The Human Rights Council opened its thirty-fourth regular session yesterday, 27 February and will continue till 24 March 2017. The first day of the council commenced by hearing an address by António Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General, Peter Thomson, President of the General Assembly; Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; and Didier Burkhaulter, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland. António Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General, in his opening address said member states should be part of the cure by upholding the rights of all people and all states. Followed by Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Right’s plea to uphold the rights of all. He said “We will not sit idly by. For we have much to lose, so much to protect.”

The HRC session provide a space for civil society and human right organizations like International Council Supporting Fair Trial and Human Rights (ICSFT) to bring their advocacy and address the root causes for human rights violations with the aim of elevating the protection and promotion of human rights according to international standards. It is also a chance to bridge the gap between the international and local levels, by providing information about human rights and human rights violations on the ground.

This session welcomes the largest number of dignitaries in the high-level segment ever, 107 dignitaries, and 11 delegates from least developed countries and Small Island States. At this upcoming session, 9 expert panel discussions and 76 reports will be held, seven vacancies of mandate holders will be filled and over 25 resolutions will be presented, discussed, and adopted.

Among others, the following resolutions will be discussed that are of our organizations priority concerns as well.

• Resolution on the effects of terrorism on all human rights (tabled by Algeria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt)

• Resolution on freedom of religion and belief (tabled by the European Union)

• Resolution on persons who belong to minorities (tabled by Austria, Slovenia and Senegal)

• Resolution on Palestinian occupied territories (tabled by Pakistan)

• Resolution for mandate renewal of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders (tabled by Norway)

• Resolution for mandate renewal of the Special Rapporteur Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (tabled by Denmark)

The human rights situation in Bahrain is expected to take the center stage at this council session owing to the continuously deteriorating human rights situation in the country. Reports of torture and ill-treatment by security forces and severe restrictions on the rights to free expression, assembly and association, unlawful executions and lack of investigation and independent judiciary need to be highlighted and addressed during this session. Activists have been subjected to travel bans and prevented from engaging with the council in previous sessions. Although this council has not taken action on Bahrain since its 30th session, ICSFT and other NGOs have repeatedly called on the human rights council and member states to promote and support a resolution on the country at this council’s session.  We reiterate this call and will actively campaign for its fruition during this session. It is critical that the international community take immediate steps to address this situation and strongly condemn these acts which require urgent attention.

ICSFT along with its partner organizations will actively engage with relevant stakeholders, delegations and UN organs to make sure that the current human rights situation in the Middle East is not forgotten and on the agenda. As per the usual ICSFT will actively engage with the council through different advocacy outlets including, side events, oral interventions, bilateral and multi-lateral meetings with relevant stakeholders.

During the 34th session, ICSFT along with partner organizations will organize over six side events titled, inter Alia, human rights situation in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iraq, and Democracy and human rights in the Gulf region. As well we will take the council’s floor to deliver oral statements on reprisals, human rights defenders, and country focused human rights situations that needs the council’s attention. We also have two public peaceful gatherings in front of the UN by the broken chair on the 16 & 20 March at 4:30pm. Our focus during the Human Rights Council sessions is to bring more visibility to the human rights situation in the Middle East in particular, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Yemen, and raise the level of accountability of respective governments within the frame work of the Human Rights Council. Most importantly, in doing so, we will remind countries of their human rights obligations, whether they are directly implicated in an armed conflict, or indirectly contributing to it

For more information, have a look at the calendar on the website

We will publish our statements as they are published in our advocacy document archive. More updates coming soon

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