ISHR

To coincide with the #HRCpledging events in New York and Geneva hosted by ISHR and Amnesty International, ISHR has published a 'scorecard' for each State standing for election to the UN Human Rights Council.

The scorecards offer a quick ‘at-a-glance’ objective comparison of the candidates, focusing on their cooperation with the Council, their support for civil society, their engagement with UN treaty bodies and Special Procedures, whether they have spoken out in concern about reprisals, and whether they have established a national human rights institution.

This year, a new criteria examines whether a candidate has taken a leadership role regarding country situations of concern or crisis - more specifically, whether the candidate initiated or significantly pushed an action which has raised at least two country situations in a qualitative and  informed way.  

It is now more important than ever for the Human Rights Council to ensure that it is the legitimate, influential body that the global human rights situation demands.

'If the Council is to fulfil its promise and mandate, it must be comprised of Member States that uphold the highest human rights standards and cooperate fully with the Council - as required by General Assembly resolution 60/251. Members must have a genuine commitment to promoting universal human rights and defending those who advocate for them,’ said ISHR’s Human Rights Council Advocate Salma El Hosseiny.

The scorecards and #HRCpledging events are an important contribution in this regard. The scorecards are intended to give a brief overview of the candidate’s relationship with UN mechanisms, and increase transparency in the elections.

However, ISHR acknowledges that data limitations and the need for objectivity mean that many of the criteria are concerned with form rather than substance.  

'For example, the fact that a State has accepted a high number of UPR recommendations says nothing about the extent to which recommendations have been implemented on the ground,' ISHR's Programme Manager and Legal Counsel Tess McEvoy stated. 

‘We encourage these 'at-a-glance' scorecards to be read in conjunction with the more in-depth reporting on country situations and human rights record such as the world reports produced by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, and the election guide published by the Universal Rights Group,' said McEvoy. 

'More importantly, we urge voting States to treat human rights considerations as paramount in electing members to the Council, and to prioritise fundamental human rights over political or economic interests.’

Voting on candidates for the Human Rights Council will take place at the UN General Assembly in October 2018.  

Scorecards are available for:

• Argentina
• Austria
• Bahamas
• Bahrain
• Bangladesh
• Bulgaria
• Burkina Faso
• Cameroon
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Eritrea
• Fiji
• India
• Italy
• Philippines
• Somalia
• Togo
• Uruguay

Public pledges on a States’ candidacy are another valuable contribution. To date, the following candidate States have published a public pledge – Argentina, Austria, Bahamas, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Fiji, India, Italy and Uruguay. 

Scorecards from 2017 are available here. 

The sources and criteria for the scorecards are set out here and below:

Contact: Salma El Hosseiny at [email protected] or +41 79 596 76 75 (Geneva) and Tess McEvoy at [email protected] (New York), International Service for Human Rights

Today the UN General Assembly approved the UN Secretary General's nomination of Michelle Bachelet as the new UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Bachelet, ex-President of Chile and ex Executive Director of UN Women, will start her four-year term on 1 September. 

ISHR’s Executive Director Phil Lynch welcomed the appointment and emphasised the importance of the new High Commissioner making the protection of human rights defenders a top priority for the Office. 

'The work of human rights defenders makes the world and our communities more fair and just. Despite this, attacks and threats against defenders are on the rise. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights must be proactive and unstinting in the promotion and protection of the rights of defenders,’ said Lynch.

'As the UN's human rights chief, the High Commissioner needs to be the fiercest defender of human rights defenders.’   

ISHR offers the following recommendations to ensure that the situation of human rights defenders is placed at the fore of the concerns of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and promoted throughout the UN system. The High Commissioner should:

• Be proactive in consulting and working in partnership with civil society on a regular basis
• Speak out on cases of threats, attacks and reprisals against civil society and demand accountability, calling for and supporting impartial investigations and prosecution of perpetrators
• Work with States to fulfil the promises of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, including through the development of specific laws, policies and mechanisms to protect defenders
• Build strategic alliances with States, civil society, academics and business enterprises with a shared interest in human rights and the rule of law
• Define an operating procedure at OHCHR to ensure that all the offices establish and apply minimum standards in regard to their work on human rights defenders (bearing in mind local context)
• Work closely with the Secretary-General to ensure that all UN agencies contribute to the protection of defenders and an enabling environment for their work

This year is an important one for human rights defenders. 2018 marks the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the UN Declaration on human rights defenders. 

'The High Commissioner should consider kicking off her tenure with a clear and categorical statement about the vital work of defenders,' said ISHR's Co-Director in New York, Eleanor Openshaw. 'This would signal the significance of this year’s anniversary and the importance the new High Commissioner places on this issue.'

ISHR looks forward to the opportunity to engage directly with the new High Commissioner on a range of human rights concerns, including ensuring the respect of the rights of human rights defenders. 

'As High Commissioner, Michelle Bachelet will have the support of a vibrant, committed and passionate global community of human rights defenders, dedicated to making the world fairer and more just for all. We look forward to working with her,' Lynch said.

With the end of the tenure of Zeid Ra'ad Zeid al-Hussein as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Lynch noted:

'Zeid Ra'ad Zeid al-Hussein has been a passionate and unstinting supporter of human rights defenders during his time as High Commissioner. He has been a principled, independent and outspoken champion of human rights for all. We would like to thank Mr al Hussein for his work and wish him well for the future.'

Contact:  Phil Lynch  [email protected] or +41 76 708 4738

Photo:  Michelle Bachelet Official site