52nd session of the Human Rights Council

Reports by High Commissioner for Human Rights 

Oral updates and country reports delivered by the High Commissioner on the work of his Office covered country situations including Nicaragua, the Sudan, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Myanmar, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Cyprus, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ukraine and South Sudan.  

The National Human Rights Commission of India issued a statement in response to the Commissioner’s report on ensuring equitable, affordable, timely and universal access for all countries to vaccines in response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. 

The NHRI of Colombia also delivered a statement in response to the Commissioner’s oral update on the report on OHCHR activities in Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras.  

Finally, the NHRI of Ukraine issued a statement in response to the Commissioner’s oral report on Ukraine.  

Interaction with Special Procedures mandate holders  

The Human Rights Council engaged in interactive dialogues with a variety of Special Procedures mandate holders. Many NHRIs participated in these dialogues via oral and video statements, including: 

• Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material, to whom the Commission des droits de l’homme of Cameroon delivered a statement.  
• Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context, to whom the NHRIs of Burundi and India delivered statements.  
• Special Rapporteur on the right to food, to whom the National Human Rights Commission of India delivered a statement. 
• Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism, to whom the NHRI of Burundi delivered a statement. 
• Special Rapporteur on the issue of human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment, to whom the NHRIs of Slovenia and India delivered statements. 
• Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, to whom the NHRIs of Burundi and Qatar delivered statements. 
• Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, to whom the National Human Rights Committee of Qatar delivered a statement.  
• Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, to whom the NHRI of Ukraine delivered a statement.  
• Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy, to whom the National Human Rights Commission of India delivered a statement. 
• Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, to whom the NHRI of Denmark on behalf of GANHRI, as well as the NHRIs of Burundi and Ukraine delivered statements.  
• Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, to whom the NHRI of El Salvador delivered a statement on behalf of GANHRI. 
• Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, to whom the NHRI of Burundi delivered a statement.  

Interaction with Human Rights Council–mandated investigative bodies 

The Council also addressed serious country specific situations, including Myanmar, Iran, Ukraine, Syria, Venezuela, Belarus, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Ethiopia. Several NHRIs engaged in interactive dialogues with these bodies, including: 

• The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, to whom the NHRI of Ukraine delivered a statement.  
• The International Commission of Human Rights Experts on the situation of human rights in Ethiopia, to whom the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission delivered a statement. 

Panels and Annual Discussions 

The 52nd Session of the Human Rights Council saw the continuation of panels and discussions taking place on the protection and mainstreaming of human rights for vulnerable groups.  NHRIs engaged in the following discussions: 

• The National Human Rights Council of Morocco delivered a statement during the Annual full-day meeting on the rights of the child. 
• The NHRI of Canada on behalf of GANHRI Working Group on the rights of persons with disabilities as well as the NHRI of Burundi issued statements during the Annual interactive debate on the rights of persons with disabilities. 

NHRIs’ engagement and participation in such discussions constitute an important aspect of the promotion of human rights for all human beings without discrimination. In such interactions, NHRIs emphasized the importance of ensuring that all types of services, including those provided in the digital sphere, are accessible and meet the needs of the most vulnerable groups, such as persons with disabilities, older persons or children.  

Adoption of UPR reports 

The Council adopted the UPR Working Group reports on Bahrain, Ecuador, Tunisia, Morocco, Indonesia, Finland, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, India, Algeria, the Philippines, Brazil, Poland, the Netherlands and South Africa. The NHRIs of Ecuador, Morocco, Indonesia, Finland, Northern Ireland, the Philippines, the Netherlands and South Africa delivered statements upon the adoption of the reports. 

Resolutions adopted by  the Human Rights Council at the 52nd Session  

The Human Rights Council (HRC) adopted 43 resolutions; 15 adopted by a recorded vote, including “Situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran and “The negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights”.  

The remaining resolutions were adopted by consensus, such as “Question of the realization in all countries of economic, social and cultural rights” and  “Cooperation with regional human rights organizations”. The text of the resolutions and the results of vote are available here.  

The HRC in the resolution on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (A/HRC/52/L.5/Rev.1) renewed the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (SR), Allice Edwards, for a further period of three years, stressing the importance of cooperation with national human rights institutions for her mandate. The HRC urged all States to assist the SR in the performance of her tasks, as well as to become parties to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the Optional Protocol thereto, and to establish independent and effective national preventive mechanisms.  

The HRC also recognized the non-derogable nature of the right to be free from torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The HRC urged States to adopt a victim-centered and gender-sensitive approach in the fight against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.   

In the resolution on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment (A/HRC/52/L.7), the HRC urged all States to respect, protect and fulfil human rights, including the rights to life and to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, to an adequate standard of living, to adequate food, to safe drinking water and sanitation, and to housing and cultural rights. The HRC recognized the negative implications, both direct and indirect, of the impacts of climate change for the effective enjoyment of all human rights. As such, the HRC urged States to adopt and implement strong laws ensuring the rights to participation, to access to information and to justice, including to an effective remedy, in environmental matters. 

The HRC additionally recognized the important role of national human rights institutions in the promotion of the enjoyment of the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, and encouraged States to enhance cooperation with them on the implementation of such a right. The HRC urged States to promote a safe and enabling environment in which individuals, civil society organizations, including environmental human right defenders and those working on human rights and environmental issues, can operate free from threats, hindrance and insecurity.  

The HRC in the resolution on human rights defenders (A_HRC_52_L.1) renewed the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders (SR), Mary Lawlor, for a further period of three years. The HRC expressed its grave concerns regarding the serious risks faced by human rights defenders due to threats, attacks, reprisals and acts of intimidation against them. The HRC thus urged all States to create a safe and enabling environment in which human rights defenders can operate free from hindrance and insecurity, as well as to cooperate and assist the SR in the performance of her tasks.  

The HRC also emphasized the role played by national human rights institutions at the local, national, regional and international levels in the promotion and protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all. 

GANHRI’s engagement with the Human Rights Council and support to NHRIs   

GANHRI’s statement for the General Segment commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 30th anniversary of the Paris Principles, which provide a roadmap for NHRIs to effectively fulfill their role in protecting and promoting human rights. GANHRI remarked the importance of accelerating progress concerning the implementation of Paris Principles compliant NHRIs worldwide under the Sustainable Development Goal 16 by 2030.  

In the statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment (SR), GANHRI welcomed the report of the SR on good practices in national criminalization, investigation, prosecution and sentencing for offences of torture. GANHR recalled the quintessential role played in the fight against torture and other forms of ill-treatment by NHRIs, many of which also serve as national preventive mechanisms under the OPCAT. Finally, GANHRI announced the celebration of its 14th International Conference in Copenhagen, which will focus on the fight against torture.  

During the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, GANHRI warmly welcomed the report of the SR on achievements by human rights defenders, as well as the references of such report to NHRIs and their regional networks. GANHRI called on all States to renew the mandate of the SR, as well as to promote the work of human rights defenders while ensuring the existence of safe working conditions for them.  

GANHRI’s Head Office supported NHRIs to engage with the Human Rights Council providing guidance and timely response to inquiries from NHRIs for the drafting and delivery of their video-statements. 

Watch the HRC52 UN Webcast

Annual discussion on rights of the child

• Morocco: Conseil national des droits de l’homme, Speaker: Mr. Khalid Hanefioui, Chargé des droits de l’enfant  Download