Civil Society Space Covid-19 : The Road to Recovery and the Essential Role of Civil Society

A/HRC/RES/47/3View 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 2021.

What subjects does this mandate have?

5 subjects

Civil Society Covid-19 Human Rights Advancement Popular Participation Right to Security of Person

What’s in this document?

10 operative paragraphs

Reaffirms that creating and maintaining a safe and enabling environment, both online and offline, in which civil society can operate free from hindrance and insecurity, assists States in fulfilling their existing international human rights obligations and commitments, without which equality, accountability and the rule of law are severely weakened, with implications at the national, regional and international levels;

Commends the work of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the special procedures of the Human Rights Council to promote and protect civil society space, both online and offline, including their work on widening the democratic space, and invites them to continue their efforts in this regard;

Takes note with appreciation of the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on engagement with international and regional organizations,² the Secretary-General’s Call to Action for Human Rights, and the United Nations guidance note on the protection and promotion of civic space;

²A/HRC/44/25.

Notes with appreciation the guidance of the High Commissioner on human rights-compliant responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Secretary-General’s policy brief on COVID-19 and human rights entitled “We are all in this together”;

Encourages States to take every opportunity to support diversity of civil society participation, with particular emphasis on underrepresented parts of civil society, including women, children, youth, older persons, persons with disabilities, persons belonging to ethnic, religious, national, linguistic and racial minorities, migrants, refugees, and others, and also including indigenous peoples and others not associated with or organized in non-governmental organizations;

Urges States to take all steps necessary to prevent threats, attacks, discrimination, arbitrary arrests and detention or other forms of harassment, reprisals and acts of intimidation against civil society actors, including human rights defenders, to investigate any such alleged acts, to ensure access to justice and accountability, and to end impunity where such violations and abuses have occurred, including by putting in place, and where necessary reviewing and amending, relevant laws, policies, institutions and mechanisms to create and maintain a safe and enabling environment, online and offline, in which civil society can operate free from hindrance, insecurity and reprisals;

Also urges States to acknowledge the important contribution of civil society, including human rights defenders, journalists and media workers, to the promotion of human rights, and to ensure a safe and enabling environment for their work, both online and offline;

Notes with appreciation the focus on civil society in the report of the High Commissioner on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the enjoyment of human rights around the world, including good practices and areas of concern,³ as a way to “build back better”;

³A/HRC/46/19.

Requests the High Commissioner to prepare a report, examining in detail the key challenges that civil society faces, both online and offline, and also examining best practices, and also requests the High Commissioner, in the preparation of the report, to draw on the views of States, non-governmental organizations, national human rights institutions and other relevant stakeholders, including special procedure mandate holders, and to present the report to the Human Rights Council at its fifty-first session;

Decides to remain seized of the matter.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

Table of contents