RES/18/5 Human rights and international solidarity

GE.11-16619

Human Rights Council Eighteenth session

Agenda item 3 Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil,

political, economic, social and cultural rights,

including the right to development

Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council*

18/5 Human rights and international solidarity

The Human Rights Council,

Reaffirming all previous resolutions adopted by the Commission on Human Rights and the Human Rights Council on the issue of human rights and international solidarity, including Commission resolution 2005/55 of 20 April 2005, Council resolutions 6/3 of 27 September 2007, 7/5 of 27 March 2008, 9/2 of 24 September 2008, 12/9 of 1 October 2009, 15/13 of 30 September 2010 and 17/6 of 16 June 2011, and Council decision 16/118 of 25 March 2011, and taking note of the reports submitted by the independent expert on human rights and international solidarity, in particular the latest report,1

Underlining the fact that the processes of promoting and protecting human rights should be conducted in conformity with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law,

Recalling that, at the World Conference on Human Rights, held in June 1993, States pledged to cooperate with each other in ensuring development and eliminating obstacles to development, and stressed that the international community should promote effective international cooperation for the realization of the right to development and the elimination of obstacles to development,

Reaffirming the fact that article 4 of the Declaration on the Right to Development states that sustained action is required to promote more rapid development of developing countries and, as a complement to the efforts of developing countries, effective international cooperation is essential in order to provide these countries with the appropriate means and facilities to foster their comprehensive development,

* The resolutions and decisions adopted by the Human Rights Council will be contained in the report of

the Council on its eighteenth session (A/HRC/18/2), chap. I. 1 A/HRC/15/32.

Taking into account the fact that article 2 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights states that each State party to the Covenant undertakes to take steps, individually and through international assistance and cooperation, especially economic and technical, to the maximum of its available resources, with a view to achieving progressively the full realization of the rights recognized in the Covenant by all appropriate means, including, in particular, the adoption of legislative measures,

Persuaded that sustainable development can be promoted by peaceful coexistence, friendly relations and cooperation among States with different social, economic or political systems,

Reaffirming the fact that the widening gap between economically developed and developing countries is unsustainable and that it impedes the realization of human rights in the international community and makes it all the more imperative for every nation, according to its capacities, to make the maximum possible effort to close this gap,

Expressing its concern at the fact that the immense benefits resulting from the process of globalization and economic interdependence have not reached all countries, communities and individuals, and at the increasing marginalization from their benefits of several developing countries, particularly least developed and African countries, as well as the small and vulnerable economies,

Expressing its deep concern at the number and scale of natural disasters, diseases and agricultural pests and their increasing impact in recent years, which have resulted in a massive loss of life and long-term negative social, economic and environmental consequences for developing countries, in particular the most vulnerable countries throughout the world,

Reaffirming the crucial importance of increasing the resources allocated for official development assistance, recalling the pledge of industrialized countries to allocate 0.7 per cent of their gross national product for official development assistance, and recognizing the need for new and additional resources to finance the development programmes of developing countries,

Reaffirming also the fact that the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and the realization of the right to development call for a more enlightened approach, mindset and action based on a sense of community and international solidarity,

Determined to take new steps forward in the commitment of the international community with a view to achieving substantial progress in human rights endeavours by an increased and sustained effort of international cooperation and solidarity,

Asserting the necessity of establishing new, equitable and global links of partnership and intra-generational solidarity for the perpetuation of humankind,

Recognizing that the attention paid to the importance of international solidarity as a vital component of the efforts made by developing countries to realize the right to development of their peoples and to promote the full enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights by everyone has been insufficient,

Resolved to strive to ensure that present generations are fully aware of their responsibilities towards future ones, and that a better world is possible for both present and future generations,

1. Reaffirms the recognition set forth in the declaration adopted by the Heads of State and Government at the Millennium Summit of the fundamental value of solidarity to international relations in the twenty-first century in stating that global challenges must be managed in a way that distributes costs and burdens fairly, in accordance with basic

principles of equity and social justice, and that those who suffer or benefit least deserve help from those who benefit most;

2. Affirms that international solidarity is not limited to international assistance and cooperation, aid, charity or humanitarian assistance; it is a broader concept and principle that includes sustainability in international relations, especially international economic relations, the peaceful coexistence of all members of the international community, equal partnerships and the equitable sharing of benefits and burdens;

3. Expresses its determination to contribute to the solution of current world problems through increased international cooperation, to create conditions that will ensure that the needs and interests of future generations are not jeopardized by the burden of the past, and to hand over a better world to future generations;

4. Urges the international community to consider urgently concrete measures to promote and consolidate international assistance to developing countries in their development endeavours and for the promotion of conditions conducive to the full realization of all human rights;

5. Calls upon the international community to promote international solidarity and cooperation as an important tool to help to overcome the negative effects of the current economic, financial and climate crises, particularly in developing countries;

6. Reaffirms the fact that the promotion of international cooperation is a duty for States, that it should be implemented without any conditionality and on the basis of mutual respect, in full compliance with the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations, in particular respect for the sovereignty of States, and taking into account national priorities;

7. Affirms that much more is needed owing to the magnitude of global and local challenges, the alarming increase in natural and man-made disasters and the continuing rises in poverty and inequality; ideally, solidarity should be preventive rather than simply reactive to massive irreversible damage already caused, and must address both natural and man-made disasters;

8. Recognizes that there is an overwhelming manifestation of solidarity by States, individually and collectively, civil society, global social movements and countless people of goodwill reaching out to others;

9. Also recognizes that the so-called “third-generation rights” closely interrelated with the fundamental value of solidarity need further progressive development within the United Nations human rights machinery in order to be able to respond to the increasing challenges of international cooperation in this field;

10. Requests all States, United Nations agencies, other relevant international organizations and non-governmental organizations to mainstream the right of peoples and individuals to international solidarity into their activities, and to cooperate with the independent expert on human rights and international solidarity in her mandate, to supply all necessary information requested by her and to give serious consideration to responding favourably to her requests to visit their country to enable her to fulfil her mandate effectively;

11. Takes note of the note by the Secretariat on the report of the independent expert,A/HRC/18/34. and regrets the non-submission of the report requested by the Human Rights Council in its resolution 15/13;

12. Also takes note of the work plan presented by the independent expert to the Human Rights Council at its eighteenth session, and requests the independent expert to continue to identify areas to be addressed, the main concepts and norms that can form the basis of a framework, and good practices to inform the future development of law and policy with regard to human rights and international solidarity;

13. Requests the independent expert to continue her work in the preparation of a draft declaration on the right of peoples and individuals to international solidarity and in further developing guidelines, standards, norms and principles with a view to promoting and protecting this right by addressing, inter alia, existing and emerging obstacles to its realization;

14. Also requests the independent expert to take into account the outcomes of all major United Nations and other global summits and ministerial meetings in the economic, social and climate fields and to seek views and contributions from Governments, United Nations agencies, other relevant international organizations and non-governmental organizations in the discharge of her mandate;

15. Takes note of the steps taken by the drafting group established by the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee to consider this issue, and reiterates its requests to the Advisory Committee to prepare, in close cooperation with the independent expert, inputs to contribute to the elaboration of the draft declaration on the right of peoples and individuals to international solidarity, and to the further development of guidelines, standards, norms and principles with a view to promoting and protecting this right;

16. Requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to convene in 2012, prior to the twenty-first session of the Human Rights Council, a workshop for an exchange of views on, inter alia, the gender implications of international solidarity, the impact of a right to international solidarity, the role of international solidarity in achieving the Millennium Development Goals and the realization of the right to development, with the participation of representatives from all interested States, the independent expert, the members of the Advisory Committee dealing with this issue, and civil society;

17. Requests the independent expert to present to the Human Rights Council a summary of the discussions held at the workshop, in conformity with the programme of work of the Council;

18. Also requests the independent expert to submit a report on the implementation of the present resolution to the Human Rights Council at its twenty-first session;

19. Decides to continue its examination of this issue at its twenty-first session under the same agenda item.

35th meeting

29 September 2011

[Adopted by a recorded vote of 33 to 12, with 1 abstention. The voting was as follows:

In favour: Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chile, China, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Djibouti, Ecuador, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Thailand, Uganda, Uruguay

Against: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Poland, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, United States of America

Abstaining: Mauritania]