S-14/1 Report of the Human Rights Council on its fourteenth special session
Document Type: Final Report
Date: 2011 Jan
Session: 14th Special Session (2010 Dec)
Agenda Item:
GE.
Human Rights Council Fourteenth special session 23 December 2010
Report of the Human Rights Council on its fourteenth special session Vice-President and Rapporteur: Ms. Bente Angell-Hansen (Norway)
United Nations A/HRC/S-14/1
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Contents
Chapter Paragraphs Page
I. Resolution adopted by the Council at its fourteenth special session ................................................ 3
S-14/1. Situation of human rights in Côte d’Ivoire in relation to the conclusion of the 2010 presidential election........................................................................................................... 3
II. Organization of work of the fourteenth special session .......................................... 1–
A. Opening and duration of the session............................................................... 6–7 5
B. Attendance ...................................................................................................... 8 5
C. Officers ........................................................................................................... 9 5
D. Organization of work...................................................................................... 10–
E. Resolution and documentation........................................................................ 13–14 6
F. Statements....................................................................................................... 15–16 6
G. Action on the draft proposal ........................................................................... 17–20 6
III. Report of the Human Rights Council on its fourteenth special session................... 21 7
Annex
List of documents issued for the fourteenth special session of the Human Rights Council ............. 8
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I. Resolution adopted by the Council at its fourteenth special session
S-14/1. Situation of human rights in Côte d’Ivoire in relation to the conclusion of the 2010 presidential election
The Human Rights Council,
Recalling the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and relevant international human rights instruments,
Recalling also General Assembly resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006,
Recalling further Council resolutions 5/1 and 5/2 of 18 June 2007,
Bearing in mind the resolutions and declarations adopted by international, regional and subregional organizations on the elections that took place in Côte d’Ivoire, in relation to the conclusion of the 2010 presidential election,
Acknowledging the communiqué of the 252nd and 254th meetings of the African Union Peace and Security Council of 9 December and 21 December 2010, respectively, and the final communiqué on the Extraordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States on Côte d’Ivoire of 7 December 2010,
Deeply concerned about the atrocities and violations of human rights committed in Côte d’Ivoire in relation to the conclusion of the 2010 presidential election,
Deeply concerned also at the humanitarian consequences of the current situation,
1. Strongly condemns the human rights violations that have taken place in Côte d’Ivoire, including abductions, enforced or involuntary disappearances, arbitrary detentions, extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, acts of sexual violence, denial of right to peaceful assembly, the loss of lives and the acts of destruction of property that occurred in different parts of Côte d’Ivoire in relation to the conclusion of the 2010 presidential election;
2. Calls upon all the relevant parties to immediately put an end to all human rights violations in Côte d’Ivoire and to fully respect all human rights and fundamental freedoms and the rule of law;
3. Urges all actors, particularly defence and security forces, to refrain from violence and to respect all human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as to assume their responsibilities for the protection of the civilian population;
4. Urges all media outlets to refrain from inciting violence, hostility and the propaganda of hate speech and calls for an end to the restriction on media sources;
5 Expresses its support for the Economic Community of West African States, the African Union and other international, regional and subregional efforts to protect the legitimacy of the electoral process in Côte d’Ivoire and to ensure respect for the rights of Ivorians and all foreigners in the country, as well as for the Economic Community of West African States and African Union efforts to promote peace, democracy and reconciliation, in accordance with the Ouagadougou Political Agreement and its Supplementary Agreements;
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6. Calls upon States Members of the United Nations, relevant United Nations agencies and international financial institutions to provide technical assistance and capacity-building to Côte d’Ivoire, upon its request;
7. Encourages relevant thematic special procedures mandate holders, within their respective mandates, to pay particular attention to the assessment and monitoring of the human rights situation in Côte d’Ivoire in relation to the conclusion of the 2010 presidential election with a view to reporting to the Council accordingly;
8. Underlines that the legitimate Government of Côte d’Ivoire has the primary responsibility to make every effort to strengthen the protection of the civilian population and to investigate and bring to justice perpetrators of violations of human rights and of international humanitarian law, and calls upon the international community to support the Government of Côte d’Ivoire in stabilizing the situation in the country;
9. Urges all parties to cooperate fully with the operations of the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire in its efforts to protect and promote human rights;
10. Requests the international community to assist in addressing the humanitarian consequences of the crisis, including the adverse socio-economic impact on the most vulnerable populations of Côte d’Ivoire society and to exert the necessary efforts to gain unhindered access to refugees and internally displaced persons;
11. Stresses the importance for all Ivorians of sparing no efforts towards the preservation of peace, security and promotion and protection of human rights in Côte d’Ivoire and for the strengthening of democratic institutions in the country, which are necessary to the entrenchment of national reconciliation, lasting peace, rule of law, good governance and respect for human rights;
12. Requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to inform and present a report to the Council on the abuses and violations of human rights in Côte d’Ivoire in relation to the conclusion of the 2010 presidential election;
13. Decides to remain seized of the matter and to take appropriate measures, in accordance with Council resolution 5/1, if the human rights situation on the ground deteriorates.
2nd meeting 23 December 2010
[Adopted without a vote.]
II. Organization of work of the fourteenth special session
1. Pursuant to paragraph 10 of General Assembly resolution 60/251, and in accordance with rule 6 of the rules of procedure of the Human Rights Council as contained in the annex to Council resolution 5/1, the Council “shall hold special sessions, when needed, at the request of a member of the Council with the support of one third of the membership of the Council”.
2. On 21 December 2010, the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations Office at Geneva, on behalf of the Group of African States, and the Permanent Mission of the United States of America to the United Nations Office at Geneva requested the convening of a special session of the Council on 23 December 2010 to address the situation of human rights in Côte d’Ivoire since the elections held on 28 November 2010.
3. The above-mentioned request was supported by 31 States Members of the Council: Angola, Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Djibouti, France, Gabon,
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Ghana, Hungary, Japan, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Maldives, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of Moldova, Senegal, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Uganda, Ukraine, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America and Zambia.
4. In addition to the above-mentioned Member States, the request was also signed by the following observers of the Council: Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia and Sweden.
5. As more than one third of the membership of the Council supported the above- mentioned request, the President of the Council convened informative consultations on the matter on 22 December 2010 and decided to convene a special session of the Council on 23 December 2010.
A. Opening and duration of the session
6. The Council held its fourteenth special session at the United Nations Office at Geneva on 23 December 2010. It held two meetings during the session.
7. The fourteenth special session was opened by Fedor Rosocha, Vice-President of the Council.
B. Attendance
8. The special session was attended by representatives of States Members of the Human Rights Council, observer States of the Council, observers for non-Member States of the United Nations and other observers, as well as observers for United Nations entities, specialized agencies and related organizations, intergovernmental organizations and other entities, national human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations.
C. Officers
9. At its first organizational meeting of the fifth cycle, on 21 June 2010, the Council elected the following officers, who also served as officers for the fourteenth special session:
President: Sihasak Phuangketkeow (Thailand)
Vice-Presidents: Arcanjo Maria Do Nascimento (Angola) Rodolfo Reyes Rodríguez (Cuba) Fedor Rosocha (Slovakia)
Vice-President and Rapporteur: Bente Angell-Hansen (Norway)
D. Organization of work
10. Pursuant to paragraph 124 of the annex to Council resolution 5/1, an open-ended informative consultation was held on 22 December 2010 in preparation for the fourteenth special session.
11. At its 1st meeting, held on 23 January 2010, the Council considered the organization
of its work, including speaking time limits, which would be three minutes for statements by States Members of the Council and two minutes for statements by observers for non- Member States of the Council and other observers. The list of speakers would be drawn up
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in chronological order of registration. States Members of the Council would be given the floor first, followed by observer States and observers for United Nations entities, specialized agencies and related organizations, intergovernmental organizations and other entities, and observers of national human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations.
12. The special session was conducted in accordance with the relevant provisions contained in Council resolution 5/1.
E. Resolution and documentation
13. The resolution adopted by the Council at its fourteenth special session is reproduced in chapter I of the present report.
14. The list of documents issued for the fourteenth special session is contained in the annex to the present report.
F. Statements
15. At the 1st meeting, on 23 December 2010, the United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights made a statement on behalf of the High Commissioner.
16. At the same meeting, statements were made by the following:
(a) States Members of the Council: Argentina, Belgium (on behalf of the European Union and Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Iceland, the Republic of Moldova, Serbia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey and Ukraine), Brazil, Burkina Faso, Chile, China, Cuba, Ecuador, France, Ghana, Japan, Jordan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Nigeria (on behalf of the Group of African States), Norway, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Zambia;
(b) Observer States of the Council: Algeria, Australia, Austria, Canada, Costa Rica, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Peru, South Africa, Sweden, Turkey;
(c) Observers for the following non-governmental organizations: Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Reporters Sans Frontières – International, United Nations Watch.
G. Action on the draft proposal
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19. Also at the same meeting, the representative of Belgium, on behalf of members of the European Union that are members of the Council, made general comments in relation to the draft resolution.
20. At the same meeting, the draft resolution, as orally revised, was adopted without a vote (for the text of the resolution as adopted, see chapter I).
III. Report of the Human Rights Council on its fourteenth special session
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Annex
List of documents issued for the fourteenth special session of the Human Rights Council
In the general series
A/HRC/S-14/1 Report of the Human Rights Council on its fourteenth special session
In the non-governmental organizations series
A/HRC/S-14/NGO/1 Written statement submitted by Amnesty International, a non- governmental organization in special consultative status