RES/7/20 Technical cooperation and advisory services in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Human Rights Council

Resolution 7/20. Technical cooperation and advisory services in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Human Rights Council,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006,

Recalling also its resolution 5/1 of 18 June 2007, by which it renewed the

mandate of the independent expert on the situation of human rights in the Democratic

Republic of the Congo until such time as it would be considered by the Council

according to its programme of work,

Recalling further that, in its resolution 5/1, the Council decided that decisions

to create, review or discontinue country mandates should also take into account the

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

Member States to comply with their human rights obligations, and that any decision to

streamline, merge or eventually discontinue mandates should always be guided by the

need for improvement of the enjoyment and the protection of human rights,

Taking into account the discussions held at the present session of the Council

on the mandate of the independent expert on the situation of human rights in the

Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the context of the review, rationalization and

improvement of the mandates of the Council,

Expressing its appreciation for the role undertaken by the international

community, in particular by the African Union and the European Union in the

Democratic Republic of the Congo, which contributed to improving the situation on

the ground, including the holding of presidential elections in 2006, and bearing in

mind the challenges still faced by the country,

Considering that the pertinent work undertaken by the Office of the United

Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the human rights section of the

United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is

mutually reinforcing with that of the thematic special procedures,

Taking into consideration that the presence of the Office of the High

Commissioner for Human Rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the

human rights section of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic

Republic of the Congo have been merged with a view to achieving more efficiency in

their work on the human rights situation in the country,

Taking into consideration also the implementation of the new mechanism of

cooperation between the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the

human rights section of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic

Republic of the Congo, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for

Human Rights and civil society, called the “Entité de liaison des droits de l’homme”,

Having reviewed the mandate of the independent expert on the situation of

human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,

1. Welcomes the cooperation established by the Democratic Republic of

the Congo with the independent expert during the period of his mandate;

2. Also welcomes the cooperation of the Democratic Republic of the

Congo with the thematic special procedures of the Council and its invitation to a

number of them, including the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, the

Representative of the Secretary-General on the human rights of internally displaced

persons, the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, the

Special Rapporteur on the right to health, the Special Representative of the Secretary-

General on the situation of human rights defenders, the Special Representative of the

Secretary-General on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and

other business enterprises and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for

children and armed conflict, to make recommendations, within their respective

mandates, on how best to assist technically the Democratic Republic of the Congo in

addressing the situation of human rights, with a view to obtaining tangible

improvements on the ground, taking also into account the needs formulated by the

Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo;

3. Invites the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to

inform and update the Council, at its future sessions, on the human rights situation on

the ground, identifying the challenges that it may still encounter as well as its needs in

this regard;

4. Requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for

Human Rights, through its presence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to

increase and enhance its technical assistance activities and programmes in

consultation with the authorities of the

country;

5. Calls on the international community to support the implementation of

the local mechanism of cooperation between the Government of the Democratic

Republic of the Congo, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for

Human Rights and the human rights section of the United Nations Organization

Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, called “Entité de liaison des droits

de l’homme”;

6. Invites the High Commissioner to report to the Council at its session in

March 2009 on the human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,

and the activities the Office of the High Commissioner has undertaken in the country;

7. Requests the above-mentioned thematic special procedures (see

paragraph 2 above) to report to the Council no later than its session in March 2009

under agenda item 10;

8. Calls on the international community to provide the Democratic

Republic of the Congo with the various forms of assistance that the Democratic

Republic of the Congo requests, with a view to improving the human rights situation;

9. Decides to pursue this matter under the same agenda item at its session

in March 2009.

40th meeting 27 March 2008

Adopted without a vote.