RES/7/8 Mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders

Human Rights Council

Resolution 7/8. Mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders

The Human Rights Council,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 53/144 of 9 December 1998, by which

the Assembly adopted by consensus the Declaration on the Right and Responsibility

of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally

Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, annexed to that resolution,

and reiterating the importance of the Declaration and its promotion and

implementation,

Recalling also the continued validity and application of all the provisions of

the above-mentioned Declaration,

Recalling further all previous resolutions on this subject, in particular

Commission on Human Rights resolution 2005/67 of 20 April 2005 and General

Assembly resolution 62/152 of 18 December 2007,

Bearing in mind paragraph 6 of General Assembly resolution 60/251 of 15

March 2006,

Recalling Council resolutions 5/1 on institution-building of the United Nations

Human Rights Council and 5/2 on the Code of Conduct for Special Procedures

Mandate-holders of the Human Rights Council, of 18 June 2007, and stressing that the

mandate-holder shall discharge his/her duties in accordance with these resolutions and

the annexes thereto,

Emphasizing the important role that individuals and civil society institutions,

including non-governmental organizations, groups and national human rights

institutions, play in the promotion and protection of all human rights and fundamental

freedoms for all,

1. Takes note with appreciation of the work conducted by the Special

Representative of the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights defenders;

2. Decides to extend the special procedure on the situation of human

rights defenders as a Special Rapporteur for a period of three years, and requests the

Special Rapporteur:

(a) To promote the effective and comprehensive implementation of the

Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of

Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and

Fundamental Freedoms through cooperation and constructive dialogue and

engagement with Governments, relevant stakeholders and other interested actors;

(b) To study, in a comprehensive manner, trends, developments and

challenges in relation to the exercise of the right of anyone, acting individually or in

association with others, to promote and protect human rights and fundamental

freedoms;

(c) To recommend concrete and effective strategies to better protect

human rights defenders through the adoption of a universal approach, and to follow

up on these recommendations;

(d) To seek, receive, examine and respond to information on the situation

and the rights of anyone, acting individually or in association with others, to promote

and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms;

(e) To integrate a gender perspective throughout the work of his/her

mandate, paying particular attention to the situation of women human rights

defenders;

(f) To work in close coordination with other relevant United Nations

bodies, offices, departments and specialized agencies, both at Headquarters and at the

country level, and in particular with other special procedures of the Council;

(g) To report regularly to the Council and the General Assembly;

3. Urges all Governments to cooperate with and assist the Special

Rapporteur in the performance of his/her tasks, to provide all information and to

respond to communications transmitted to them by the Special Rapporteur without

undue delay;

4. Calls upon Governments to give serious consideration to responding

favourably to the requests of the Special Rapporteur to visit their countries, and urges

them to enter into a constructive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur with respect to

the follow-up to and implementation of his/her recommendations so as to enable

him/her to fulfil his/her mandate even more effectively;

5. Requests the Secretary-General and the United Nations High

Commissioner for Human Rights to provide all the assistance to the Special

Rapporteur necessary for the effective fulfilment of his/her mandate;

6. Decides to continue consideration of this issue in accordance with its

annual programme of work.

40th meeting 27 March 2008

Adopted without a vote.