RES/36/29 Promoting international cooperation to support national human rights follow-up systems, processes and related mechanisms, and their contribution to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

GE.17-17799(E)



Human Rights Council Thirty-sixth session

11–29 September 2017

Agenda item 10

Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 29 September 2017

36/29. Promoting international cooperation to support national

human rights follow-up systems, processes and related

mechanisms, and their contribution to the implementation of

the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

The Human Rights Council,

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

Recalling General Assembly resolutions 48/141 of 20 December 1993, 60/251 of 15

March 2006 and 65/281 of 17 June 2011 and Human Rights Council resolutions 5/1 of 18

June 2007, 16/21 of 25 March 2011 and 30/25 of 2 October 2015,

Recalling also General Assembly resolution 70/1 of 25 September 2015, in which

the Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,

Recognizing that the 2030 Agenda and its Goals and targets are integrated and

indivisible, balance the three dimensions of sustainable development and seek to realize all

human rights of all,

Reaffirming its commitment to the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action,

adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna on 25 June 1993,

Emphasizing the responsibilities of all States, in conformity with the Charter of the

United Nations, to respect, protect and promote human rights and fundamental freedoms for

all, without distinction of any kind as to race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or

other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, disability or other status,

Recalling that one of the purposes of the United Nations enshrined in the Charter is

to achieve international cooperation in promoting and encouraging respect for human

rights,

Recognizing that the enhancement of international cooperation in the field of human

rights is essential for the full achievement of the purposes of the United Nations, including

the effective promotion and protection of all human rights,

Considering that international cooperation, in conformity with the purposes and

principles set out in the Charter and international law, provide an effective and practical

contribution to preventing violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Affirming that technical cooperation, provided in consultation with, and with the

consent of, the States concerned, should be an inclusive exercise that engages and involves

all national stakeholders, including government agencies, national human rights institutions

and civil society, at all stages,

Recognizing the important, valuable and mutually reinforcing role and contribution

of all human rights mechanisms of international and regional human rights systems in the

promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Reiterating the importance and added value of technical assistance and capacity-

building provided in consultation with, and with the consent of, the States concerned to

ensure follow-up to and the effective implementation of their respective international

human rights obligations and commitments,

Recognizing that the promotion and protection of human rights should be based on

the principles of cooperation and genuine dialogue in all relevant forums, including in the

context of the universal periodic review, and be aimed at strengthening the capacity of

States to implement their respective human rights obligations and commitments,

Recognizing also the important and constructive role played by parliaments, national

human rights institutions, civil society and other relevant stakeholders in the universal

periodic review mechanism, and encouraging their continued and unhindered participation

in and contribution to national human rights follow-up systems and processes,

Recognizing further that States, with the support from the United Nations system,

have increasingly adopted comprehensive and permanent approaches to reporting to the

international human rights system and to implementing recommendations through, for

instance, the establishment or strengthening of national human rights follow-up systems

and processes, including, as appropriate, national mechanisms for reporting and follow-up,

Underlining that such mechanisms can facilitate the task of clustering and

prioritizing recommendations and of mainstreaming them into national human rights action

plans, policies and working programmes, as appropriate, thus contributing to preventing the

recurrence of human rights violations,

Affirming that this holistic approach to all human rights recommendations can

contribute to a better alignment of human rights and sustainable development efforts at the

national level,

Acknowledging the important work of the Office of the United Nations High

Commissioner for Human Rights in continuously updating the Universal Human Rights

Index, clustering human rights recommendations and developing methodologies to identify,

where applicable, synergies among human rights recommendations and the Sustainable

Development Goals,

Noting that the 2030 Agenda is guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter,

including full respect for international law, that it is grounded in the Universal Declaration

of Human Rights, international human rights treaties, the Millennium Declaration and the

2005 World Summit Outcome, that it is informed by other instruments, such as the

Declaration on the Right to Development, and that it is to be implemented in a manner that

is consistent with the rights and obligations of States under international law,

Welcoming the technical assistance and capacity-building provided by the Office of

the High Commissioner and by the United Nations Development Programme, through

United Nations Resident Coordinators and United Nations country teams, in consultation

with, and with the consent of, the States concerned, particularly with a view to supporting

the establishment or the strengthening of national human rights follow-up systems and

processes, including, as appropriate, national mechanisms for reporting and follow-up,

Recalling Human Rights Council resolution 6/17 of 28 September 2008, in which

the Council requested the Secretary-General to establish a universal periodic review

voluntary trust fund to facilitate the participation of developing countries, particularly least

developing countries, in the universal periodic review mechanism, and to establish the

voluntary fund for financial and technical assistance, to be administered jointly with the

universal periodic review voluntary trust fund, in order to provide, in conjunction with

multilateral funding mechanisms, a source of financial and technical assistance to help

countries to implement recommendations emanating from the universal periodic review in

consultation with, and with the consent of, the States concerned,

Recalling also the beginning of the third universal periodic review cycle, during

which all States Members of the United Nations will undergo a review of their fulfilment of

their human rights obligations and commitments,

Considering the third cycle of the universal periodic review an opportunity to

strengthen the engagement of all States in the follow-up and implementation of human

rights recommendations, including through the provision of technical assistance and

capacity-building, provided upon request and with the consent of the States concerned,

Reaffirming the importance of strengthening the relevance and impact of human

rights recommendations by providing technical assistance and capacity-building for their

implementation, upon request and with the consent of the States concerned, including

through the establishment or strengthening of national human rights mechanisms for

reporting and follow-up, in collaboration with United Nations country teams,

1. Welcomes the holding of the panel discussion on promoting international

cooperation to support national follow-up systems and processes, held on 9 November

2016, during the twenty-sixth session of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic

Review, and the summary report thereon, submitted by the United Nations High

Commissioner for Human Rights to the Human Rights Council at its thirty-fourth session;1

2. Encourages States to establish or strengthen national human rights follow-up

systems and processes, including, as appropriate, national mechanisms on reporting and

follow-up, to seek, as needed, technical assistance and capacity-building, and to share

experiences and good practices to that end;

3. Encourages States and other relevant stakeholders to promote technical

assistance and capacity-building, upon the request of, and in accordance with the priorities

set by, the States concerned, aimed at sharing experiences and good practices in the follow-

up to international human rights recommendations;

4. Requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to

continue to provide technical assistance and capacity-building, upon the request of, and in

accordance with the priorities set by, the States concerned, on the establishment or the

strengthening of national human rights follow-up systems and processes, including, as

appropriate, of national mechanisms for reporting and follow-up;

5. Invites States to gradually increase their voluntary contributions to the United

Nations Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights, the

Voluntary Fund for Financial and Technical Assistance for the Implementation of the

1 A/HRC/34/24.

Universal Periodic Review and other relevant trust funds, in order to enable States, upon

request and in accordance with their priorities, to establish or strengthen their respective

national human rights follow-up systems and processes, including, as appropriate, their

national mechanisms for reporting and follow-up;

6. Recognizes that national human rights mechanisms for reporting and follow-

up could make a contribution to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals

by strengthening the capacity of States to assess needs, set priorities and implement

measures that effectively promote and protect, including on a preventive basis, the human

rights of all persons, especially those living in vulnerable situations, thus leaving no one

behind;

7. Also recognizes the importance of strengthening capacities and building

synergies at the national level for the implementation of the Sustainable Development

Goals, with due consideration given to human rights recommendations and standards;

8. Requests the Office of the High Commissioner to continue to compile, assess

and raise awareness of good practices, challenges and lessons learned on the potential

contribution of national human rights follow-up systems and processes, including, as

appropriate, of national mechanisms for reporting and follow-up, to the implementation of

human rights recommendations and, where applicable, to the achievement of the

Sustainable Development Goals, building on the activities undertaken in the field of

national policies and human rights and on the enhancement of technical assistance and

capacity-building programmes;

9. Decides to remain seized of the matter.

42nd meeting

29 September 2017

[Adopted without a vote.]