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UN Human Rights CouncilRelated DocumentsHuman Rights Council Report Card: Government Positions on Key Issues 2009-2010 The Democracy Coalition Project is pleased to release its annual report, “Human Rights Council Report Card: Government Positions on Key Issues 2009-2010.” The report assesses the work of the Council on important issues debated by the body during its fourth year of work from July 2009-June 2010. In its first full year since the United States joined the Human Rights Council, the body has seen significant improvements in addressing gross violations of human rights in several countries; however, it has been unable to engage on new situations when the state in question has refused cooperation and genuine dialogue. The unbalanced response to serious situations indicates the need for improvements to the body's functioning. As the Human Rights Council undergoes its five-year review, governments, NGOs, and human rights experts will have a critical opportunity to re-examine the body's effectiveness in promoting and protecting human rights. DCP hopes that this report will serve to assist governmental and non-governmental stakeholders to take stock of the achievements and challenges facing the international community in the promotion of universal human rights standards and democratic development. | Back to Top | Back to UN Human Rights Council | Home |
Human Rights Council Report Card: Government Positions on Key Issues 2009-2010 The Democracy Coalition Project is pleased to release its annual report, “Human Rights Council Report Card: Government Positions on Key Issues 2009-2010.” The report assesses the work of the Council on important issues debated by the body during its fourth year of work from July 2009-June 2010. In its first full year since the United States joined the Human Rights Council, the body has seen significant improvements in addressing gross violations of human rights in several countries; however, it has been unable to engage on new situations when the state in question has refused cooperation and genuine dialogue. The unbalanced response to serious situations indicates the need for improvements to the body's functioning. As the Human Rights Council undergoes its five-year review, governments, NGOs, and human rights experts will have a critical opportunity to re-examine the body's effectiveness in promoting and protecting human rights. DCP hopes that this report will serve to assist governmental and non-governmental stakeholders to take stock of the achievements and challenges facing the international community in the promotion of universal human rights standards and democratic development. To read the report in Spanish, click here. | Back to Top | Back to UN Human Rights Council | Home |
DCP Releases Translations of its Annual Human Rights Council Report Card Following the release of the Democracy Coalition Project’s annual report, “Human Rights Council Report Card: Government Positions on Key Issues 2008-2009” in December 2009, DCP is pleased to now make available translations of the report in Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian to facilitate wider comprehension and distribution to a global audience. DCP’s annual assessments are aimed to increase transparency and accountability of the work of the United Nations and its individual member states in the promotion of universal human rights standards and democratic development. To read the report in Spanish, click here. | Back to Top | Back to UN Human Rights Council | Home |
DCP Publishes Human Rights Council Report Card: Government Positions on Key Issues 2008-2009 In timing with International Human Rights Day, the Democracy Coalition Project has published its annual report on government performance at the UN Human Rights Council.The report, “Human Rights Council Report Card: Government Positions on Key Issues 2008-2009”, assesses the work of the Human Rights Council (Council) by studying the positions and votes of governments on important issues debated by the body during its third cycle. DCP’s annual assessments are aimed to increase transparency and accountability of the work of the United Nations and its individual member states in the promotion of universal human rights standards and democratic development. The report is designed to assist governmental and non-governmental stakeholders in taking stock of the achievements and challenges facing the international community in making progress toward the realization of the universal rights guaranteed to its citizens in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. | Back to Top | Back to UN Human Rights Council | Home |
DCP Publishes Annual Human Rights Council Report Card for 2007-2008 The Democracy Coalition Project has released its annual independent analysis of government performance during the second year of the new UN Human Rights Council entitled “Human Rights Council Report Card: Government Positions on Key Issues 2007-2008.” The analysis charts the positions of governments on key thematic and country specific proposals during the second cycle, as well as debates surrounding the Council's working methods and procedures such as country scrutiny and NGO participation. The report card also analyzes the trends and voting patterns observed among the regional and cross-regional blocs active at the Council. The report is designed to assist human rights advocates as they work to strengthen the Council's attention to serious human rights issues. To read the report in Spanish, click here. To read the report in French, click here. | Back to Top | Back to UN Human Rights Council | Home |
The European Union's Role at the UN Human Rights Council The European Council on Foreign Relations released a policy paper titled "A Global Force for Human Rights? An Audit of European Power at the UN." The paper, written by Richard Gowan & Franziska Brantner, includes a chapter focusing on the EU's role at the Human Rights Council.
Human Rights Council Report Card: Government Positions on Key Issues 2006-2007 The Democracy Coalition Project has released an independent analysis of government performance during the first year of the new UN Human Rights Council entitled “Human Rights Council Report Card: Government Positions on Key Issues 2006-2007.” The analysis charts the positions of governments on key proposals related to institutional reforms and country specific situations of major concern to the human rights community. The conclusions of the report underscore the need to develop cross-regional coalitions in order to build a credible and vigorous UN human rights system. The report is designed to help human rights advocates as they pursue strategies to strengthen the Council's attention to serious human rights issues; it will also help them evaluate how governments measure up as candidates for election of new Council members. DCP plans to publish these report cards on an ongoing basis. For information on the methodology used and an anlysis of the findings, click here. To view the full chart on Government Positions on Key Issues 2006-2007, click here. To view the chart on Establishing a credible Universal Periodic Review mechanism, click here. To view the chart on Protecting the Independence of the Special Procedures, click here. To view the chart on Addressing Country Human Rights Situations, click here. To view the chart on Addressing Country-Specific
Human Rights Situations:
Community of Democracies Convening Group Calls on the UN General Assembly to favor states with better human rights records in Council elections On May 15, 2007, the Convening Group of the Community of Democracies released a statement regarding the UN Human Rights Council elections which called on the membership of the United Nations to "favor those States which have demonstrated a genuine commitment to human rights, both in practice and in their pledges." The statement reiterates the commitment made by Community of Democracy governments at the III Ministerial Meeting in Santiago to consider the candidacy of countries contributing effectively to the promotion and protection of human rights. Further, the 16-member Convening Group also recognizes that the resolution establishing the Council "intended for UN member states to have a real choice in selecting its members." | Back to Top | Back to UN Human Rights Council | Home |
Community of Democracies issues statement on elections to the UN Human Rights Council On 5th May 2006, the Community of Democracies issued a statement encouraging members of the United Nations to vote for states that have demonstrated a genuine commitment to human rights in the forthcoming elections to the new Human Rights Council. The statement reiterated the Community of Democracies' 2005 Santiago Ministerial Commitment to support "the candidancy of countries contributing effectively to the promotion and protection of democracy and human rights worldwide in bodies which focus on elements of democratic governance." | Back to Top | Back to UN Human Rights Council | Home |
Democracy Coalition Project Releases Scorecard of Voting Patterns at the 2005 UN Commission on Human Rights Following the 2005 UN Commission on Human Rights the Democracy Coalition Project prepared a scorecard on the voting patterns of Community of Democracies and non-Community of Democracies countries. The scorecard was released with the latest appeal issued by the Campaign for a United Nations Democracy Caucus and was sent to the Permanent Representatives to the UN of Community of Democracies countries to further illustrate the need for their support of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's proposal to reform the UN Human Rights System. | Back to Top | Back to UN Human Rights Council | Home |
DCP Survey of UN Human Rights Commission Voting Shows Mixed Results for UN Democracy Caucus As India and South Africa Veto Efforts to Censure Zimbabwe, Cuba On May 10, 2004 the Democracy Coalition Project released a comparison of the voting records of the 53 governments represented on the UN’s top human rights body in 2004. This analysis reveals that non-democratic regimes were united in opposing strong resolutions critical of the human rights situation in countries like Sudan, China and Zimbabwe. In striking contrast, democratic countries were inconsistent in their support of more critical resolutions. Notably, South Africa and India, which serve on the Community of Democracies steering committee, repeatedly chose to align themselves with non-democratic regimes in blocking censure motions. To read the entire press release and see the survey, click here. Back to Top | Back to UN Human Rights Council | Home |
UN Human Rights Commission Overwhelmingly Passes Resolution on Democracy Promotion At the 60th session of the UN Human Rights Commission, Romania and other democratic members of the Commission sponsored a resolution calling on the UN to work with regional and sub-regional intergovernmental organizations and other interested organizations on the ways and means of promoting democratic values and principles. To read the resolution “Enhancing the Role of Regional, Subregional and Other Organizations and Arrangements in Promoting and Consolidating Democracy” endorsed by the UN Democracy Caucus click here. | Back to Top | Back to UN Human Rights Council | Home |
General HRC Reference Links Human Rights Council general website Universal Periodic Review Links OHCHR UPR Website Election Related Links Information regarding election procedures Human Rights Reference Documents Universal Declaration of Human RightsInternational Covenant on Civil and Political Rights International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights | Back to Top | Home | |
