HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL ADVISORY COMMITTEE CONCLUDES FIFTEENTH SESSION

The Human Rights Council Advisory Committee today concluded its fifteenth session, which was held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva from 10 to 14 August 2015.

During the session, the Advisory Committee, a body of 18 independent experts serving as a think-tank to the United Nations Human Rights Council, held substantive debates on three issues: the activities of vulture funds and human rights; unaccompanied migrant children; and the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy.

The Committee decided to postpone the submission of the progress report on vulture funds to the Council from the thirty-first session in March 2016 to the thirty-third session in September 2016. On unaccompanied migrant children, it was decided that a draft progress report would be prepared for the next session of the Advisory Committee. Concerning the mandate which requests the Committee to review the implementation of the principles and guidelines for the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members, which had been developed by the Committee some time ago and were ultimately adopted by the General Assembly, it was decided that the Advisory Committee would start drafting a study and a questionnaire was elaborated to seek the views of States and other stakeholders.

Also during the session, the two final reports on the role of local government in the protection of human rights and on the possibilities of using sport and the Olympic ideal to promote human rights, which will be considered by the Council in September, were presented. Support was expressed for the Advisory Committee's recommendation to develop guiding principles for local government and human rights.

The Advisory Committee considered a number of reflection papers on whistle-blowing and human rights in the context of corruption; climate induced displacement and human rights; mainstreaming human rights in the post-2015 development agenda; regional human rights regimes (protection mechanisms); and global grievance forum for perceived defamation of religion. All reflection papers will be reconsidered at the next session.

Several proposals were made for new reflection papers for the next session on the impact of settler colonialism on human rights; the immaterial approach to social rights in the framework of sustainable development; youth and human rights: contribution to social cohesion; and improving the impact of the Human Rights Council: efficiency - efficacy - implementation - follow-up.

Documentation relating to the fifteenth session, including the agenda and draft programme of work, can be found on the Advisory Committee’s webpage.

The sixteenth session of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee will be held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva from 22 to 26 February 2016.

Background

The Advisory Committee is a body of 18 independent experts who support the work of the Human Rights Council. It was established in 2008, pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 5/1, to provide studies and research-based advice, as requested by the Council, and meets twice annually. The Committee’s work is implementation-oriented and follows thematic issues linked to the mandate of the Council, namely, the promotion and protection of all human rights. It interacts with States, national human rights institutions, non-governmental organizations and other civil society bodies.

Membership

The membership of the Advisory Committee conforms to the following geographical distribution guidelines set out in its establishing resolution: five members each from African and Asian States; three each from Latin American and Caribbean States, and Western European and other States; and two members from Eastern European States.

Following is the list of members of the Advisory Committee and expiration dates for their respective terms of office:

Saeed Mohamed Al Faihani (Bahrain) 2015; Mohamed Bennani (Morocco) 2017; Laurence Boisson de Chazournes (France) 2017*; Mario L. Coriolano (Argentina) 2015; Laura-Maria Crăciunean (Romania) 2017; Hoda Elsadda (Egypt) 2016; Karla Hananía de Varela(El Salvador) 2016; Alfred Ntunduguru Karokora (Uganda) 2016*; Mikhail Lebedev (Russian Federation) 2016; Kaoru Obata (Japan) 2016; Obiora Chinedu Okafor (Nigeria) 2017*; Katharina Pabel (Austria) 2015; Anantonia Reyes Prado (Guatemala) 2017*; Changrok Soh (Republic of Korea) 2017; Ahmer Bilal Soofi (Pakistan) 2017*; Imeru Tamrat Yigezu (Ethiopia) 2015; Yishan Zhang (China) 2016 and Jean Ziegler (Switzerland) 2016.


For use of the information media; not an official record

AC15/004E