DEC/9/103 Strengthening of the Human Rights Council

Human Rights Council

Decision 9/103. Strengthening of the Human Rights Council

At its 22nd meeting, on 24 September 2008, the Human Rights Council decided, by

consensus, to adopt the following text:

“The Human Rights Council,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 60/251, previous relevant President’s statements

and Council decisions and resolutions, the reports related to the functioning of and support for

the Council, and underlining the crucial importance of appropriate resources to support the work

of the Council and its numerous mechanisms,

Bearing in mind the increase in meetings, documentation and other activities arising from

the establishment of the Council and the development of its related mechanisms, which will

continue to meet regularly throughout the year,

Recalling its decision 3/104 of 8 December 2006 in which the Council requested the

Secretary-General to report on means to guarantee the provision of, inter alia, translation of

documentation and webcast coverage for sessions of the Council,

Recalling also that the resulting report of the Secretary-General (A/62/125) was not fully

supported in terms of additional resources under budget sections 2 and 28,

1. Takes note of the report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for

Human Rights on conference facilities and financial support for the Human Rights Council

(A/HRC/9/18) submitted pursuant to the Council resolution 8/1,

2. Also takes note of the assessment of the Division of Conference Management at the

United Nations Office at Geneva on the situation relating to the submission of documents to the

Council, including those of the universal periodic review, and in particular the delays in the

translation of documents into the six languages of the United Nations and the assessment of the

Department of Public Information regarding the information servicing requirements of the

Council, including the webcasting of all proceedings of its working groups, taking into account

the principles of transparency, equal treatment and non-selectivity;

3. Requests the Secretary-General to present to the General Assembly during the main

segment of its sixty-third session a report with details of the resources required to ensure the

provision of necessary services indicated in the report of the Office of the High Commissioner

(A/HRC/9/18);

4. Decides to recommend that the General Assembly ensure the establishment of an

Office of the President of the Human Rights Council, with adequate staffing resources, including

the provision of necessary equipment;

5. Requests the United Nations Office at Geneva to ensure that the facilities for the

President be in the immediate vicinity of the conference room used by the Council;

6. Decides to remain seized of this issue.”

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