Joint Statement on the Promotion of Universality of the Standing Invitations to Special Procedures
51st session of the Human Rights Council
Item 5. Human rights bodies and mechanisms
General debate
29 September 2022
Thank you, Mr President,
I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of 67 countries.
Mr President,
We, the States subscribing to this statement and representing different regional and legal traditions, are united by the decision to extend standing invitations to special procedures mandate holders of the Human Rights Council and to honour them.
We welcome the recent decision of the United States of America to extend a standing invitation to special procedures, bringing the total number to 129 UN Members and Observers.
We welcome the comprehensive information on the cooperation by States with special procedures highlighted in the latest annual report presented to the 49th session of this Council. The examples of the impact of the work of special procedures available on the OHCHR webpage demonstrate the importance of such cooperation.
We share the concerns of the special procedures regarding non-cooperation and selective cooperation by States. This seriously hinders the ability of the special procedures to fulfil their mandates. The issuing of a standing invitation should result in genuine and non-selective cooperation with the special procedures. Accepting a visit is only the beginning of a process of cooperation encompassing constructive dialogue before, during and after the visit, whereby States respect the independence, expertise and the working methods of the mandate holders, and take appropriate steps for continued cooperation when addressing their recommendations.
Whilst recognising that the commitment to receive special procedures is voluntary, we continue to encourage all States that have not done so, especially current members and candidate States of the Human Rights Council, to extend a standing invitation to the Council’s mechanisms, and once this commitment is made, to honour it.
Finally, we invite all States to continue to cooperate with and assist the special procedures mandate holders in the performance of their tasks and to promote an open, constructive and transparent dialogue in the Council.
I thank you!
Countries subscribing to this statement:
Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Vanuatu.