RES/35/9 Elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members

GE.17-11417(E)



Human Rights Council Thirty-fifth session

6–23 June 2017

Agenda item 3

Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 22 June 2017

35/9. Elimination of discrimination against persons affected by

leprosy and their family members

The Human Rights Council,

Guided by the purposes, principles and provisions of the Charter of the United

Nations,

Guided also by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and recalling relevant

international human rights instruments, including the International Covenant on Economic,

Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Convention on the Elimination

of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the

Child,

Recalling its resolutions 5/1, on institution-building of the Human Rights Council,

and 5/2, on the Code of Conduct for Special Procedures Mandate Holders of the Council, of

18 June 2007, and stressing that the mandate holder shall discharge his or her duties in

accordance with those resolutions and the annexes thereto,

Recalling also its resolutions 8/13 of 18 June 2008, 12/7 of 1 October 2009, 15/10 of

30 September 2010 and 29/5 of 2 July 2015, and General Assembly resolution 65/215 of 21

December 2010,

Recalling further the universality, indivisibility, interdependence and

interrelatedness of all human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Welcoming the Global Leprosy Strategy 2016–2020 of the World Health

Organization, and sharing the common aspiration to accelerate towards a leprosy-free

world,

Recalling that leprosy is curable and that the human rights of persons with leprosy

could be better protected by treatment provided in the early stages, which can prevent

disability,

Deeply concerned that, in various parts of the world, persons affected by leprosy and

their family members have faced and continue to face barriers to their participation as equal

members of society, including isolation, discrimination and violations and abuses of their

human rights, and conscious that greater attention is needed to address these challenges,

Reaffirming that persons affected by leprosy and their family members, including

women and children, should be treated with dignity and are entitled to the enjoyment of all

human rights and fundamental freedoms under customary international law, relevant

conventions and national constitutions and laws,

Recognizing that persons affected by leprosy and their family members still face

multiple forms of prejudice and discrimination stemming from misinformation about and

misunderstanding of the disease throughout the world,

Recognizing also that specific attention is needed to address all forms of

discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members,

Bearing in mind the need to intensify efforts to eliminate all forms of prejudice and

discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members and to

promote policies facilitating their inclusion, throughout the world,

Stressing the importance of implementing the principles and guidelines for the

elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members,

submitted by the Advisory Committee in 2010, 1 to which Governments, relevant United

Nations bodies, specialized agencies, funds and programmes, other intergovernmental

organizations and national human rights institutions were encouraged to give due

consideration in Council resolution 15/10 and General Assembly resolution 65/215,

Welcoming the final report of the Advisory Committee, submitted pursuant to

Human Rights Council resolution 29/5, and the recommendations contained therein,2

1. Decides to appoint, for a period of three years, a Special Rapporteur on the

elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members,

with the following mandate:

(a) To follow up and report on progress made and measures taken by States for

the effective implementation of the principles and guidelines for the elimination of

discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members 1 for the

realization of the enjoyment of human rights by persons affected by leprosy and their

family members in all regions of the world, and to make recommendations to the Human

Rights Council in this regard;

(b) To engage in dialogue and consult with States and other relevant

stakeholders, including United Nations bodies, specialized agencies, funds and

programmes, in particular the World Health Organization, other intergovernmental

organizations, regional human rights mechanisms, national human rights institutions and

non-governmental organizations to identify, exchange and promote good practices relating

to the realization of the rights of persons affected by leprosy and their family members, and

to their participation as equal members of society with a view to achieving a leprosy-free

world;

(c) To raise awareness of the rights of persons affected by leprosy and their

family members and to combat stigmas, prejudices and harmful traditional practices and

beliefs that hinder their enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms and their

participation in society on an equal basis with others;

1 A/HRC/15/30, annex.

2 A/HRC/35/38.

(d) To report annually to the Human Rights Council, starting from its thirty-

eighth session;

2. Calls upon all States to cooperate with the Special Rapporteur in the

discharge of the mandate, including by providing all information requested, to give serious

consideration to responding favourably to the requests of the Special Rapporteur to visit

their countries, and to consider implementing the recommendations made in the reports of

the mandate holder;

3. Encourages all relevant stakeholders, including United Nations bodies,

specialized agencies, funds and programmes, other international organizations, regional

human rights mechanisms, national human rights institutions and non-governmental

organizations to cooperate fully with the Special Rapporteur to enable him or her to fulfil

the mandate;

4. Requests the Secretary-General and the United Nations High Commissioner

for Human Rights to provide the Special Rapporteur with all the human, technical and

financial resources necessary for the effective fulfilment of the mandate;

5. Encourages the High Commissioner and the Special Rapporteur, in

collaboration with States and with relevant international organizations such as the World

Health Organization as well as concerned non-governmental organizations, to organize

seminars on leprosy-related discrimination, at appropriate times and in appropriate

locations, in order to widely disseminate the principles and guidelines and deepen the

understanding of them among States and all other concerned stakeholders, ensuring

substantial participation by persons affected by leprosy;

6. Encourages States, all relevant stakeholders, including United Nations

bodies, specialized agencies, funds and programmes, such as the World Health

Organization, the special procedures, other international organizations, regional human

rights mechanisms, national human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations,

to participate actively in the seminars;

7. Decides to remain seized of the matter.

34th meeting

22 June 2017

[Adopted without a vote.]