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

A/HRC/RES/48/17View PDF

Who created this mandate?

A Resolution of the Human Rights Council, under agenda item 5Human rights bodies and mechanisms, published in 2021.

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?

6 topics

Accountability Crime Prevention Human Rights Activists Human Rights Violations Intimidation Reprisals

What does this mandate say?

19 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 the treaty bodies, as well as regional human rights mechanisms, both online and offline, bearing in mind that this is indispensable to enable the United Nations and its mechanisms to fulfil their mandates;

Condemns all acts of intimidation or reprisal, both online and offline, by State 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;

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

Urges all States to prevent and refrain from all acts of intimidation or reprisal, both online and offline, 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, whether online or offline, including, where necessary, by adopting and implementing specific legislation and policies to promote a safe and enabling environment for engagement with the United Nations on human rights and 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;

Calls upon States to combat impunity by conducting prompt, impartial and independent investigations and ensuring accountability for all acts of intimidation or reprisal by State and non-State actors against any individual or group that seeks to cooperate, cooperates or has cooperated with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights, both online and offline, and by condemning publicly all such acts, underlining that these can never be justified, to provide, in accordance with their international human rights obligations and commitments, access to effective remedies for victims, and to prevent any recurrence;

Also calls upon States to ensure that necessary COVID-19-related emergency measures are not unduly used to hinder the access of individuals and groups to international bodies, both online and offline, in particular the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights;

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;

Invites the Secretary-General to continue to provide the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights with adequate resources to prevent and address allegations of acts of intimidation or reprisal in the most effective and gender-responsive manner, including by ensuring a safe and enabling environment, both online and offline, for all those who seek to cooperate with the United Nations on human rights, including the Human Rights Council, the special procedures, the treaty bodies and other human rights mechanisms or United Nations forums;

Notes with appreciation the focus on civil society in the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the enjoyment of human rights around the world, including good practices and areas of concern, as a way to “build back better”;

Encourages the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights to strengthen efforts to develop and implement at the United Nations level a more comprehensive system for preventing and addressing allegations of acts of intimidation or reprisal, including by information-gathering and data analysis, and by improving and coordinating the response by all United Nations actors, and in this regard calls upon all States and relevant stakeholders to contribute to these efforts;

Welcomes the steps taken by the President of the Human Rights Council, and encourages the President to continue, in consultation with the States concerned, to use his or her good offices to address as appropriate allegations of acts of intimidation or reprisal against those who seek to cooperate, cooperate or have cooperated with the Council, and to provide information on cases brought to his or her attention at each session of the Council;

Encourages the United Nations human rights mechanisms to continue to include in their reports to the Human Rights Council and to the General Assembly respectively a regularly updated reference to credible allegations of 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, 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;

Invites the Secretary-General to submit the report he or she presents annually to the Human Rights Council on cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights also to the General Assembly, starting from its seventy-seventh session.

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