Humanity’s Great Project

Each of the three annual sessions of the UN’s Human Rights Council has its own character. This reflects the issues that everyone knows will dominate the session. But each member of the Council also has their own priorities, too.

The June session of the Council starts on 13 June and runs to Friday 1 July. Like every session, it begins with the High Commissioner for Human Rights giving his equivalent of the State of the Union address, surveying the universal rights that humanity has agreed to live by. There are then days of debates structured around the Council’s fixed agenda – Item 2 to discuss the High Commissioner’s report, Item 4 to discuss countries of concern, and so on. Then there are panel debates and structured dialogues with the “Special Procedures” set up by the Council, Special Rapporteurs responsible for specific issues, but also Commissions of Inquiry like the one on Syria.

Finally, there is the process of agreeing Resolutions, 47 this time, on whatever subject the members of the Council wish to pursue and can build support for. Usually they are repeats of resolutions passed the year before, which is one of the reasons that each session has its own particular emphasis. If a country wants to try out an idea before committing to a voted resolution, they often run something called a cross-regional statement.

June is known for its focus on women’s rights and the rights of the LGB&T community. Child marriage, Female Genital Mutilation, violence against women and discrimination are all discussed. The UK will again support progress on all of these issues. We will be supporting an initiative to create a Special Rapporteur to give more focus and support for LGB&T issues around the world; we’ll also be running a major “side event” of our own on 16 June, bringing together all the Geneva initiatives promoting women’s empowerment, and also celebrating the large number of strong female candidates running for UN Secretary General this year.

Europe is also a focus of the June Council. There is a resolution which condemns the illegal annexation of Crimea, a statement on the situation in the South Ossetia region of Georgia, and a resolution on the human rights situation in Belarus that renews the Special Rapporteur’s mandate. No continent has an unblemished human rights record, and the June session helps keep the world’s focus on these important issues.

As the place where the worst human rights violations and abuses are currently taking place, Syria is always important. The UK leads the resolution each session, as part of a coalition or “core group” of western and Arab states. The resolution will reflect recent developments, and renew our support for human rights monitoring, and our commitment to accountability.

Literally dozens of other issues will be debated. Two of the most important are what the UN calls “thematic issues”. The Irish will lead a resolution on the role – and threats to – civil society. The Mexicans will lead one on migrant children.

For the UK, Burma will also be important. The High Commissioner’s Office, the OHCHR, will publish a report on the human rights of the Rohingya; how the new Burmese Government responds will be a watershed.

There will also be an update on the implementation of the reconciliation and accountability process in Sri Lanka launched by the HRC last September. We want to use the session to give that process support and momentum, and our Minister for Asia will be here this week to discuss how best to do that.

The UK will also be running a cross-regional statement on the Rule of Law with Morocco, Ethiopia, Italy and Japan. This will underline the fundamental point that an effective and independent judiciary is essential for good governance, low levels of corruption, sustained investment, and the protection of individuals and communities upon which all successful development depends.

Other issues will come up, and every Council has its surprises. But that’s as it should be. The Human Rights Council is where the world comes together to debate, and to take forward, one of humanity’s greatest projects: the idea that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.