RES/27/26 National policies and human rights

GE.General Assembly resolution 60/1. 4-17880 (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

27/26

National policies and human rights

The Human Rights Council,

Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,

Guided also by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard

of achievement for all peoples and all nations,

Recalling all relevant international human rights treaties, including the International

Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social

and Cultural Rights,

Recalling also Human Rights Council resolution 23/19 of 23 June 2013 on national

policies and human rights,

Recalling further that States emphasized in the Vienna Declaration and Programme

of Action and the 2005 World Summit Outcome1 that they bear the responsibility, in

conformity with the Charter, to develop and encourage 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,

Bearing in mind that States should integrate their obligations under international

human rights law into their national legislation in order to ensure that State action at the

national level is effectively directed towards the promotion and protection of all human

rights and fundamental freedoms,

Noting that State action aimed at the promotion, protection and full realization of

human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national level is most effective when fully

integrated into national policies based on a human rights perspective,

Reaffirming that all human rights are inalienable, universal, indivisible,

interdependent and interrelated and that, therefore, national policies aimed at their

promotion and protection will also have a mutually reinforcing effect on their realization,

Recognizing that each State has the right to choose the framework that is best suited

to its particular needs at the national level,

Reaffirming the importance of international cooperation to support States in the

process of integrating their obligations and commitments under international human rights

law into national legislation, and drawing up and carrying out national policies aimed at the

full realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Recognizing the important and constructive role that national human rights

institutions and civil society can play in the process of drawing up and assessing the impact

of national policies aimed at the promotion, protection and full realization of human rights

and fundamental freedoms,

Bearing in mind that technical cooperation offered by the Office of the United

Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, upon request of and in close cooperation

with States, with the aim of integrating human rights into national policies and programmes

can be a useful vehicle to support States’ compliance with their human rights obligations, as

well as their follow-up to recommendations made by the United Nations human rights

mechanisms,

Affirming that the participation of members of all sectors of society in debating and

developing policies and programmes affecting the population is critical for the success of

such processes,

Recognizing that public policies planned and formulated through participatory

approaches are key for promoting respect for, and safeguarding of, the realization of human

rights,

1. Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Office of the United Nations

High Commissioner for Human Rights on technical assistance and capacity-building

options for integrating human rights into national policies;A/HRC/27/41.

2. Acknowledges the efforts made by the Office of the High Commissioner, in

both technical assistance and capacity-building, upon request and in close cooperation with

States, to align laws, policies, institutions and practices with their human rights obligations

and commitments, to implement accepted universal periodic review recommendations and

to follow up on recommendations made by other United Nations human rights mechanisms;

3. Recommends that States integrate into their national policies a human rights

perspective aimed at the promotion, protection and full realization of human rights and

fundamental freedoms;

4. Decides to convene, at its twenty-eighth session, a panel discussion on the

issue of national policies and human rights, with a particular focus on the findings of the

report, 2 identifying challenges, further developments and good practices in mainstreaming

human rights in national policies and programmes;

5. Requests the High Commissioner to prepare a summary report on the

discussions of the panel, and to present it to the Human Rights Council before its thirtieth

session;

6. Decides to remain seized of this issue.

40th meeting

26 September 2014

[Adopted without a vote.]