48TH SESSION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
The UN Human Rights Council held its forty-eighth regular session virtually from 13 September to 8 October 2021
Reports by the High Commissioner for Human Rights covered multiple critical areas
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights presented several reports on the activities of her Office. These included oral updates and country reports on Ukraine, Philippines, Georgia, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Afghanistan.
The diverse reports and succeeding discussions held predominant themes regarding climate change, COVID-19, and the promotion and protection of all human rights with an emphasis on collective action, capacity building, and cooperation.
Thematic Discussions
The Council deliberated a variety of issues through committed debates with Special Procedure mandate holders. Several NHRIs participated in the dialogues via video statements, including:
- Special Rapporteur on water and sanitation, during which the National Human Rights Commission of India delivered a statement in response to the report.
- Special Rapporteur on unilateral coercive measures, during which the National Human Rights Committee of Qatar delivered a statement on the country mission report.
- Special Rapporteur on truth, justice, and reparation, during which the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission delivered a statement on a follow-up country mission report on behalf of the United Kingdom NHRIs.
Additionally, the GANHRI Working Group on Ageing responded to the report by the independent expert on older persons, and the NHRIs of India, Russia, and Morocco participated in panel discussions on human rights education and training, gender perspective, and the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of peaceful protests.
A total of 14 NHRIs delivered pre-recorded video statements in over 18 sessions of the HRC.
Country specific situations
The HRC addressed serious country specific situations including Eritrea, Ethiopia, Yemen, Belarus, Venezuela, Syria, Somalia, Ukraine, Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar and Central African Republic.
Adoption of UPR reports
The Council adopted the UPR Working Group reports on Namibia, Niger, Mozambique, Estonia, Belgium, Paraguay, Denmark, Somalia, Palau, Solomon Islands, Seychelles, Latvia, Singapore, and Sierra Leone.
The NHRIs of Denmark and Latvia delivered statements on the adoption of the reports.
Resolutions
Members of the Council adopted 25 resolutions, 11 of which were adopted by recorded vote including the resolutions on the “Situation of human rights in Afghanistan” and “the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment”. The remaining 13 resolutions were adopted by consensus, including the resolution on “Cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights.”
The text of the resolutions can be found here.
For all NHRI statements, see table below.
HRC48 NHRIs Statements
High-Level Panel Discussion on the Implementation of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training
High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation
Speaker: Tatiana Moskalkova
National Human Rights Commission India
Speaker: Anita Sinha
National Human Rights Council of Morocco
Speaker: Mr. Abdelhafid Adminou
ITEM 10: General Debate on HC/SG country reports and oral updates
Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines
Speaker: Karen Lucia Gomez-Dumpit
ITEM 3: ID with SR on unilateral coercive measures
National Human Rights Committee of Qatar
Speaker: Ameera Al-Hedfa
Country Mission Report
DownloadITEM 3: ID with Working Group on arbitrary detention
National Human Rights Commission India
Speaker: Santosh Mehra
Annual Discussion on Integration of a Gender perspective
National Human Rights Commission India
Speaker: Ms. Jyotika Lakra
ITEM 2: Enhanced ID on HC oral update on the situation of human rights in the Tigray region of Ethiopia
Ethiopian Human Rights Commission
Speaker: Daniel Bekele
ITEM3: ID with SR on truth, justice, and reparation
Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission
Speaker: Leslie Allamby
Country Mission Report (follow up–report)
DownloadITEM 3: ID with IE on older persons
Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines
Speaker: Karen Lucia Gomez-Dumpit
National Human Rights Commission India
Speaker: Dr. DM Mulay, Commissioner
National Human Rights Commission of Korea
On behalf of the GANHRI Working Group on Ageing
DownloadITEM 10: ID on HC Oral Update on Ukraine
Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights
Speaker: Liudmyla Denisova
Panel Discussion on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of peaceful protests
National Human Rights Council of Morocco
Speaker: Ms. Amina Bouayach
ITEM 7: General Debate on Report of the HC on allocation of water resources in Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem
Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights
Speaker: Mr. Issam A.A. Abualhaj
ITEM 3: ID with SR on water and sanitation
National Human Rights Commission India
Speaker: Justice Mahesh Mittal Kumar Mishra
ITEM 3: ID with Expert Mechanism on right to development
National Human Rights Commission India
Speaker: Bumbadhar Pradhan
ITEM 4: ID with Commission of Inquiry on Burundi
Burundi Independent National Council on Human Rights
Speaker: Dr. Sixte Vigny Nimuraba