Thank you, Mr President,
I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of 70 countries.
Mr President,
We, the States subscribing to this statement and representing different regional and legal traditions, are united by our decision to extend standing invitations to special procedures mandate holders of the Human Rights Council and our commitment to honour them.
We note with satisfaction that the number of States that have extended standing invitations has continued to grow, reaching the total number of 130 UN Members and Observers.
We welcome the information on cooperation of States with UN special procedures, outlined in the latest annual report of the special procedures and presented to the 52nd session of the Human Rights Council, and also note with appreciation the focus of the High Commissioner’s global update of last June on cooperation with mechanisms, including special procedures. While we commend considerable efforts by some States to develop constructive cooperation with mandate holders, we regret that others have continued not to cooperate with them. We are profoundly concerned about attacks and threats against mandate holders.
The issuing of a standing invitation should result in genuine cooperation with the special procedures, whereby States respect the independence, expertise and the working methods of the mandate holders.
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.
We invite all States to continue to cooperate with and assist the special procedures mandate holders in their important work to report and advise on human rights and to promote an open, constructive and transparent dialogue in the Council.
I thank you!
Countries subscribing to this Statement:
Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Maldives, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, San Marino, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, State of Palestine, Sweden, Switzerland, The Bahamas, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu