RES/27/20 Enhancement of technical cooperation and capacity-building in the field of human rights

GE.A/HRC/26/51. 4-17886 (E)

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Human Rights Council Twenty-seventh session

Agenda item 10

Technical assistance and capacity-building

Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council

27/20

Enhancement of technical cooperation and capacity-building in the

field of human rights

The Human Rights Council,

Guided by the purposes and principles of the United Nations, particularly with

regard to achieving international cooperation in promoting and encouraging respect for

human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction of any kind, such as

race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin,

property, birth or other status,

Reaffirming the obligation of States under the Charter of the United Nations to

promote universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Recognizing that the enhancement of international cooperation is essential for the

effective promotion and protection of human rights, which should be based on the

principles of cooperation and genuine dialogue and aimed at strengthening the capacity of

States to prevent human rights violations and comply with their human rights obligations

for the benefit of all human beings,

Recalling its mandate to promote advisory services, technical assistance and

capacity-building, to be provided in consultation with and with the consent of States

concerned, and provisions in Human Rights Council resolutions 5/1 and 5/2 of 18 June

2007 and 16/21 of 25 March 2011 that aim to enable the Council to fulfil such a mandate,

Reaffirming that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and in rights,

and recalling the provisions of the Declaration on the Right to Development, which state

that human beings are the central subject of development and are entitled to participate in,

contribute to and enjoy economic, social, cultural and political development, in which all

human rights and fundamental freedoms can be fully realized,

Emphasizing that all human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to

development, which are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated, are of

crucial importance for all policies and programmes to eradicate poverty and promote

inclusive, equitable, people-centred and sustainable development, and that respect for and

promotion and protection of human rights are an integral part of effective work towards the

Millennium Development Goals,

Welcoming proposed goals aimed at the eradication of poverty and the promotion of

sustainable, inclusive and equitable development in the outcome document of the Open

Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals, with due consideration given to the

promotion and protection of economic, social and cultural rights, as well as civil and

political rights, in accordance with States’ obligations under international human rights law,

and emphasizing that these proposed goals and considerations should be taken into account

in the formulation of the post-2015 development agenda,

1. Reaffirms that States have the primary responsibility for the promotion and

protection of human rights, and emphasizes the need to promote a cooperative and

constructive approach to international cooperation for the promotion and protection of

human rights and to enhance the role of the Human Rights Council in promoting advisory

services, technical assistance and capacity-building, particularly through the discussions

held under agenda item 10;

2. Reaffirms also that each country must take primary responsibility for its own

development and that the role of national policies and strategies cannot be overemphasized

in the achievement of sustainable development and poverty eradication, and recognizes that

increased, effective national efforts should be complemented by concrete, effective and

supportive international programmes, measures and policies, including technical

cooperation, aimed at expanding development opportunities and the building institutional

and technical capacities of developing countries, while taking into account national

conditions and ensuring respect for national ownership strategies and sovereignty, in

accordance with General Assembly resolution 67/224 of 21 December 2012 on the Second

United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (2008-2017);

3. Encourages that the following elements be taken into account, as appropriate,

in devising the aforementioned national policies and strategies, with due consideration

given to the national context:

(a) To ensure that such policies and strategies are in line with the State’s

obligations under international human rights law and are carried out in a non-

discriminatory, participatory, transparent and accountable manner;

(b) To respond to the needs, and to promote the empowerment and realization of

the rights, of the poorest and disadvantaged, and people in vulnerable situations, and to take

into account the guiding principles on extreme poverty and human rights, adopted by the

Human Rights Council in its resolution 21/11 on 27 September 2012;

(c) To actively engage with and promote free, informed and meaningful

participation of all relevant stakeholders, especially in decision-making on public policies

that affect their lives;

(d) To ensure transparency and accountability by providing accessible and

adequate information, including information on the rights of all relevant stakeholders;

4. Affirms that technical cooperation should be an inclusive exercise that

engages and involves all national stakeholders, including government agencies and civil

society, at all stages;

5. Welcomes the panel discussion held under agenda item 10 of the Human

Rights Council at its twenty-sixth session on the theme “Technical cooperation and

capacity-building in advancing the rights of persons with disabilities through legal and

institutional frameworks, including public-private partnerships”, which underscored the

need to ensure that persons with disabilities could participate in and benefit from society on

an equal basis with others through, inter alia, the promotion of the rights of persons with

disabilities and the mainstreaming of such rights in development policies;

6. Calls upon the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and

relevant United Nations agencies to continue to provide technical cooperation to States,

upon their request, in the implementation of their human rights obligations and accepted

universal periodic review recommendations to ensure and promote the full realization of the

rights of persons with disabilities;

7. Welcomes the efforts made by the Office of the High Commissioner to

provide technical assistance and capacity-building to States, and emphasizes that such

technical assistance and capacity-building shall be provided in consultation with and with

the consent of the States concerned;

8. Also welcomes the report of the Board of Trustees of the United Nations

Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights submitted to the

Human Rights Council at its twenty-sixth session,1 and encourages the Office of the High

Commissioner to fully implement the recommendations made by the Board to ensure

effectiveness of technical cooperation, while encouraging States to enhance voluntary

contributions for the relevant United Nations funds to support technical assistance and

capacity-building, particularly the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Technical

Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights, the Voluntary Fund for Participation in

Universal Periodic Review Mechanism and the Voluntary Fund for Financial and Technical

Assistance for the Implementation of the Universal Periodic Review;

9. Decides, in accordance with paragraphs 3 and 4 of Human Rights Council

resolution 18/18 of 29 September 2011, that the theme for the annual thematic panel

discussion under agenda item 10 to be held at the twenty-eighth session of the Council shall

be “Technical cooperation to support inclusive and participatory development and poverty

eradication at the national level”;

10. Requests the High Commissioner to prepare a report on the technical

assistance provided by his Office to support inclusive and participatory development at the

national level, for submission to the Human Rights Council at its twenty-eighth session, to

serve as a basis for the thematic panel discussion, and to liaise with States, relevant United

Nations bodies and agencies, relevant special procedures and other stakeholders with a

view to ensuring their participation in the thematic panel discussion.

39th meeting

25 September 2014

[Adopted without a vote.]