RES/19/26 Terms of reference for the Voluntary Technical Assistance Trust Fund to Support the Participation of Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States in the Work of the Human Rights Council

GE.12- 13062

Human Rights Council Nineteenth session

Agenda item 10

Technical assistance and capacity-building

Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council*

19/26

Terms of reference for the Voluntary Technical Assistance Trust Fund

to Support the Participation of Least Developed Countries and Small

Island Developing States in the Work of the Human Rights Council

The Human Rights Council,

Recalling Human Rights Council resolution 16/21 of 25 March 2011 and the

outcome of the review of the work and functioning of the Council annexed thereto, and in

particular paragraph 62 thereof,

Recalling also General Assembly resolution 65/281 of 17 June 2011 on the review

of the Human Rights Council,

1. Decides to establish the Voluntary Technical Assistance Trust Fund to

Support the Participation of Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States

in the Work of the Human Rights Council;

2. Also decides that the Trust Fund will support activities designed to enhance

the institutional and human capacity of least developed countries and small island

developing States, to enable their delegations to participate more fully in the work of the

Human Rights Council, upon their request, and to encourage their effective and informed

participation in consultative and decision-making processes, including negotiation sessions;

3. Requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human

Rights to make arrangements for the operationalization of the Trust Fund;

4. Decides that the Trust Fund will be used to support the participation of least

developed countries and small island developing States in the work of the Human Rights

Council, by providing funding for:

(a) Training and capacity-building, including e-learning: in partnership with the

Office of the High Commissioner and the United Nations Institute for Training and

* The resolutions and decisions adopted by the Human Rights Council will be contained in the report of the Council on its nineteenth session (A/HRC/19/2), chap. I.

Research and/or relevant academic/training institutions, the Trust Fund will support the

development of, and the participation of least developed countries and small island

developing States in, targeted training courses for officials on the international human

rights system, international human rights law and the rules and functioning of the Human

Rights Council and its mechanisms;

(b) Travel and accommodation for Government officials to participate in Human

Rights Council sessions: the Trust Fund will help least developed countries and small

island developing States, represented or not represented in Geneva, to participate in Council

sessions or to bring in supplementary support;

(c) Fellowship programmes: such programmes will cover subsistence costs to

allow officials from least developed countries and small island developing States to

undertake three-month work placements in their respective delegations to the Human

Rights Council;

(d) Induction training: the Trust Fund will support the organization, by the Office

of the High Commissioner, of induction training sessions for diplomats from least

developed countries and small island developing States assigned to cover the sessions of the

Human Rights Council and the multilateral human rights system; training sessions will be

organized to coincide with the main periods of arrival and departure from Geneva. During

the sessions, diplomats will receive focused, practical training on the work procedure of the

Council and its mechanisms.

55th meeting

23 March 2012

[Adopted without a vote.]