The Inside Track HRC57 looks ahead at the 57th regular session of the Council, which runs from Monday, 9th September 2024 to 11th October 2024 . It aims to provide those interested in the Council’s work with an at-a-glance brief on what to expect from HRC57: the key issues, debates, and questions that are expected to keep delegates busy; the country situations that will require the Council’s attention; and the draft resolutions that will be negotiated and voted upon.
The Inside Track is produced by the Universal Rights Group with the support of the Permanent Mission of Singapore.
- On 9th September, H.E. Mr. Volker Türk, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, will open HRC57 with a presentation of the human rights situation around the world.
- During the session, the Council will consider country-specific reports by the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General covering human rights issues in, inter alia: Nicaragua; the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem; Myanmar; Yemen; Honduras; Democratic Republic of the Congo; and Cambodia. Additionally, the High Commissioner will deliver oral updates/presentations on cooperation with and assistance to Ukraine, and on the implementation of Council resolution 54/25 on a world of sports free from racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance.
- Other oral updates on country situations by Special Procedures mandate holders will focus on the human rights situation in Afghanistan, Nicaragua, Ukraine, and Belarus.
- The Council will also hear an oral update from OHCHR regarding technical assistance and capacity-building for South Sudan.
- It will also consider the High Commissioner’s and Secretary-General’s reports on a number of thematic issues, including inter alia:
- Question of death penalty.
- Right to development.
- Indigenous Peoples.
- Youth.
- Right to education by every girl.
- Terrorism.
- Climate change.
- Civil society space.
- Cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights.
- National human rights institutions.
- The Council will hold 19 interactive dialogues with Special Procedures mandate-holders, including 14 thematic mandate holders dealing with: arbitrary detention; contemporary forms of slavery; development; enforced or involuntary disappearances; Indigenous Peoples; international order; mercenaries; older persons; peasants; People of African Descendent; toxics and human rights; truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence; unilateral coercive measures; and water and sanitation; and as well as 5 country-specific mandate holders on Burundi; Cambodia; the Russian Federation; Central African Republic; and Somalia.
- In addition, the Council will also hold interactive dialogues with 6 investigative mechanisms: the Group of Independent Experts on the Human Rights Situation in Belarus; the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic; the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine; the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan; the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; and the International Team of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- Pursuant to President’s statement PRST OS/17/1 of 8th December 2023, the reports and oral updates of the High Commissioner, the Secretary-General and the subsidiary bodies that were presented during HRC56 will be considered during the relevant general debates at HRC57.
- Based on the initiatives formally announced during the HRC57 organisational meeting, the Council is expected to act on around 32 draft resolutions and other texts. The deadline for submitting draft resolutions has been set at 1 PM on Wednesday, 2nd October 2024.
- The Council will adopt the UPR outcome reports of 14 States: New Zealand, Afghanistan, Chile, Viet Nam, Uruguay, Yemen, Vanuatu, North Macedonia, the Comoros, Slovakia, Eritrea, Cyprus, the Dominican Republic and Cambodia
- Additionally, it is expected that four new mandate-holders will be appointed, including the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus; a member of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent (Western European and other States); one member of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (Asia-Pacific States); and one member of the Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination (Latin American and Caribbean States). On 26 August 2024, the President released the list of proposed candidates for the first two vacancies. More information on the upcoming appointments and the candidates can be found here.
For the full draft programme of work for HRC57, please click here.
Find the English version of the Inside Track here.
Find the French version of the Inside Track here.
