RES/37/6 The role of good governance in the promotion and protection of human rights

GE.18-04157(E)

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Human Rights Council Thirty-seventh session

26 February–23 March 2018

Agenda item 3

Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil,

political, economic, social and cultural rights,

including the right to development

Albania,* Australia, Austria,* Azerbaijan,* Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina,*

Bulgaria,* Canada,* Chile, Croatia, Cyprus,* Denmark,* Ecuador, Estonia,*

Finland,* France,* Georgia, Germany, Greece,* Haiti,* Honduras,* Hungary,

Iceland,* Ireland,* Israel,* Italy,* Latvia,* Liechtenstein,* Lithuania,* Luxembourg,*

Malta,* Mexico, Montenegro,* Morocco,* Netherlands,* New Zealand,* Nigeria,

Paraguay,* Peru, Poland,* Portugal,* Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova,*

Romania,* San Marino,* Serbia,* Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden,*

Switzerland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,* Tunisia, Turkey,*

Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of

America, Uruguay:* draft resolution

37/… The role of good governance in the promotion and protection of human rights

The Human Rights Council,

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

Guided also by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard

of achievement of all peoples and all nations, and also the Vienna Declaration and

Programme of Action, which affirmed that all human rights are universal, indivisible,

interdependent and interrelated,

Recalling all relevant international human rights treaties, including the International

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

and Cultural Rights,

Recalling also Human Rights Council resolutions 7/11 of 27 March 2008, 19/20 of

23 March 2012, 25/8 of 27 March 2014 and 31/14 of 23 March 2016, all other resolutions

relevant to the role of good governance in the promotion of human rights, and the United

Nations Millennium Declaration,

Welcoming the resolve of States parties to the United Nations Convention against

Corruption, and noting with interest the provisions of the Convention that have led to the

development of a mechanism among States parties to review their progress in combating

corruption,

* State not a member of the Human Rights Council.

Welcoming also the commitments made by all States in the 2005 World Summit

Outcome1 to make the fight against corruption a priority at all levels,

Noting the ongoing work by several important initiatives towards the deepening of

good governance practices at the national, regional and international levels,

Recognizing the importance of a conducive environment, at both the national and

international levels, for the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms and

of the mutually reinforcing relationship between good governance and human rights,

Recognizing also that transparent, responsible, accountable, open and participatory

government, responsive to the needs and aspirations of the people is the foundation on

which good governance rests, and that such a foundation is one of the indispensable

conditions for the full realization of human rights, including the right to development,

Stressing that good governance at the national and international levels is essential

for sustained economic growth, sustainable development and the eradication of poverty and

hunger, and in this context reaffirming the Millennium Declaration, the 2005 World

Summit Outcome, the outcome of the 2010 High-level Summit on the Millennium

Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,

Recognizing the increasing awareness in the international community of the

detrimental impact of widespread corruption on human rights through both the weakening

of institutions and the erosion of public trust in government, and through the impairment of

the ability of Governments to fulfil all their human rights obligations,

Recognizing also that good governance and the fight against corruption have a

central role in the promotion and protection of human rights and in the elimination of

obstacles to development,

Realizing that the fight against corruption at all levels plays an important role in the

promotion and protection of human rights and in the process of creating sustainable,

effective, accountable and transparent institutions to achieve the full enjoyment of human

rights,

Recognizing that effective anti-corruption measures and the protection of human

rights, including by strengthening transparency and accountability in government, are

mutually reinforcing,

Noting with interest the outcomes of the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh

sessions of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against

Corruption, held in Doha in 2009, in Marrakech, Morocco in 2011, in Panama City in 2013,

and in Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation in 2015, and in Vienna in 2017,

Stressing the importance of policy coherence and coordination in intergovernmental

processes in the area of the promotion and protection of human rights, on the one hand, and

of anti-corruption initiatives, on the other,

Stressing also the importance of developing and implementing national legislation

on the promotion of access to information, of establishing active, free and meaningful

participation and of strengthening the administration of justice, transparency, accountability

and good governance at all levels,

Reaffirming the right of every citizen to have access, in general terms of equality, to

public service in his or her country as enshrined in article 21 of the Universal Declaration

of Human Rights and article 25 (c) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political

Rights,

Recognizing that a professional, accountable and transparent public service

upholding the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity is one of the

essential components of good governance,

1 General Assembly resolution 60/1.

Recognizing also that the knowledge, training and awareness of public servants, and

the promotion of a human rights culture within the public service, play a vital role in

promoting respect for and the realization of human rights in society,

Recognizing further that meaningful progress towards good governance can better

be achieved with appropriate tools or mechanisms to review, measure and assess such

progress,

Welcoming the contribution of the United Nations Public Service Awards

programme, which recognizes excellence in public service to the promotion of the role,

professionalism and visibility of public service, and noting its review to align it with the

2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,

Welcoming also the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the

General Assembly in its resolution 70/1 of 25 September 2015, including its recognition of

the need to build peaceful, just and inclusive societies that provide equal access to justice

and that are based on respect for human rights, including the right to development, on

effective rule of law and good governance at all levels, and on transparent, effective and

accountable institutions,

Recalling that the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals and targets

contained therein, including their means of implementation, are universal, indivisible and

interlinked,

Emphasizing the importance to Member States of the Sustainable Development

Goals, recalling that Goal 16 is to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable

development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive

institutions at all levels, and acknowledging that efforts to implement the United Nations

Convention against Corruption also contribute to the achievement of that goal,

Taking into account the ongoing work of the United Nations system and other

relevant international and regional organizations relating to the role of good governance in

the promotion and protection of human rights,

1. Welcomes the holding by the Human Rights Council, at its thirtieth session,

of a panel discussion on a human rights-based approach to good governance in the public

service and the summary report thereon;2

2. Takes note with appreciation of the report of the United Nations High

Commissioner for Human Rights on activities and programmes of the United Nations

system contributing to the role of good governance in the promotion and protection of

human rights;3

3. Recognizes that international human rights law provides a set of standards to

guide governing processes and to assess performance outcomes, and in this regard stresses

that good governance is necessary for establishing and maintaining an environment

conducive to the promotion and protection of human rights;

4. Welcomes the growing trend towards the universal ratification of the United

Nations Convention against Corruption, encourages States that have not yet ratified this

important international instrument to consider doing so, and encourages States parties to the

Convention to promote its effective implementation;

5. Also welcomes the commitments made by all States in the 2030 Agenda for

Sustainable Development to good governance in the promotion and protection of human

rights, including in Sustainable Development Goal 16;

6. Urges States to increase their efforts and to take measures to prevent and

combat corruption in all its forms and at all levels, and thereby contributing to the

achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, including Goal 16;

2 A/HRC/31/28.

3 A/HRC/34/28.

7. Underlines that the primary responsibility lies with States at the national

level, including through their constitutional provisions and other enabling legislation,

consistent with their international obligations, to ensure that professional public services

uphold the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, and are predicated on

good governance principles, including impartiality, rule of law, transparency,

accountability, participation, inclusivity and combating corruption, and stresses the

importance of human rights training and education in this regard;

8. Invites the Secretary-General to ensure the upholding of the integrity of the

United Nations system in its service of humanity, and improved coordination between

United Nations agencies, programmes and funds, with a view to ensuring that the United

Nations system continues to improve the quality of its work at all levels, including in

support of objectives and priorities at the national level;

9. Encourages the relevant mechanisms of the Human Rights Council to

continue to consider, within their respective mandates, the issue of the role of good

governance in the promotion and protection of human rights;

10. Encourages States to consider developing and implementing appropriate

tools or mechanisms to review, measure and assess progress in good governance, including

but not limited to the Sustainable Development Goals, including Goal 16;

11. Requests the High Commissioner:

(a) To convene, before the forty-first session of the Human Rights Council, a

half-day intersessional seminar on the role of good governance in the promotion and

protection of human rights, and on sharing best practices in the implementation of the

Sustainable Development Goals, including Goal 16 in this regard;

(b) To invite States, the special procedures and other relevant stakeholders from

diverse regions, including experts and civil society organizations, and relevant United

Nations agencies, funds and programmes, and other international organizations to

participate actively in the above-mentioned seminar;

(c) To submit to the Human Rights Council at its forty-third session a report, in

the form of a summary, on the seminar;

12. Decides to remain seized of the matter.