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Council extends mandates on Democratic People's Republic of Korea, human rights defenders, enforced disappearances and sale of children

Attachments

Human Rights Council
AFTERNOON

Texts also Adopted on Defamation of Religions, Right of Palestinian People to Self-Determination, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and Right to Food

The Human Rights Council this afternoon decided to extend for three years the mandates of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, the Working Group on enforced and involuntary disappearances, and the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. It also decided to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for one year. The Council did not renew the mandate of the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Council also adopted texts on the human rights of persons with disabilities; on human rights and arbitrary detention of nationality; on the role of good governance in the promotion and protection of human rights; on the right to food; on the situation of human rights in Sudan; on the right of Palestinian people to self-determination; on Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan; and on combating defamation of religions.

Of the thirteen resolutions adopted this afternoon, four were adopted by a vote and nine by consensus without a vote.

The resolution extending the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, in which the Council also requested the Special Rapporteur to promote the effective and comprehensive implementation of the Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, was adopted without a vote.

The resolution extending the mandate of the Working Group on enforced or involuntary disappearances, in which the Council encouraged the Working Group to promote communication between families of disappeared persons and the Governments concerned, with a view to ensuring that cases were investigated, was adopted without a vote.

The resolution extending the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, which also requested the Special Rapporteur to continue, through continuous and constructive dialogue, the analysis of the root causes of the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, addressing all the contributing factors, especially the demand factor, was adopted without a vote.

The resolution extending the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, in which the Council urged the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to cooperate fully with the Special Rapporteur and to respond favourably to his requests to visit the country and to provide him with all necessary information to enable him to fulfil his mandate, was adopted by a vote of 22 in favour, 7 against and 18 abstentions.

The resolution on technical cooperation and advisory services in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which did not renew the mandate of the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, welcomed the cooperation of the country with the thematic Special Procedures of the Council and its invitations to a number of them, with a view to obtaining tangible improvements on the ground.

The resolution on the situation of human rights in Sudan urged the Government to continue cooperating fully with the Special Rapporteur and to respond favourably to her requests to visit all parts of Sudan and to provide her with all necessary information so as to enable her to fulfil her mandate even more effectively. It also expressed the council's deep concern at the seriousness of the ongoing violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in some parts of Darfur.

With regard to the other decisions taken this afternoon, the Council adopted the resolution on the role of good governance in the promotion and protection of human rights by a vote of 41 in favour, none against and 6 abstentions. The resolution on Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the Occupied Syrian Golan was adopted by a vote of 46 in favour, 1 against and no abstentions. The resolution on combating defamation of religions was also adopted by a vote of 21 in favour, 10 against and 14 abstentions.

The resolutions on the human rights of persons with disabilities; on human rights and arbitrary detention of nationality; the right to food; the situation of human rights in Sudan; and the right of Palestinian people to self-determination were adopted without a vote.

Speaking as concerned countries were the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Sudan, Israel, Palestine and Syria.

Speaking to introduce the resolutions, or in general comments or explanations of the vote before the vote were Norway, Russian Federation, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan in a national capacity, Pakistan on behalf of the organization of the Islamic Conference, Egypt in a national capacity, Egypt on behalf of the African Group, China, New Zealand, Mexico, the Russian Federation, Poland, Cuba, Sri Lanka, France, Uruguay, the United Kingdom, Slovenia on behalf of the European Union, Japan, Canada, Indonesia, the Philippines and Saudi Arabia.

When the Human Rights Council resumes its work at 11 a.m. on Friday, 28 March, it will continue to take action on draft resolutions and decisions tabled during the current session. The Council will conclude its seventh regular session on Friday.