EU Statement – United Nations General Assembly: Report of the Human Rights Council
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Madam President,
The European Union and its Member States warmly welcome you in New York, Ambassador Khan, and thank you for the presentation of the annual report of the Human Rights Council to the General Assembly.
The Candidate Countries the Republic of North Macedonia*, Montenegro*, the country of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidate Bosnia and Herzegovina, align themselves with this statement.
The Human Rights Council is often spearheading the evolution of international human rights, including in new fields as it did during the 48th session with the landmark resolution recognising that a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is a human right and calling upon all States to take urgent action to give it immediate effect. In her dialogue with the Third Committee two weeks ago, High Commissioner Bachelet relayed this call.
The Human Rights Council also continues to be reactive to acute human rights crisis, as it has demonstrated with Special Sessions on Myanmar, on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and on Afghanistan this year, and with new initiatives such as the one proposed by the EU on Belarus. The EU welcomes this capacity of the Human Rights Council to not only address violations and abuses of human rights, including gross and systematic violations and abuses, but also respond promptly to human rights emergencies, and to improve human rights standards and their implementation worldwide through systematic work on relevant thematic issues.
We regret that the mandate of the Group of Eminent Experts on Yemen was not renewed during the last session, in spite of the dire humanitarian situation and the unabated human rights violations and abuses committed on the ground.
We welcome other recent decisions of the HRC, including the creation of Special Rapporteurs on Afghanistan and on Burundi, the renewal of the mandate of the Fact-Finding Mission on Libya and of the Special Rapporteurs on Belarus, Eritrea, and Iran, the call for additional resources for the Special Rapporteur on Myanmar, the reporting requested of the High Commissioner on the situation of human rights in Tigray, and for the work of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, as well as further decisions to address a number of country situations.
The EU is supportive of more synergies between the HRC and the Third Committee, while at the same time ensuring that the mandate, the independence and the work of the HRC are respected. We also underline the importance for the HRC to use the existing mechanisms to play a stronger prevention role, including by transferring reports and other materials to the General Assembly and Security Council when relevant. A stronger link between the Human Rights Council and the Security Council is key: Peace and Security and Human Rights belong together. We also regret that the briefing to the HRC by the PBC could not yet take place and hope that it will take place soon.
The EU also reiterates the complementarity of country specific resolutions and the establishment of accountability mechanisms with the Universal Periodic Review, the system of Special Procedures and all other mechanisms of the Council. We welcome the Council’ commitment to provide technical assistance and capacity building to governments that need it.
We follow with interest the discussion on HRC efficiency that is continuing in Geneva and look forward to the outcome of the work of the co-facilitators on HRC efficiency that you have appointed earlier this year. As regards the HRC status review, we share your views that the General Assembly should involve the HRC, for it to provide its expertise in the process whenever it starts.
With regard to the UN Treaty Bodies, the EU calls on the Treaty Body chairs to increase efforts with a view to the establishment of a predictable calendar of review cycles, as well as the introduction of harmonized, streamlined and modern working methods. While we acknowledge the flexibility shown in adopting virtual working methods during the COVID-19 pandemic, we urge the chairs to make rapid progress, on the basis of previous reports of the chairs and based on last year’s recommendations of the co-facilitators on the future of the treaty body system.
The EU remains committed to a strong HRC, and in particular to the mandate holders it appoints and the renewal of their mandate. Special Procedures must keep their freedom to choose the themes of their reports without feeling under the threat of a non-renewal of their mandate. Any kind of pressure against mandate holders is unacceptable. The EU also calls upon States to cooperate with the Special Procedures and give them access.
The EU strongly condemns acts of intimidation and reprisal against those who have cooperated, cooperate or seek to cooperate with the UN’s human rights mechanisms, including in New York and in Geneva. These actions simply cannot be tolerated and the UN System must more actively oppose them.
The EU supports a close involvement of civil society in the work of the General Assembly, including the Third Committee. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has rather hampered the exercise of this right, at least here in New York. We are therefore looking forward to a meeting of the Committee with civil society following this Third Committee session, and we observe with interest that the HRC has managed to involve more closely civil society in its work.
Madam President,
Two weeks ago, new HRC members for the period 2022-2024 have been elected by the General Assembly. We welcome the diverse membership of the HRC and encourage countries that have never been members to consider their candidatures. The EU also wants to remind that Resolution 60/251, setting up this Council, makes clear that Council members shall “uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights” and “fully cooperate with the Council”. We expect that all HRC members adhere to these important principles. All 27 EU Member States have issued a standing invitation to all Special Procedures and the EU institutions have received all their visits upon their request. We encourage all members to do the same.
We regret that not all candidates have participated in the meeting on commitments organized by a group of NGOs ahead of the election: we believe that it would be useful to jointly and actively encourage all candidates to participate next year.
In conclusion, let me reiterate the EU’s ongoing commitment to contribute to the work of the Human Rights Council and to further strengthen its role in the protection and development of international human rights law as well as in the prevention of human rights violations and abuses. We will continue to systematically uphold and ensure implementation of existing international norms and standards, to strongly advocate for the universality of human rights and to promote the observance by all States of all human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Thank you.
* The Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.