RES/39/18 Enhancement of technical cooperation and capacity-building in the field of human rights

GE.18-16545(E)



Human Rights Council Thirty-ninth session

10–28 September 2018

Agenda item 10

Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 28 September 2018

39/18. Enhancement of technical cooperation and capacity-building in the

field of human rights

The Human Rights Council,

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

particularly with regard to achieving international cooperation in promoting and

encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all, without

distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other

opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status,

Reaffirming the obligation of States under the Charter to promote universal respect

for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Recalling all relevant international human rights treaties, including the International

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

and Cultural Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination

against Women, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the

International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination,

Recognizing that the enhancement of international cooperation is essential for the

effective promotion and protection of human rights, which should be based on the

principles of cooperation and genuine dialogue and aimed at strengthening the capacity of

States to prevent human rights violations and to comply with their human rights

obligations, for the benefit of all human beings,

Bearing in mind the mandate of the Human Rights Council, as stated by the General

Assembly in its resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006, to promote advisory services,

technical assistance and capacity-building, to be provided in consultation with and with the

consent of the States concerned, and the provisions of Council resolutions 5/1 and 5/2 of 18

June 2007 and 16/21 of 25 March 2011 that aim to enable the Council to fulfil such a

mandate,

Recalling all relevant resolutions of the Human Rights Council on the enhancement

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

human rights of older persons,

Bearing in mind the Political Declaration and the Madrid International Plan of

Action on Ageing of 2002, and all other relevant General Assembly resolutions,

United Nations A/HRC/RES/39/18

Underscoring that international human rights treaties prohibit discrimination on,

inter alia, the basis of age, and that national legislation should adhere to the State’s

international obligations,

Recalling that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development stresses the need to

ensure that no one is left behind, including older persons, and in this regard recognizing the

essential contribution that older men and women make to the functioning of societies and to

the achievement of the 2030 Agenda,

Noting with appreciation the contributions of international human rights bodies and

mechanisms, including the treaty bodies, and the Human Rights Council and its

mechanisms, such as the special procedures and the universal periodic review, in promoting

the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in accordance with States’ human rights

obligations,

Recognizing that older persons face a number of particular challenges in the

enjoyment of their human rights that need to be addressed urgently, including in the areas

of prevention of and protection against violence and abuse, social protection, food and

housing, the right to work, equality and non-discrimination, access to justice, education,

training, health support, long-term and palliative care, lifelong learning, participation and

accessibility, and recognizing also that the discrimination older women experience is often

multidimensional, with age discrimination compounding other forms of discrimination, and

that technical cooperation and capacity-building, including through regional cooperation,

can support and enhance States’ efforts to address these challenges and to promote active

and healthy ageing,

Emphasizing the importance of promoting inclusive, age-friendly communities and

environments and of providing a range of support services that promote the dignity,

autonomy and independence of older persons, to enable older persons to age in place, with

due regard to individual preferences,

Emphasizing also that consultation with and the meaningful and effective

participation of older persons and their organizations are essential in the formulation and

adoption of legislation and policies, in particular those relating to their specific needs and

concerns,

Acknowledging that States are encouraged to enhance their capacity to more

effectively collect data, statistics and qualitative information, disaggregated when necessary

by relevant factors, in order to improve assessment of the situation of older persons,

Reiterating that one of the responsibilities of the United Nations High

Commissioner for Human Rights and the Office of the High Commissioner is to provide

advisory services and technical assistance, at the request of the State concerned, with a

view to supporting actions and programmes in the field of human rights, and to coordinate

activities to promote and protect human rights throughout the United Nations system in

accordance with the mandate of the Office,

Appreciating the important role of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Technical

Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights, the Voluntary Trust Fund for Participation in

the Universal Periodic Review, 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 and the Voluntary Trust Fund for Financial and

Technical Assistance for the Implementation of the Universal Periodic Review in

supporting States in developing their national capacities to promote the effective

implementation of their human rights obligations and accepted universal periodic review

recommendations, including those pertaining to the rights of older persons, which have

contributed to tangible improvements in the situation of human rights on the ground,

Noting with appreciation the contributions of the Board of Trustees of the United

Nations Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights and of the

Voluntary Trust Fund for Financial and Technical Assistance for the Implementation of the

Universal Periodic Review through their annual reports to the Human Rights Council, in

particular on the components of technical cooperation and the identification of good

practices,

Welcoming the work, and taking note with appreciation of the reports, 1 of the

Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, whose mandate

includes, inter alia, conducting, facilitating and supporting the provision of advisory

services, technical assistance, capacity-building and international cooperation in support of

national efforts for the effective realization of the rights of older persons, and

acknowledging the work of the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing,

1. Emphasizes that the general debate under agenda item 10 is an essential

platform for Members and observers of the Human Rights Council to share their visions

and views to promote more effective technical cooperation and capacity-building in the

field of human rights, and to share concrete experiences, challenges and information on

assistance needed in the implementation of their human rights obligations and voluntary

pledges and commitments, and of accepted universal periodic review recommendations,

and their achievements and good practices in this area;

2. Reiterates that technical cooperation and capacity-building in the field of

human rights continue to be based on consultations with and the consent of the States

concerned, and should take into account their needs, and the fact that all human rights are

universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated and aim to make a concrete impact on

the ground;

3. Underscores the need to strengthen international, regional and bilateral

cooperation and dialogue in the promotion and protection of human rights, including the

human rights of older persons;

4. Reaffirms that technical cooperation should remain an inclusive exercise that

engages and involves all national stakeholders, including government agencies, national

human rights institutions and civil society;

5. Also reaffirms the ongoing need for enhanced voluntary contributions to the

relevant United Nations funds to support technical assistance and capacity-building in the

field of human rights, and encourages States to continue to make contributions to these

funds, especially those who have not yet done so;

6. Welcomes the panel discussion held pursuant to its resolution 36/28 of 29

September 2017 at its thirty-eighth session on the theme “Human rights and the Sustainable

Development Goals: enhancing human rights technical cooperation and capacity-building

to contribute to the effective and inclusive implementation of the 2030 Agenda for

Sustainable Development”, at which participants discussed the mutually reinforcing

linkages between human rights and the Sustainable Development Goals, the role of the

human rights treaty bodies in consolidating this two-way interaction, the need to maximize

impact on the ground and ensure policy coherence at the national level, the need for

capacity-building in the area of national statistical systems, and the importance of multi-

stakeholder partnerships among Governments, United Nations country teams and agencies,

national human rights institutions and civil society;

7. Decides, in accordance with paragraphs 3 and 4 of its resolution 18/18 of 29

September 2011, that the theme of the annual thematic panel discussion under agenda item

10, to be held during its forty-first session, will be “Technical cooperation and capacity-

building in the field of the human rights of older persons”;

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

Rights to prepare a report, to be submitted to the Human Rights Council at its forty-first

session to serve as a basis for the panel discussion, on the activities undertaken by the

Office and relevant United Nations country teams and agencies, and regional organizations

to support States’ efforts to promote and protect the human rights of older persons and their

autonomy and independence, and address implementation gaps in national legislation,

policies and programmes, including where applicable those relating to the Sustainable

Development Goals, income security, the promotion of active and healthy ageing, the use

of assistive technology, access to information and lifelong learning, combating all forms of

1 A/HRC/39/50 and Adds.1–2.

discrimination against older persons, paying particular attention to older women and

supporting the full integration of older persons in society and access to care, health and

support services for older persons in their communities;

9. Calls upon States, international human rights bodies and mechanisms,

relevant international organizations, national human rights institutions and civil society to

share best practices and to make use of the ideas and issues raised in the panel discussion to

enhance the efficiency, effectiveness and policy coherence of technical cooperation and

capacity-building efforts in the promotion and protection of the human rights, including the

rights of older persons.

41st meeting

28 September 2018

[Adopted without a vote.]