RES/34/40 Promoting 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.17-05581(E)

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Human Rights Council Thirty-fourth session

27 February–24 March 2017

Agenda item 10

Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 24 March 2017

34/40. Promoting 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 its resolution 19/26 of 23 March 2012 establishing the 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,

Recalling also its decision 31/115 of 23 March 2016 on the holding of a high-level

panel discussion on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Human Rights Council and

the value placed upon the participation of all States Members of the United Nations in the

work of the Council,

Reaffirming its resolution 33/28 of 30 September 2016 on the enhancement of

technical cooperation and capacity-building in the field of human rights, and welcoming the

panel discussion under agenda item 10 to be held during its thirty-fifth session, entitled “A

decade of technical cooperation and capacity-building in the Human Rights Council:

challenges and the way forward”,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 70/1 of 25 September 2015 on the 2030

Agenda for Sustainable Development,

Recognizing that the enhancement of international cooperation is essential for the

effective promotion and protection of human rights,

Recognizing also the importance of enhancing international support for

implementing effective and targeted capacity-building in developing countries to support

national plans to implement the Sustainable Development Goals,

Recognizing further the importance of the universal participation of all States

Members of the United Nations in the work of the Human Rights Council,

United Nations A/HRC/RES/34/40

General Assembly

1. Welcomes the efforts of 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 to meet fully its mandate;

2. Recognizes the continued achievements of the Trust Fund since its

operationalization in 2014, and in particular its contribution to the following:

(a) The commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the Human Rights Council at

its thirty-second session in June 2016, at which there was universal representation of States

Members of the United Nations for the first time;

(b) The creation and provision of an e-learning tool, in the working languages of

the secretariat of the Trust Fund, providing initial training and information on the rules,

functioning and customary practices of the Council and its mechanisms;

(c) The participation of 70 delegates, namely 39 women and 31 men, from 51

least developed countries and small island developing States, in the work of the Council;

(d) The participation of eight delegates from least developed countries and small

island developing States in its fellowship programme to support their delegations in the

work of the Council;

(e) Induction training prior to the sessions of the Council;

3. Encourages the secretariat of the Trust Fund to continue its training and

capacity-building activities and briefings regarding the conduct and management of the

Trust Fund;

4. Expresses appreciation for the efforts made by the secretariat of the Trust

Fund to conduct its work in different working languages of the United Nations;

5. Recognizes the broadest application of the terms “least developed countries”

and “small island developing States” used by United Nations programmes and entities

when considering applications to the Trust Fund;

6. Encourages the Trust Fund to support the conduct of at least one briefing on

the outcomes of the regular and special sessions of the Human Rights Council each year in

New York, prior to the commencement of each session of the General Assembly, for least

developed countries and small island developing States, with a view to supporting the

engagement of these delegations in the work of the Third Committee;

7. Also encourages the Trust Fund to support the conduct of a workshop in

Africa, in Asia and the Pacific, and in the Caribbean, before the tenth anniversary of the

Trust Fund, reflecting on its achievements, identifying where further improvements might

be made and assessing the value of its activities in fulfilling its training and capacity-

building mandate in support of the engagement of least developed countries and small

island developing States in the work of the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms;

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

Rights to prepare a report, in consultation with the beneficiaries of the Trust Fund, in which

the Office evaluates the activities of the Trust Fund in meeting its training and capacity-

building mandate, and to present the report to the Human Rights Council at its forty-ninth

session, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Trust Fund;

9. Welcomes with appreciation the voluntary contributions of States to the Trust

Fund, and encourages all States to make such voluntary contributions.

59th meeting

24 March 2017

[Adopted without a vote.]