The latest session of the Human Rights Council - the UN's principal human rights body made up of 47 member states - concluded last Friday after four intense weeks of debate. See below for our round-up of the main outcomes.
As well as adopting over 40 resolutions, the session also featured Navi Pillay's last annual report to the Council as High Commissioner for Human Rights. Ms Pillay concluded by saying "It is my most heartfelt wish that this Council, with the support of my Office, can find a way to galvanize the international community to act decisively to end this burden on the conscience of humankind."
Country-specific
Sri Lanka
As UNA-UK reported last week, one of the major achievements of the session was the decision to begin an independent investigation into allegations of war crimes in Sri Lanka. UNA-UK campaigned for this decision ahead of the crucial vote, described as "the Organization's last chance to retrieve any credibility on Sri Lanka".
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)
In response to a report of the Commission of Inquiry on DPRK, which alleges crimes against humanity are being perpetrated in the country, the Council passed a resolution recommending that the Security Council ensure:
those responsible for human rights violations, including those that may amount to crimes against humanity, are held to account, including through consideration of referral ... to the appropriate international criminal justice mechanism
Ukraine
During a general debate on human rights situations of concern, a number of member states raised the developments in Ukraine. The UK called for "all human rights violations and acts of violence" to be properly investigated. During the session the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Ivan Šimonović, led a monitoring team visit to the country.
Thematic
Human rights defenders
The Council adopted a crucial resolution on the protection of human rights defenders from reprisals and attacks, and extended the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders for three years. The importance of this issue was vividly demonstrated by two external events which took place during this session - the arrests of Sri Lankan activists Ruki Fernando and Father Praveen, held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, and the death in police custody of Cao Shunli, a Chinese activist who was detained by the authorities last September whilst attempting to fly to Geneva for UN human rights training.
Drones
A resolution introduced by Pakistan on the use of armed drones recalling the work of Special Rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights, agreed for an interactive panel discussion to be held on the issue at the September session. The resolution was adopted by a vote of 27 in favour, 6 against and 14 abstentions, with Ireland the only EU country to vote in favour. Click here for the UK's explanation of its 'no vote'.
Prevention of genocide
To commemorate the 65th anniversary of the Genocide Convention, the Council held a high-level panel discussion on the issue. Addressing the Council, Adama Dieng, Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on the prevention of genocide, called on member states to consider how the Convention could be better monitored as, unlike other human rights treaties, it currently has no monitoring mechanism.
Photo: voting on the Sri Lanka resolution. Copyright UN Photo / Jean-Marc Ferré
