Cooperation with the United Nations, Its Representatives and Mechanisms in the Field of Human Rights

A/HRC/RES/36/21View PDF

Who created this mandate?

A Resolution of the Human Rights Council, under agenda item 5Human rights bodies and mechanisms, published in 2017.

What other versions does this mandate have?

7 versions · 2009–2025

This is an older version — the most recent is A/HRC/RES/60/23

2025A/HRC/RES/60/23Cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rightsLatestCompare with previous version
2023A/HRC/RES/54/24Cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rightsCompare with previous version
2021A/HRC/RES/48/17Cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rightsCompare with previous version
2019A/HRC/RES/42/28Cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rightsCompare with previous version
2017A/HRC/RES/36/21Cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rightsCompare with previous version

Versions are identified automatically by matching titles within the same organ (~97% accuracy on a manual audit).

What subjects does this mandate have?

7 topics

Accountability Conferences Crime Prevention Human Rights Activists Human Rights Violations Intimidation Reprisals

What does this mandate say?

17 operative paragraphs

Reaffirms the right of everyone, individually and in association with others, to unhindered access to and communication with international bodies, in particular the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights, including the Human Rights Council, its special procedures, the universal periodic review mechanism and treaty bodies, as well as regional human rights mechanisms, bearing in mind that free and unhindered access to and communication with individuals and civil society are indeed indispensable to enable the United Nations and its mechanisms to fulfil their mandates;

Condemns all acts of intimidation or reprisal by States and non-State actors against individuals and groups who seek to cooperate, cooperate or have cooperated with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights;

Urges all States to prevent and refrain from all acts of intimidation or reprisal against those who:

Seek to cooperate, cooperate or have cooperated with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights, or who have provided testimony or information to them;

Avail or have availed themselves of procedures established under the auspices of the United Nations for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and all those who have provided legal or other assistance to them for this purpose;

Submit or have submitted communications under procedures established by human rights instruments, and all those who have provided legal or other assistance to them for this purpose;

Are relatives of victims of human rights violations or of those who have provided legal or other assistance to victims;

Urges States to take all appropriate measures to prevent the occurrence of acts of intimidation or reprisal, including, where necessary, by adopting and consequently implementing specific legislation and policies in order to effectively protect those who seek to cooperate, cooperate or have cooperated with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights from any act of intimidation or reprisal;

Also urges States to ensure accountability for any act of intimidation or reprisal against those who seek to cooperate, cooperate or have cooperated with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights by ensuring impartial, prompt and thorough investigations of any alleged act of intimidation or reprisal in order to bring the perpetrators to justice; to provide access to effective remedies for victims in accordance with their international human rights obligations and commitments; and to prevent any recurrence;

Welcomes the efforts made by States to investigate allegations of intimidation or reprisal and to bring perpetrators to justice, and encourages States to continue such efforts;

Encourages States to provide information, as appropriate, to the Human Rights Council on all measures taken by them to prevent and address acts of intimidation or reprisal against those who seek to cooperate, cooperate or have cooperated with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights, including on cases mentioned in the reports of the Secretary-General;

Stresses that information provided by all stakeholders, including civil society, to the United Nations and its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights should be credible and reliable, and must be thoroughly checked and corroborated;

Notes the important work done by the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights in relation to the mandate assigned to him by the Secretary-General in October 2016, and in this regard calls upon all States and invites international and regional organizations, human rights mechanisms, such as the special procedures and the treaty bodies, United Nations agencies and bodies, national human rights institutions, civil society and academic institutions to contribute to the fulfilment of these tasks;

Reiterates its strong rejection of any act of intimidation or reprisal against individuals and groups who seek to cooperate, cooperate or have cooperated with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights, and recalls in this regard that the Human Rights Council, its President and the Bureau should address allegations of acts of intimidation or reprisal in the most appropriate way;

Notes that the Presidents of the Human Rights Council have used their good offices to address allegations of intimidation and reprisal experienced by those engaging with the Council, and encourages the Presidents of the Council to continue to address allegations of intimidation and reprisal and to provide information on cases brought to their attention at each session of the Council;

Invites United Nations human rights mechanisms to continue to include in their reports to the Human Rights Council and to the General Assembly respectively a reference to credible allegations of intimidation or reprisal against those who seek to cooperate, cooperate or have cooperated with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights, while providing an appropriate opportunity to the State concerned to respond to the allegations transmitted to them, and to reflect the State’s response in their reports;

Decides that the presentation of the report of the Secretary-General on cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights will be followed by an interactive dialogue with a view to ensuring adequate attention to the report and to sharing good practices, challenges and lessons learned, based on the principles of cooperation and genuine dialogue, and aimed at strengthening the capacity of Member States to comply with their human rights obligations for the benefit of all people.

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What does this mandate say?

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