DEC/17/118 Establishment of the Office of the President of the Human Rights Council

GE.A/HRC/17/19. 1-14890

Human Rights Council Seventeenth session Agenda item 1 Organizational and procedural matters

Decision adopted by the Human Rights Council∗

17/118 Establishment of the Office of the President of the Human Rights Council

At its 35th meeting, on 17 June 2011, the Human Rights Council decided to adopt the following text:

“The Human Rights Council,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006 and Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 of 18 June 2007,

Recalling also General Assembly resolution 64/144 of 18 December 2009 on the office of the President of the Human Rights Council,

Recalling further that, according to the Human Rights Council, in the annex to its resolution 16/21 of 25 March 2011, the Office of the President of the Council should be established, in line with the procedural and organizational roles of the President, within existing resources, in order to support the President in the fulfilment of his or her tasks and enhance efficiency, continuity and institutional memory in this regard,

Recalling that the Office of the President should be provided with adequate resources drawn from the regular budget, including staff, office space and necessary equipment required for the fulfilment of its tasks,

Recalling also that the composition, modalities and financial implications of the Office of the President should be considered by the Human Rights Council on the basis of the report of the secretariat,1

∗ The resolutions and decisions adopted by the Human Rights Council will be contained in the report of the Council on its seventeenth session (A/HRC/17/2), chap. I.

United Nations A/HRC/DEC/17/118

General Assembly

Distr.: General 15 July 2011

Acknowledging the existing advisory services and technical assistance provided by the secretariat of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,

Having considered the report of the secretariat on the Office of the President,

1. Decides to establish an Office of the President, in accordance with the procedural and organizational roles of the President as described in the annex to Human Rights Council resolution 5/1, within existing resources, to support the President in the fulfilment of his or her tasks and to enhance efficiency and institutional memory in this regard;

2. Also decides that the appointment shall promote equitable geographical distribution and gender balance, and that the composition of the Office of the President of the Human Rights Council shall be as follows:

(a) A staff member serving as the focal point for the overall support to the President, directing the work of his or her Office, reviewing draft statements and assisting the President in all his or her consultations;

(b) A staff member responsible for organizing and preparing substantive documentation relating to various meetings, drafting statements and assisting the President in his or her consideration of legal matters;

(c) A staff member responsible for organizing and preparing minutes of meetings of the President, the handling of correspondence and queries, as well as for all administrative matters relating to the President and the Office;

3. Further decides to provide the President with the support of a public information officer through the existing position from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights;

4. Strongly encourages the incoming President of the Human Rights Council to retain one or more staff members from the preceding office in the interest of enhancing institutional memory and reinforcing continuity;

5. Decides that the staff of the Office shall be accountable to the President under his or her direction and supervision, and should serve for a one-year term, on a renewable basis;

6. Also decides that the President will select, manage and renew the staff of the Office, in consultation with the Bureau, in accordance with the United Nations Staff Regulations and Rules;

7. Further decides that the Office of the President should be operational no later than the seventh cycle of the Human Rights Council;

8. Requests the Secretary-General to ask the United Nations Office at Geneva to ensure that the staff of the Office of the President are provided with an appropriate office space, as well as the technical and organizational tools, services and instruments required for the fulfilment of their tasks.”

35th meeting 17 June 2011

[Adopted without a vote.]