RES/7/5 Mandate of the independent expert on human rights and international solidarity

Human Rights Council

Resolution 7/5. Mandate of the independent expert on human rights

and international solidarity

The Human Rights Council,

Reaffirming all previous resolutions adopted by the Commission on Human

Rights and the Human Rights Council on the issue of the human rights and international

solidarity, including Commission resolution 2005/55 of 20 April 2005,

Bearing in mind paragraph 6 of General Assembly resolution 60/251 of 15 March

2006,

Recalling its resolutions 5/1 entitled “Institution-building of the United Nations

Human Rights Council” and 5/2 entitled “Code of Conduct for Special Procedures

Mandate-holders of the Human Rights Council”, of 18 June 2007, and stressing that the

mandate-holder shall discharge his/her duties in accordance with these resolutions and

their annexes,

Recalling also the importance, in view of the promotion and protection of

international solidarity, of the declarations and programmes of action of international

conferences such as the World Conference on Human Rights, held in Vienna in 1993, the

International Conference on Financing for Development, held in Monterrey, Mexico, in

2002, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de

Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992, the World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in

Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2002, and the World Conference on Disaster Reduction,

held in Kobe, Japan, in 2005,

Reaffirming that the widening gap between economically developed and

developing countries is unsustainable and that it impedes the realization of human rights

in the international community, and makes it all the more imperative for every nation,

according to its capacities, to make the maximum effort possible to close this gap,

Recognizing that the attention paid to the importance of international solidarity as

a vital component of the efforts of developing countries towards the realization of the

right to development of their peoples and the promotion of the full enjoyment of

economic, social and cultural rights by everyone has been insufficient,

1. Decides to extend the mandate of the independent expert on human rights and

international solidarity for a period of three years:

(a) To promote the realization of the right of peoples and individuals to

international solidarity, inter alia, through the further development of guidelines,

standards, norms and principles enhancing the enjoyment of this fundamental right and

the adoption of measures at the regional and international levels, to promote and

consolidate international assistance to developing countries in their endeavours in

development and the promotion of conditions that make the full realization of all human

rights possible;

(b) To seek views and contributions from Governments, United Nations agencies,

other relevant international organizations and non-governmental organizations in the

discharge of his/her mandate, taking into account the outcomes of all major United

Nations and other global summits and ministerial meetings in the economic and social

fields;

(c) To examine ways and means of overcoming existing and emerging obstacles

to the realization of the right of peoples and individuals to international solidarity;

(d) To make recommendations on possible steps with a view to attaining

progressively the full realization of the right of peoples and individuals to international

solidarity, and suggestions to address the increasing challenges of international

cooperation;

(e) To work in close cooperation with all States and intergovernmental and non-

governmental organizations, as well as with other relevant actors representing the

broadest possible range of interests and experiences, within their respective mandates, to

mainstream fully the effective realization of the right of peoples and individuals to

international solidarity in the activities of the United Nations;

(f) To continue participating in and contributing to relevant international

conferences and events with the aim of promoting the realization of the right of peoples

and individuals to international solidarity;

2. Requests all States, United Nations agencies, other relevant international

organizations and non-governmental organizations to mainstream the right of peoples and

individuals to international solidarity in their activities, and to cooperate with the

independent expert in his/her mandate, to supply all necessary information requested by

him/her and to give serious consideration to responding favourably to the requests of the

independent expert to visit their countries, and to enable him/her to fulfil his/her mandate

effectively;

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

all necessary human and financial resources for the effective fulfillment of the mandate

of the independent expert;

4. Requests the independent expert to continue work on the preparation of a draft

declaration on the right of peoples and individuals to international solidarity and to

submit a report on the implementation of the present resolution to the Council, in

accordance with its annual programme of work;

5. Decides to continue its consideration of this matter under the same agenda item.

39th meeting

27 March 2008

Adopted by a recorded vote of 34 to 13. The voting was as follows:

In favour: Angola, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Cameroon, China, Cuba,

Djibouti, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Madagascar,

Malaysia, Mali, Mauritius, Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru,

Philippines, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Sri

Lanka, Uruguay, Zambia.

Against: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands,

Republic of Korea, Romania, Slovenia, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom of

Great Britain and Northern Ireland.