This is a brief collection of text from the 56th session of the Human Rights Council (June 2024), which is relevant to the work at the United Nations in Vienna on crime.
The 10 resolutions listed below have obvious relevance to the work in Vienna. The first three in particular may contain much more relevant text.
All resolutions can be found on the extranet.
Independence of the judiciary and lawyers (L.3)
Led by Hungary, Australia, Botswana, Maldives, Mexico and Thailand.
Among other topics, the resolution addresses the use of digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, in the administration of justice.
The Council invites UN agencies, funds and programmes to continue their activities in the areas of the administration of justice and the rule of law, including at the country level at the request of the State, and encourages States to reflect such activities in their national capacity-building plans.
Peaceful protests (L.19/Rev.1)
Led by Switzerland and Costa Rica.
Among other topics, the resolution addresses digital technologies, recalls relevant resources, and commissions additional activities, in collaboration with UNODC.
The Council encourages States’ use of a number of resources:
The Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials;
The Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials; and its supplement: The United Nations Human Rights Guidance on Less-Lethal Weapons in Law Enforcement;
The Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death;
The Resource Book on the Use of Force and Firearms in Law Enforcement published by OHCHR and UNODC;
The updated training package of OHCHR on human rights law and law enforcement;
The specific technical and practical toolkit based on international standards and best practices developed by the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, in collaboration with UNODC and OHCHR, the Model Protocol for Law Enforcement Officials to Promote and Protect Human Rights in the Context of Peaceful Protests, and its three supplementary components, comprising action-oriented checklists, guidance on the use of digital technologies by law enforcement in the context of peaceful protests, and an outline of a handbook on facilitating peaceful protests for law enforcement officials;
The Council encourages States to seek relevant technical assistance for the facilitation of assemblies, where appropriate, including from OHCHR and UNODC, among others.
It requests the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, in collaboration with OHCHR and UNODC, to convene before June 2026 a global consultation on the role of different stakeholders in promoting the application of the technical and practical toolkit developed pursuant to Council resolution 50/21.
It also requests OHCHR, in collaboration with the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association and UNODC, to support country-level application of the practical toolkit for law enforcement officials, pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 50/21, through technical cooperation in-country workshops and follow-up in each region, conducted with the agreement of a country, by June 2027.
Mandate of the International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement (L.21)
Led by the African Group.
The Council stresses that everyone, including people and communities of African descent, should be able to participate in an inclusive manner and guide the design and implementation of processes that contribute to halting, reversing and repairing the lasting consequences and ongoing manifestations of systemic racism, and notably acknowledging the important role that young people have played and should continue to play in these processes.
It decides to renew the mandate of the International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement, comprising three experts with law enforcement and human rights expertise, until September 2027.
Civilian acquisition, possession and use of firearms (L.9/Rev.1)
Led by Ecuador and Peru.
The Council takes note with appreciation of the report of OHCHR on the impact of civilian acquisition, possession and use of firearms, in which the High Commissioner examined firearms-related death and injury and its human rights consequences, factors driving the availability of firearms, as well as the way in which business enterprises, in particular the firearms industry, contribute to driving the availability of firearms, and their commitment to implementing the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
It requests the High Commissioner to present in June 2025 a report on the impact of civilian acquisition, possession and use of firearms and the underlying root causes and risk factors driving firearms-related violence on the right to participate in cultural life and the right to take part in the conduct of public affairs.
Freedom of opinion and expression (L.12)
Led by the Netherlands, Brazil, Canada, Fiji, Namibia and Sweden.
The Council reaffirms that the right to freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds is critical to combating corruption and addressing disinformation and misinformation, strengthening democracy, the rule of law and good governance, and ensuring transparency and accountability.
Safety of the child in the digital environment (L.11/Rev.1)
Led by Egypt, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Senegal, Singapore and the UAE.
The Council reaffirms that the global challenge of the safety of the child in the digital environment requires a global coordinated response, international cooperation and national coordination, and that national efforts will be less effective without international cooperation and coordination, and takes note of the work of the Committee on the Rights of the Child related to the safety of the child in the digital environment.
It requests OHCHR to convene five regional workshops, including through hybrid modalities, to assess the risks to the safety of the child in the digital environment, with the participation of UNODC, among others.
Technology-facilitated gender-based violence (L.15)
Led by Belgium, Albania, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Morocco.
Elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and girls (L.25/Rev.1)
Led by Mexico and Chile.
The Council is concerned about the disproportionate level of incarceration of women and girls for crimes related to poverty, such as theft, fraud, inability to pay debts and other offences related to homelessness or poor living conditions, and the discriminatory application of public order offences, such as loitering, vagrancy, public nuisance and public indecency, which are often applied to women and girls experiencing poverty.
It calls upon States to ensure access to justice and accountability mechanisms and timely and effective remedies for the effective implementation and enforcement of laws aimed at preventing and eliminating all forms of discrimination and gender-based violence, including by adopting a survivor-centred approach, by informing women and girls about their rights under relevant laws in an accessible way, by improving legal infrastructure and by mainstreaming age-, disability- and gender-responsive training into justice systems to ensure equality before the law and equal protection of women and girls by the law.
Colombia (L.2)
Led by Colombia.
The Council expresses concern about the continued recruitment and use of children by non-State armed groups and organized crime.
It emphasizes the recommendation made by the international human rights expert that the Attorney General’s Office implement recommendation 32 made by the Truth Commission in its report on installing an independent mechanism, and of its contribution to dismantling criminal organizations.
It welcomes the technical advice provided by the High Commissioner, including during the process of drafting the country’s public policy on dismantling criminal organizations.
It recognizes that the public policy on dismantling criminal organizations is of the utmost importance in addressing the structural causes of violence, by safeguarding rights, including a human security approach from a human rights standpoint, and by integrating, inter alia, a gender- and ethnic-based approach, taking into account their different needs while aiming to establish effective guarantees of non-repetition through the presence and comprehensive action of the State.
The Council invites the High Commissioner to include in his report an analysis of the technical assistance and capacity-building provided to national and local authorities and other relevant actors; in line with Human Rights Council resolution 53/22.
Eritrea (L.16)
Led by the EU.
The resolution extends the mandate of the Special Rapporteur for another year.
The Council calls upon the Government of Eritrea to make progress on, inter alia, improvement in the promotion of the rule of law and strengthening of domestic judicial and law enforcement institutions.
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