The 8th Session of the Human Rights Council (HRC) concluded with the adoption of only 14 resolutions, the Council deciding to focus more on the implementation of existing resolutions than the passage of additional ones.

Statements Co-Signed by WILPF
WILPF co-signed statements on violence in Zimbabwe and the protection of Zimbabwean women and girls ,  the review, rationalisation and improvement of the mandate of the independent expert on human rights and extreme poverty (French), the human rights situation in Bolivia (French), the second optional protocol to the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (French) and the follow up to the Special Session on the food crisis (French).

Panel Discussion on Violence against Women
Interactive panel discussions on the prevention of violence against women and maternal mortality were held. Read WILPF’s report on the violence against women panel here

Thematic Interactive Dialogues
The HRC held interactive dialogues with Special Rapporteurs on the human rights of migrants, on extrajudicial summary or arbitrary executions, on the right to education, on the independence of judges and lawyers, and with the independent expert on of Human rights and extreme poverty and the Special Representative of the Secretary General on human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises. Read the reports that were presented and discussed here

Mandate holders criticized by States
During the session, certain States violated the protocol of the interactive dialogues and the mandate review, rationalization and improvement process by criticizing the conduct and the views of the mandate holders themselves. Moreover, India, supported by Algeria, China, the Philippines, Singapore, and Sri Lanka attempted to alter the text of a resolution renewing the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, to require the President to begin a search to replace him. The Special Rapporteur on torture similarly came under fire, accused by Russia of violating the Code of Conduct for Special Procedures, while Indonesia complained of the Rapporteur’s unannounced visits to prisons. At length, the mandates of all 8 Special Rapporteurs were renewed by consensus. However, a significant compromise came in the form of a Presidential declaration, adopted by the HRC, stating that the second three year term of mandate holders would not be automatically renewed, arguably threatening the mandate holder’s independence and impartiality.

UPR reports adopted
The second week of the HRC 8th session was taken up with the adoption of reports from the first and second sessions of the UPR. It was decided at the last minute that States under Review, Member and Observer States, and NGOs be allocated 20 minutes each to make interventions during the adoption of each State report. However, OIC States, Egypt, Algeria and Pakistan in particular, tried to restrict the speech of NGOs, by frequently raising points of order based on a narrow interpretation of the HRC institutional text. These objections were raised solely when NGOs were addressing the situations in OIC or African States. Read the outcomes of the sessions here

Optional Protocol to ICESCR controversial
After five long years of negotiation, an optional protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) was adopted by the HRC, and will go before the General Assembly for approval and adoption later this year. The optional protocol creates a mechanism to receive individual communications on the violations of economic, social and cultural rights, as currently exists for rights guaranteed under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The major issue of contention was the non-inclusion of the right to self-determination (Part I of ICESCR). However, the final wording did provide for the inclusion of this right, leading the UK, Canada, Australia and Switzerland to declare that they would favor a narrow interpretation of the text, and that the right to self-determination alone would not be considered grounds for a complaint.

Upcoming 9th Session
The 9th Session of the HRC opens on September 8 and will include interactive dialogues with Special Rapporteurs on: the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people; the situation of human rights in the Sudan; contemporary forms of slavery; the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography; with the Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity; the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Children and Armed Conflict and the Working Group on the right to development. Additionally, there will be a report from the Special Rapporteur on Racism concerning the defamation of religions. If you wish to receive daily reports during the 9th Session send an email to information@ishr.ch with 'subscribe' in the subject line.