RES/35/29 Contribution of parliaments to the work of the Human Rights Council and its universal periodic review

GE.17-11798(E)

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Human Rights Council Thirty-fifth session

6–23 June 2017

Agenda item 5

Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 23 June 2017

35/29. Contribution of parliaments to the work of the Human Rights

Council and its universal periodic review

The Human Rights Council,

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

relevant human rights instruments,

Acknowledging the crucial role that parliaments play in, inter alia, translating

international commitments into national policies and laws, including by supporting the

implementation of recommendations generated by the international human rights

mechanisms, especially the recommendations supported by the State concerned in the

framework of the universal periodic review, as appropriate, and hence their contribution to

the fulfilment by each State Member of the United Nations of its human rights obligations

and commitments and to the strengthening of the rule of law,

Taking note of the successive resolutions adopted by the General Assembly since

2010, in particular its resolutions 65/123 of 13 December 2010, in which the Assembly

recognized the importance of continued parliamentary support for the work of the Human

Rights Council, and 66/261 of 29 May 2012, in which it encouraged the Inter-Parliamentary

Union, as the world organization of national parliaments, to strengthen its contribution to

the Council, particularly with regard to the universal periodic review, as well as resolution

68/272 of 19 May 2014, in which the Assembly welcomed the contribution of the Inter-

Parliamentary Union to the work of the Council,

Recalling Human Rights Council resolutions 22/15 of 21 March 2013, 26/29 of 27

June 2014 and 30/14 of 1 October 2015, on the contribution of parliaments to the work of

the Council and its universal periodic review,

Taking note with appreciation of the summary report of the United Nations High

Commissioner for Human Rights on the panel discussion on taking stock of the

contribution of parliaments to the work of the Human Rights Council and its universal

periodic review and identifying ways to enhance further that contribution, held on 22 June

2016,1

Considering the continued efforts made by the Inter-Parliamentary Union to enhance

parliamentary engagement in the work of the Human Rights Council, including its activities

with parliaments of States that are reviewed under the universal periodic review, and the

collaboration established since 2008 between the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the

Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women by, inter alia, making

reference to the role of parliaments in the concluding observations of the Committee to

States parties,

Noting with interest the recent publication by the Inter-Parliamentary Union,

together with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, of

the Human Rights Handbook for Parliamentarians No. 26, to assist parliamentarians in

fulfilling their responsibilities to promote and protect human rights,

Considering that the Human Rights Council and parliaments stand to gain

considerably from continuing to explore possible synergies to ensure that the universal

periodic review has the greatest impact at the national level,

1. Encourages States, in accordance with their national legal framework, to

promote the involvement of parliaments in all stages of the universal periodic review

reporting process through, inter alia the inclusion of the national parliament as a relevant

stakeholder in the consultation process for the national report and in the implementation of

supported recommendations by the State concerned, and to report on such involvement in

their national report and voluntary mid-term reports or during the interactive dialogue

session of the universal periodic review;

2. Welcomes the growing practice by States under review of including

parliamentarians in their national delegations participating in the universal periodic review,

and encourages States, as appropriate, to continue this practice;

3. Invites the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide

the Human Rights Council with regular updates on the parliamentary capacity-building and

awareness-raising activities carried out by the Office of the High Commissioner in

cooperation and coordination with the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and on related activities

with regard to the work of the Council and its universal periodic review;

4. Encourages all relevant stakeholders to promote and enhance cooperation

between their national parliaments and national human rights institutions and civil society

in the promotion and protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms;

5. Requests the Office of the High Commissioner to prepare a study, in close

cooperation with the Inter-Parliamentary Union and in consultation with States,

United Nations agencies and other relevant stakeholders, on how to promote and enhance

synergies between parliaments and the work of the Human Rights Council and its universal

periodic review, and to present it to the Council at its thirty-eighth session, in order to

provide States and other relevant stakeholders with elements that could serve as orientation

to strengthen their interaction towards the effective promotion and protection of human

rights;

6. Encourages all relevant human rights mechanisms to consider the present

resolution within the framework of their respective mandates;

1 A/HRC/35/16.

7. Decides to continue its consideration of this issue under the same agenda

item.

37th meeting

23 June 2017

[Adopted without a vote.]