Rationalisation and efficiency have been discussed and debated many times by Council delegations and in various formats. Some of the ideas from those discussions (e.g., biennialising resolutions, reducing the duration of panel discussions, reducing speaking times) have been implemented, oftentimes with positive benefits for the efficient work of the Council. Notwithstanding, it is likely that the Council has reached the limits of what these ‘tweaks’ to the Council’s methods of work can achieve. Going forward, if States agree that if there is a continued need to rationalise and improve the Council’s methods of work and mandates, and make the body yet more efficient (and thereby effective), delegations will need to either:
- Look again at more ‘structural’ reforms (within/consistent with the IBP) such as moving UPR adoptions out of regular Council sessions, or ‘staggering’ or ‘sharing’ the consideration of agenda items over the three annual sessions.
- Take responsibility themselves by lowering the number of resolutions, thereby lowering the number of interactive dialogues, reports, panels, intersessional meetings, etc., and/or agree to give meaningful consideration to the rationalisation of Special Procedures mandates. Without such individual national restraint (and, related to this, greater trust and cooperation between delegations) it will remain difficult for any President to ensure the efficiency and ultimately the functionality of the Council.
