RES/17/25 Assistance to Somalia in the field of human rights

GE.11-14800

Human Rights Council Seventeenth session Agenda item 10 Technical assistance and capacity-building

Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council∗

17/25 Assistance to Somalia in the field of human rights

The Human Rights Council,

Guided by the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

Acknowledging that peace and security, development and human rights are the pillars of the United Nations system,

Reaffirming its respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence and unity of Somalia,

Recalling its resolutions 5/1 and 5/2 of 18 June 2007,

Recalling also its previous resolutions on the situation of human rights in Somalia and its decision 14/119 of 18 June 2010,

Acknowledging the commitment of and efforts made by the African Union, and especially those of the African Union Mission in Somalia, to support efforts to achieve security, reconciliation and stability, and the efforts made by the international community and regional stakeholders to help Somalia re-establish stability, peace and security on its national territory,

Acknowledging also the constructive engagement of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia and its subnational authorities in the universal periodic review, and its decision to hold a special meeting of the Council of Ministers before the end of June 2011 to consider its acceptance of numerous recommendations made at the review,

Deeply concerned about the steep rise in the number of children under five years of age who have been wounded in Mogadishu since May 2011,

Noting the unique challenges faced by the Transitional Federal Government at the national and subnational levels as it considers implementing the universal periodic review

∗ 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.

recommendations and its expressed desire to receive additional technical support and assistance from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and any willing country, including through the role of the independent expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia and of the independent consultant on the elaboration of the report of Somalia for the universal periodic review,

1. Expresses its serious concern at the human rights and humanitarian situation in Somalia;

2. Strongly condemns and calls for the immediate cessation of the grave and systematic human rights abuses perpetrated against the civilian population by Al Shabab and its affiliates;

3. Calls on Somalia to fulfil its obligations under international human rights law and international humanitarian law;

4. Urges all parties to assist in effecting unhindered humanitarian access by opening up humanitarian corridors and humanitarian spaces;

5. Calls on the Transitional Federal Government and encourages the African Union Mission in Somalia to provide their security forces with training in international human rights law and international humanitarian law, with the support of the international community;

6. Encourages the Transitional Federal Government and its subnational authorities to consider favourably the recommendations presented during the session of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, and to implement the recommendations that enjoy its support;

7. Decides to extend the mandate of the independent expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia for one year, from September 2011, with a view to maximizing the provision and flow of technical assistance to Somalia in the field of human rights, in order to support the efforts of the Transitional Federal Government and its subnational authorities to ensure respect for human rights and to strengthen the human rights regime in its work to complete the outstanding task of the transitional mandate, and requests the independent expert to report to the Human Rights Council at its twenty-first session on the situation of human rights and the implementation of technical cooperation in Somalia;

8. Requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to enhance its technical assistance for the Transitional Federal Government and its subnational authorities, including through the role of the independent consultant, in responding to and implementing follow-up to the universal periodic review recommendations accepted by Somalia;

9. Also requests the Office of the High Commissioner to provide the independent expert with all the human, technical and financial assistance necessary to carry out his mandate;

10. Decides to remain seized of the matter.

35th meeting 17 June 2011

[Adopted without a vote.]