The Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the Context of Peaceful Protests

A/HRC/RES/31/37View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the Human Rights Council, under agenda item 3 Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development, published in 2016.

What other versions does this mandate have?

8 versions · 2012–2024

This is an older version — the most recent is A/HRC/RES/56/10

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2024	A/HRC/RES/56/10	The promotion and protection of human rights in the context of peaceful protests	4,638	50%Compare
2022	A/HRC/RES/50/21	The promotion and protection of human rights in the context of peaceful protests	4,064	70%Compare
2020	A/HRC/RES/44/20	The promotion and protection of human rights in the context of peaceful protests	3,413	64%Compare
2018	A/HRC/RES/38/11	The promotion and protection of human rights in the context of peaceful protests	2,331	21%Compare
2016	A/HRC/RES/31/37	The promotion and protection of human rights in the context of peaceful protests	891	21%Compare

What subjects does this mandate have?

7 subjects

Freedom of Association Freedom of Expression Human Rights Human Rights Violations Law Enforcement Public Demonstrations Right of Assembly

What’s in this document?

11 operative paragraphs

Calls upon all States to promote a safe and enabling environment for individuals and groups to exercise their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, of expression and of association, recalls that all States have the responsibility in all circumstances, including in the context of peaceful protests, to promote, respect and protect human rights and to prevent human rights violations, including extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, arbitrary arrest and detention, enforced disappearances, torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and sexual violence, and calls upon States to avoid the abuse of criminal and civil proceedings or threats of such acts at all times;

Underlines the necessity to address the management of assemblies, including peaceful protests, so as to contribute to their peaceful conduct, and to prevent loss of life of and injuries to protesters, bystanders, those monitoring such protests and officials exercising law enforcement duties, as well as any human rights violation or abuse, to ensure accountability for such violations and abuses and to provide victims with access to a remedy and redress;

Takes note with appreciation of the compilation of practical recommendations for the proper management of assemblies based on best practices and lessons learned prepared by the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association and the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions,² in which they provide an analysis of the human rights involved before, during and after an assembly, including the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, of expression, of association, and of religion or belief, the right to participation in the conduct of public affairs, the right to life, liberty and security of person, the right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, as well as the right to an effective remedy for all human rights violations, and the respect for human dignity, bodily integrity, and privacy;

²A/HRC/31/66.

Encourages all States to give due consideration to the above mentioned compilation, which provides a useful tool for States on how to fulfil their obligations and commitments, including on how to operationalize them in their domestic laws, procedures and practices, to promote and protect human rights in the context of assemblies, including peaceful protests;

Reaffirms that all States must ensure that their domestic legislation and procedures relating to the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, of expression and of association and to the use of force in the context of law enforcement are in conformity with their international obligations and commitments and effectively implemented, and must provide proper training for officials exercising law enforcement duties, including in the use of protective equipment and of less-lethal weapons;

Encourages all States to engage at the national and regional levels with relevant stakeholders, including assembly organizers, human rights defenders, civil society actors, national human rights institutions, as well as business enterprises and regional human rights mechanisms, on the management of assemblies, including, as appropriate, any follow-up to the compilation of practical recommendations;

Stresses the importance of international cooperation in support of national efforts for the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the context of assemblies in order to raise the capacities of law enforcement agencies to deal with such assemblies in a manner that conforms to their international human rights obligations and commitments;

Invites States to seek relevant technical assistance, including from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and from other specialized agencies where appropriate, from relevant special procedures of the Human Rights Council and from regional human rights mechanisms;

Invites all States to consider making recommendations, as appropriate, to States under review, in the context of the universal periodic review, on the management of assemblies and the promotion and protection of human rights in such contexts;

Encourages the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and other relevant special procedures of the Human Rights Council, as appropriate, in the framework of their mandates, to continue to address in their work, the management of assemblies and the promotion and protection of human rights in such contexts;

Decides to remain seized of the matter.

The delegation of the Congo did not cast a vote.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What other versions does this mandate have?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

Table of contents