A/HRC/45/36
I. Introduction
1.
The Human Rights Council, in its resolution 12/2, expressed concern over continued
reports of intimidation and reprisals against individuals and groups seeking to cooperate or
having cooperated with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field
of human rights. The Council further condemned all acts of intimidation and reprisal
committed by Governments and non-State actors and invited me to submit a report to the
Council at its fourteenth session and annually thereafter, containing a compilation and
analysis of any available information, from all appropriate sources, on alleged reprisals and
recommendations on how to address the issue. The present report is the eleventh report
based on resolution 12/2.1
II. Activities in response to acts of intimidation and reprisal
2.
Forms of reprisal, retaliation for ongoing or past cooperation, and intimidation,
designed to discourage future participation or cooperation, have continued in relation to
cooperation with a wide range of United Nations organizations at Headquarters and in the
field, perpetrated by both State and non-State actors. During the reporting period, incidents
or trends were addressed within the United Nations system in the Secretariat, its field
offices and peace operations, and by specialized agencies such as the International Labour
Organization (ILO). They were also addressed by the General Assembly, the Security
Council, the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms, the human rights treaty bodies, the
high-level political forum on sustainable development and the Committee on NonGovernmental Organizations.
3.
The General Assembly and the Human Rights Council addressed reprisals in several
thematic and country resolutions.2 In December 2019, in its resolution 74/146 (para. 5), the
General Assembly condemned all acts of intimidation and reprisal, both online and offline,
and strongly called upon all States to give effect to the right of everyone, individually and
in association with others, to unhindered access to and communication with international
bodies, including the United Nations. In its resolution 74/156 (paras. 6 and 10), the General
Assembly recognized the role that national human rights institutions could play in
preventing and addressing cases of reprisals as part of supporting the cooperation between
their Governments and the United Nations, stressing that such institutions should not face
any form of reprisal or intimidation (see also A/HRC/45/42, para. 112).
4.
In September 2019, in its resolution 42/28 (preamble and paras. 2 and 14), the
Human Rights Council renewed its unequivocal condemnation of intimidation and reprisals,
both online and offline, by State and non-State actors, welcomed positive developments and
good practices and invited the General Assembly to remain seized of all work in the area,
including the annual reports of the Secretary-General.
5.
In October 2019, 71 Member States at the General Assembly issued a joint
statement noting that intimidation and reprisals undermined the credibility and
effectiveness of the United Nations as a whole and welcomed the adoption of Human
Rights Council resolution 42/28.3 On 3 February 2020, the Chair of the Third Committee
convened an unprecedented informal meeting for Member States and civil society to
discuss the outcomes of the seventy-fourth session and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development during which the issue of reprisals for cooperation with the United Nations
was highlighted.4
1
2
3
4
2
A/HRC/14/19, A/HRC/18/19, A/HRC/21/18, A/HRC/24/29 and Corr. 1,
A/HRC/27/38, A/HRC/30/29, A/HRC/33/19, A/HRC/36/31, A/HRC/39/41 and A/HRC/42/30.
General Assembly resolution 74/246 (Myanmar), para. 4. Human Rights Council resolutions 41/2
(Philippines), para. 2; 42/25 (Venezuela), para. 28; 42/26 (Burundi), para. 17; and 43/2 (Nicaragua),
preamble and para. 9.
See www.gov.uk/government/speeches/we-strongly-condemn-any-act-of-intimidation-and-reprisal.
See http://webtv.un.org/search/informal-consultation-convened-by-the-chair-of-the-third-committeeof-the-general-assembly-with-civil-society/6129365802001/?term=&lan=english&page=2.