A/HRC/42/30
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 tenth 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 and its field
offices and peace missions and by the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Human
Rights Council and its mechanisms, the human rights treaty bodies, the Permanent Forum
on Indigenous Issues, the Commission on the Status of Women, the Committee on NonGovernmental Organizations and the World Bank Group.
3.
Pursuant to General Assembly resolution 72/247, the Secretary-General prepared a
report on the twentieth anniversary of the Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of
Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized
Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, in which he discussed strengthening the
response to incidents of intimidation and reprisals (see A/73/230, paras. 21–26 and 64–66).
The Assembly held a high-level plenary in December 2018 and urged States “to prevent
and put an end to the arbitrary arrest and detention of peaceful protestors and human rights
defenders … including in relation to cooperation with the United Nations”.2
4.
Responses and recommendations were raised at the Human Rights Council,
including in country resolutions and during the third cycle of the universal periodic review
(2017–2021). Out of 98 States reviewed, five received explicit recommendations, including
two during the reporting period. 3 The United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights expressed concern about “reprisals against victims, human rights defenders and nongovernmental organizations who cooperate with the United Nations”.4
5.
The Human Rights Council recognized the importance of the rights of
environmental human rights defenders to have access to and communication with the
United Nations and invited the Secretary-General to continue to include alleged acts of
intimidation and reprisal against them in the annual report.5
6.
Successive Human Rights Council presidents, through their good offices, sought to
address alleged reprisals during Council sessions and side events by State representatives,
as well as restrictions on travel to attend Council sessions. In March 2019, the President
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5
2
A/HRC/14/19, A/HRC/18/19, A/HRC/21/18, A/HRC/24/29 and A/HRC/24/29/Corr. 1,
A/HRC/27/38, A/HRC/30/29, A/HRC/33/19, A/HRC/36/31 and A/HRC/39/41.
General Assembly resolution 73/173, para. 2.
See reviews of China (A/HRC/40/6, para. 28.339) and Cuba (A/HRC/39/16, para. 24.158).
https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24265&LangID=E.
Human Rights Council resolution 40/11, paras. 12 and 27.