Human Rights Council Annual Report: Statement by Omar Zniber, President of the Human Rights Council, to the 79th session of the General Assembly, New York

Thank you, Mr. Vice-President.

Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates, 

It is an honour for me to address the General Assembly today in my capacity as President of the Human Rights Council, and present to you the annual report of this essential organ. 

Allow me to begin by extending my congratulations to the newly elected members of the Council. 

The annual report I am presenting this morning and its addendum contain the resolutions, decisions, and President’s statement adopted by the Council at its three regular sessions in 2024. During this reporting period, the Council adopted a total of 139 texts, addressing a wide range of thematic and country-specific human rights issues. 

Despite the international atmosphere as well as lack of financial resources, the Council advanced in its work to promote and protect human rights by facilitating dialogue and limiting the polarization that threatens the capacity of the Council to fulfil its important mandate and tasks.

It is also important to underline that the Council has worked, and still works, almost on a permanent basis throughout the year, given the diversity and the weight of the issues and matters it has to deal with as well as the active involvement of its membership and all stakeholders, as illustrated by new thematics introduced this year and the adoption of related new texts. 

Being aware of these challenges, the Presidency continued the efforts of my predecessors to strengthen the Council’s efficiency and effectiveness through various efficiency processes, especially those on the rationalization of initiatives, the UPR and the use of new technologies within the Council, matters strongly related to the work you are pursuing here in New York. Bearing in mind the future decisions your august body will have to make concerning the future of the Human Rights Council, the membership in Geneva is more and more actively engaged in these processes, preparing in the best way how the Council itself could express reflections and suggestions towards this goal. 

Mr. Vice-President, distinguished delegates,

This year again, the Human Rights Council further broadened the span of human rights issues on its agenda. These issues range from a culture of peace to discrimination against intersex persons, from the protection of Seafarers to the safety of the child, and from the elimination of domestic violence to social integration of persons released from prison. These new thematic resolutions bring with them newly mandated activities, such as reports, studies, workshops, panel discussions, and inter-sessional meetings. 

The Council also continued to focus its attention on technical assistance and capacity building in many countries. 

Throughout it three regular sessions this year, the Council also dealt with the human rights issues linked with the current conflicts around the globe, especially those affecting civilian populations and creating harsh tensions at the international level and having negative consequences in relation to the respect for international humanitarian law. The Council has regularly pronounced itself and drawn attention to the importance of protecting civilian populations and respecting international human rights obligations, be it in the Middle East, Europe, Africa and other situations having severe impact in terms of respect or disrespect of human rights. 

Among the resolutions adopted by the Council this year, some made recommendations to the General Assembly for example: resolution 55/20 on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, resolution 55/22 on the situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic, and resolution 55/28 on the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.

Moreover, Council resolution 57/25 encourages the General Assembly to proclaim a second International Decade for People of African Descent, and resolution 57/15 invites the General Assembly to consider holding a high-level plenary meeting on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Additionally, in April of this year, the Council adopted by consensus decision 55/116, through which it requested the General Assembly to consider authorizing the Human Rights Council to continue its practice of using remote participation modalities for all its future formal and informal meetings during its sessions, its organizational and intersessional meetings, the meetings of its subsidiary bodies and mechanisms, including the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council.

Mr. Vice-President, distinguished delegates,

The Council’s Universal Periodic Review continues to be one of the most results-oriented processes of the Council, creating a positive, constructive atmosphere within the Council.

The Council’s annual panel discussion on technical cooperation and capacity-building put a particular focus this year on the implementation of UPR recommendations. During the discussion, States from all regions made calls to prioritize funding for the implementation of UPR recommendations.

Interaction with the Special Procedures remains one of the Council’s essential activities, especially given their role to clarify situations and answer important questions as requested by their mandates. Which is why the norms and principles governing this mechanism must be preserved and respected, to allow the Council to achieve its duties in conformity with the decisions it takes on various issues. This, while also keeping in mind the diversity of the thematics and issues dealt with by the Special Procedures and the necessity for the Council to consider the outcomes in an acceptable and rationalized approach. It is in our best interest to cooperate with all of the mandates established by the Council.

By its nature, the Council should be inclusive at the utmost. In this regard, I wish to strongly underline the important role being played by the small island developing states and the least developed countries in the Council’s work and deliberations. Needless to highlight the added value of the contribution of the SIDS and LDCs on various agenda items and especially those attached to their main concerns, inter alia development, climate change and overcoming vulnerabilities. This is why all efforts must be extended to put into place the necessary logistics to facilitate such contributions to the Council’s work. Allow me to take this opportunity to commend the generosity of the donors who have contributed to the Voluntary Trust Fund for the participation of SIDS and LDCs in the work of the Council.  

The question of accessibility for persons with disabilities must equally be maintained at the core of our efforts, aiming to address an equal participation for all of the Council’s members and stakeholders.

Let me also draw your attention to the fundamental role played by national human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations in the work of the Council. They enrich our debates by bringing a unique perspective along with detailed information based on their first-hand knowledge and proximity with the field, close to the populations the Council is mandated to serve.

Monsieur le Vice-Président,
Excellences,
Mesdames et Messieurs,

Je prends aussi la liberté dans la présentation de ce rapport de mettre en évidence les initiatives que la Présidence marocaine a encouragé durant les travaux de cette année.

A cet égard, j’ai veillé personnellement à organiser des discussions présidentielles informelles sur des sujet de grandes préoccupation concernant leurs impacts respectifs sur la jouissance des droits de l’homme.

Il en a été ainsi pour l’impact des changements climatiques sur la sécurité alimentaire et la sécurité sanitaire, de même que pour les effets de l’intelligence artificielle et des défis qu’elle impose du point de vue des protection des droits de l’homme.

Ces sujets ont été abordés avec des contributions riches et significatives des Organisations Internationales, représentés par leur leadership mais aussi des académiciens et des experts qui ont contribué en donnant un éclairage de façon à ce que le Conseil s’approprie dans un proche future de ces sujets en lien direct avec la garantie des droits de l’homme.

Les résumés de ces discussions ont été recensés dans des écrits partagés avec la Présidence de l’Assemblée Générale ici à New York de qu’avec les co-facilitateurs qui avaient la responsabilité de préparer le Sommet pour le Future et le « Global Digital Compact ».

D’ailleurs à ce propos, j’estime qu’une coordination plus étroite du Conseil avec un certain nombre d’agences qui traitent de sujets dont le Conseil se préoccupe ne peut qu’être bénéfique.

Aussi, la Présidence a veillé à inscrire, dans ses priorités, la question de l’égalité des genres, consciente qu’elle est aussi considérée au même niveau ici à New York, le résultat ayant été l’établissement d’un Conseil Consultatif devant soutenir les efforts de la Présidence du Conseil des Droits de l’Homme. La composition de ce Conseil reflète aussi l’importance de tout l’écosystème genevois qui va contribuer à enrichir les débats et les réflexions qui s’y teindront.

Je voudrais avant de conclure ces propos, souligner sans surprise combien aujourd’hui la question du financement du Conseil des Droits de l’Homme est devenue prioritaire. Conscient de ce défi majeur, la Présidence a démultiplié les efforts pour la rationalisation des travaux et leur efficacité, cherchant à tout mettre en œuvre pour surmonter le poids de plus en plus lourd engendrer par les mandats nombreux qu’adopte le Conseil et les requêtes y associés.

أصحاب السعادة
السيدات والسادة

في ختام هذا العرض التقديمي لتقرير الرئاسة حول أشغال مجلس حقوق الإنسان، لا يفوتني أن أعبر عن شكري العميق للسيد المفوض السامي لحقوق الإنسان، و كل أعضاء الطاقم العامل معه، على الدعم الموصول والقوي للمجلس ورئاسته، لتمكينه من النهوض بالمهام المنوطة به، في أفق تعزيز جميع حقوق الإنسان وحمايتها في كافة أنحاء العالم.

ومن هذا المنظور، لا يسعني إلا أن أثني على التعاون البناء وروح التفاهم والحوار المثمر الذي طبع دوما علاقات رئاسة المجلس بالمفوضية السامية، اللذين تحدوهما الرغبة في خدمة الاهداف النبيلة للمنتظم الدولي، وتدعيم الدبلوماسية المتعددة الاطراف، وتحقيق المسعى المشترك في ترقية واحترام حقوق الإنسان المتعارف عليها دوليا، بما فيها الحقوق المدنية والثقافية والاقتصادية والسياسية والاجتماعية.

This was, Mr. Vice-President, the presentation of the annual report of the Human Rights Council of this year to the General Assembly. I thank you Excellency, likewise I would like to thank all of the distinguished delegates.

Thank you.