforcement de capacités et coopération technique avec la Côte d'Ivoire dans le domaine des droits de l'homme [Capacity-building and technical cooperation with Côte d’Ivoire in the field of human rights] [Item 10]. September Session: 33/23 The human rights situation in the Syrian Arab Republic [Item 4]; 33/24 Situation of human rights in Burundi [Item 4]; 33/16 Technical assistance and capacity-building for Yemen in the field of human rights[Item 10]; 33/17 Assistance to Somalia in the field of human rights [Item 10]; 33/26 Technical assistance and capacity-building to improve human rights in the Sudan [Item 10]; 33/27 Technical assistance and capacity-building in the field of human rights in the Central African Republic [Item 10]; 33/29 Technical assistance and capacity-building for human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo [Item 10]. Special Session 1: S-25/1, The deteriorating situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic, and the recent situation in Aleppo [21 October 2016). Special Session 2: S-26/1, Situation of human rights in South Sudan (14 December 2016).
[16] S-1, Human Rights Situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, 5 July 2006; S-2, The gave situation of human rights in Lebanon caused by Israeli military operations, 11 August 2006; S-3, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Beit Hanoun, 15 November 2006; S-4, Situation of human rights in Darfur, 12 December 2006.
[17] S-5, Situation of human rights in Myanmar, 2 October 2007.
[18] S-6, Human rights violations emanating from Israeli military attacks and incursions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, 23 January 2008; S-8, situation of human rights in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 28 November 2008 (does not include S-7, the negative impact of the worsening of the world food crisis, 22 May 2008).
[19] S-9, The grave violations of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory including the recent aggression in the occupied Gaza Strip, 9 January 2009; S-11, human rights situation in Sri Lanka, 26 may 2009; S-12, human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, 15 October 2009 (does not include S-10, the impact of the global economic and financial crises on the universal realization and effective enjoyment of human rights, 20 February 2009).
[20] S-14, situation of human rights in Cote d’Ivoire in relation to the conclusion of the 2010 presidential election, 23 December 2010 (does not include S-13, the support of the HRC to the recovery process in Haiti after the earthquake of January 12, 2010: a human rights approach, 27 January 2010).
[21] S-15, situation of human rights in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, 29 April 2011; S-16, situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic, 29 April 2011; S-17, the situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic, 22 August 2011; S-18, the human rights situation in the Syrian Arab Republic, 2 December 2011.
[22] S-19, the human rights situation in the Syrian Arab Republic, 1 June 2012.
[21] S-20, the human rights situation in the Central African Republic, 20 January 2014; S-21, the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem, 23 July 2014; S-22, The human rights situation in Iraq in the light of abuses committed by the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and associated groups, 1 September 2014.
[23] S-23/1, Atrocities committed by the terrorist group Boko Haram and its effects on human rights in the affected states (21 May 2015); S-24/1, Preventing the deterioration of the human rights situation in Burundi (17 December 2015).
[24] S-25/1, The deteriorating situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic, and the recent situation in Aleppo (21 October 2016); S-26/1, Situation of human rights in South Sudan (14 December 2016).
[25] 2006: See OHCHR Annual Report (2006) http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/AboutUs/annualreport2006.pdf. Country-specific: Belarus; Burundi; Cambodia; Cuba; DPRK; DRC; Eritrea; Haiti; Liberia; Myanmar; OPT; Somalia; Sudan; Uzbekistan. Thematic: Adequate housing; people of African descent; arbitrary detention; sale of children;; education; enforced or involuntary disappearances; extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; extreme poverty; food; foreign debt;freedom of opinion and expression; freedom of religion or belief; health; human rights defenders; independence of judges and lawyers; indigenous peoples; internally displaced persons; international solidarity; mercenaries; migrants; minority issues; racism; terrorism; torture; toxic and dangerous products and wastes; trafficking in persons; transnational corporations; violence against women; water.
[26] 2007: See OHCHR Annual Report (2007) http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Press/OHCHR_Report_07_Full.pdf.Country-specific: mandate discontinued on Uzbekistan. Thematic: No change.
[27] 2008: See OHCHR, Annual Report (2008) http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Press/OHCHR_Report_2008.pdf.Country-specific: mandates discontinued on Belarus, Cuba, DRC, Liberia. Thematic: New mandates created on slavery, right to water.
[28] 2009: See OHCHR Annual Report (2009) http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/I_OHCHR_Rep_2009_complete_final.pdf. Country Specific: No change. Thematic: New mandate created on cultural rights.
[29] 2010: See OHCHR Annual Report (2010) http://www2.ohchr.org/english/ohchrreport2010/web_version/media/pdf/24_Human_Rights_Council_SP.pdf. Country-specific:. No change. Thematic: new mandates created on freedom of peaceful assembly and association; discrimination against women in law and practice; the mandate on internally displaced persons was changed from Special Rapporteur of the Secretary-General to Special Rapporteur.
[30] 2011: See OHCHR Annual Report (2011) http://www2.ohchr.org/english/ohchrreport2011/web_version/ohchr_report2011_web/allegati/30_Human_Rights_Council_and_Special_Procedures.pdf. Country-specific: new mandates on Cote d’Ivoire, Iran, and Syria. Thematic: new mandates created on democratic and equitable international order; truth justice, reparation, and guarantees of non-recurrence; working group on transnational corporations and other business enterprises (replacing the SR on transnational corporations); the mandate on toxic and dangerous products and wastes was extended to cover the implications for human rights of environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes; the mandate on extreme poverty was changed from Independent Expert to Special Rapporteur.
[31] 2012: See OHCHR Annual Report (2012) http://www2.ohchr.org/english/ohchrreport2012/web_en/allegati/24_Human%20Rights_Council_and_Special_Procedures_Division.pdf Country-specific: New mandates created on Belarus and Eritrea, discontinued on Burundi. Thematic: new mandates created on human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment; the mandate on cultural rights was changed from Independent Expert to Special Rapporteur.
[32] 2013: See OHCHR Annual Report (2013) http://www2.ohchr.org/english/OHCHRReport2013/WEB_version/allegati/24_HRCSP_Division.pdf Country-specific: New mandates created on the Central African Republic and Mali; Thematic: New mandate created on the enjoyment of human rights by older persons.
[33] 2014: See OHCHR Annual Report (2014) http://www2.ohchr.org/english/OHCHRReport2014/WEB_version/allegati/19_Human%20Rights_Council_and_Special_Procedures_Division_2014.pdfCountry-specific: the Independent Expert on human rights in Cote d’Ivoire was replaced by the IE on capacity-building and technical cooperation in the Cote d’Ivoire. Thematic: New mandates created on the rights of persons with disabilities and unilateral coercive measures; the mandate on minority issues was changed from Independent Expert to Special Rapporteur.[32] 2015: See OHCHR Annual Report (2015)
[34] 2015: See OHCHR Current and Former Mandate-Holders for Existing Mandates, http://www2.ohchr.org/english/OHCHRreport2015/allegati/19_Human_Rights_Council_Mechanisms_Division_2015.pdfCountry-specific: No change; Thematic: New thematic mandates created on the rights of persons with albinism and privacy. The mandate on human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment was changed from Independent Expert to Special Rapporteur.
[35] 2016: See OHCHR Current and Former Mandate-Holders for Existing Mandates, http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/SP/Pages/Currentmandateholders.aspx. Country-specific: No change. Country-specific mandates exist on Belarus, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Mali, Myanmar, OPT, Somalia, Sudan, and Syria. Thematic: New mandates created on the right to development, protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The title of the mandate on right to water was changed to “water and sanitation” to reflect the distinct rights to water and sanitation.