The role of FIDH at the 47th session of the Human Rights Council
Advocacy, resolutions, decisions, special rapporteurs: does this UN jargon sound complicated? Yet, it is an integral part of the international human rights system that was embodied in the United Nations since 2006 by the Human Rights Council, which held its 47th session starting 21 June 2021.
Some sensitive issues will be discussed during this session, such as the repression of minorities in Myanmar, the endless crises in Belarus and Venezuela, and the consequences of the situation in Palestine. Civil society has a special opportunity to make its voice heard as the States try to defend some positions that are untenable. FIDH will be there to support its organisations on these matters and will advance the defence of human rights for us all.
A terrific team
During sessions of the Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva, you may come across government representatives armed with the best possible arguments to defend their government’s interests, which are contrary to human rights. They try at all costs to play down the bad publicity they would receive if the Human Rights Council adopted an extremely strong resolution against them. FIDH aims to ensure that parties responsible for human rights violations are held accountable, even if they are States themselves.
To counter their arguments and make them accountable, FIDH has a permanent office in Geneva to work regularly on the very technical and often sensitive issues. The related documentation was obtained mainly from our member organisations and will be used as the basis for our advocacy to the States and the Human Rights Council. For example, for the 47th session, our investigators prepared an extremely precise file on the level of human rights violations in Myanmar after the junta overthrew the government this past 1st of February. There have been more than 800 summary executions and over 5,500 arbitrary arrests, as well as indiscriminate attacks against ethnic groups, without counting the hundreds of thousands of displaced persons as a result of the fighting. The crimes of the junta must be stopped, and FIDH is present at this session to appeal to the international community to continue its firm condemnation. We also need to ensure that a recommendation is made to the foreign companies to urge them to stop compromising with the regime, as they risk being accomplices.
Clear messages and goals
→ Theoretically, the Universal Periodical Review on Myanmar should be adopted at the June session. This is supposed to be a sort of technical control on human rights that is imposed regularly on the 193 UN Member States. Since the coup d’État has been massively rejected by the Burmese people, and cannot be accepted by the community of States, we, together with 400 other civil society organisations, are recommending that the review process be postponed so as not to give legitimacy to the current regime which does not represent the people of Myanmar.
→ But we expect more results to come from the 47th session. In light of the obstinacy and the blind brutality of Belarusian President, Alexander Lukashenka, who even hijacked a plane to arrest a blogger-opponent, and his companion, we are calling for the reinstatement of the position of Special Rapporteur on Belarus, originally created in 2012. This position could be used to continue informing the international community about human rights developments and preparing recommendations to the Belarusian government on respecting its people’s rights.
→ As for the context and the events that occurred in May 2021, FIDH is also calling upon the international community to recognise, at last, the apartheid that exists in Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the Golan Heights. We are also asking the international community to support the Israeli and Palestinian human rights defenders who, because of their criticisms, are being falsely accused of terrorism and antisemitism by the authorities in Jerusalem.
→ With regard to Venezuela, the international community should continue exercising the pressure needed to convince this country to stop its policy of repression against the civil society.
→ We are also stressing the need to introduce a monitoring and reporting mechanism on the human rights situation in Egypt where tens of thousands of people are detained, without due process, and continue to waste away in prison, where torture is systematically used and where defenders and civil society are still being subjected to severe repression.
→ Regarding China, the civil society has strongly urged the international community to bring up the question of the situation in Xinjiang. FIDH is also pleading for foreign companies to break their economic ties in this region where their profits come from forced labour. Otherwise they will be contributing to potential crimes against humanity especially targeting the Uighurs and other minority groups and, as shown in a recent United Nations investigation, can even involve organ trafficking.
→ Climate change: this is a threat to humanity. Global warming is jeopardising the implementation of all human rights for the present and future generations. The effects of the climate crisis are growing steadily worse; the time has come for the UN Human Rights Council to take real steps to address and avoid further consequences on human rights. At the 47th session, therefore, we will be stressing the need to create the position of a special rapporteur on climate change and human rights.
In March 2021—partly due to our advocacy—close to 57 States signed a petition calling for the creation of this rapporteur mechanism. We will do everything within our power to make this happen.