A/HRC/45/36
6.
Successive Presidents of the Human Rights Council addressed three alleged
incidents, including arrest and detention for participation in the universal periodic review
and the Forum on Minority Issues. Out of a total of 42 States reviewed during the reporting
period, two received explicit recommendations regarding reprisals. 5 The President
repeatedly stressed that the Council must provide a safe environment for the active
participation of civil society and national human rights institutions, and called for
prevention and protection measures.6
7.
Special procedures of the Human Rights Council dedicated communications, public
statements, reports and dialogues to the issue of intimidation and reprisals related to
cooperation with mandate holders and the wider United Nations system (A/HRC/43/64,
paras. 58–60, 71, 75 and 80). The present report includes allegations of new cases or trends
addressed by special procedures concerning 21 States,7 and follow-up information on cases
included in previous reports concerning 12 States. 8
8.
The treaty bodies addressed allegations concerning eight States parties. 9 In June
2020, the Secretariat issued a note in which it mapped the practices and policies of treaty
bodies with regard to intimidation and reprisals and presented an overview of trends and
cases that had been brought to the treaty bodies’ attention (HRI/MC/2020/2/Rev.1).
9.
In February 2020, Security Council members organized an Arria-formula meeting
on reprisals against women human rights defenders and women peacebuilders who engage
with the Security Council and its subsidiary bodies.10 Civil society representatives and the
Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights were invited to provide briefings.11
10.
In October 2019, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights (OHCHR) organized a discussion on the margins of the General Assembly to
examine trends from 2016 to 2019 and risks faced by people engaging with the United
Nations, focusing on women and indigenous and environmental human rights defenders. 12
11.
In his report on national institutions for the promotion and protection of human
rights (A/HRC/45/42, paras. 106–109), the Secretary-General noted three cases of
reprisals,13 and highlighted that A status national human rights institutions were at a higher
risk of reprisals and intimidation owing to their visibility before the international human
rights system.
III. Cooperation with the United Nations and the COVID-19
pandemic
12.
Cooperation with the United Nations was significantly altered by coronavirus
disease (COVID-19) and the cancelling of activities during the reporting period, which
required the development of new ways, or the transformation of existing methods, for
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Egypt (A/HRC/43/16, paras. 31.195–31.196 and 31.205) and Nicaragua (A/HRC/42/16, para.
125.163).
See http://webtv.un.org/search/elisabeth-tichy-fisslberger-president-human-rights-council-high-levelsegment-1st-meeting-43rd-regular-session-human-rights-council/6135340492001/?term=&lan=english&cat=Regular%2043rd%20session&sort=date&page=26.
Algeria, Cambodia, Cameroon, Comoros, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Honduras, Israel, Kazakhstan,
Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Poland, Russian
Federation, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Viet Nam (see annex I).
Bahrain, Cameroon, Guatemala, Hungary, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Morocco, Myanmar,
Philippines, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) and Viet Nam
(see annex II).
Andorra, Bangladesh, Equatorial Guinea, Philippines, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Viet
Nam (see annexes I and II).
See http://webtv.un.org/search/reprisals-against-women-human-rights-defenders-and-womenpeacebuilders-who-engage-with-the-security-council-and-its-subsidiary-bodies-security-council-arriaformula-meeting/6134721356001/?term=arria&sort=date.
See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25595&LangID=E.
See www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Reprisals/Pages/GAEvents.aspx.
The cases relate to Guatemala, the Philippines and Poland (see also annex II).
3