Equitable Geographical Distribution in the Membership of the Human Rights Treaty Bodies

Encourages the States parties to the United Nations human rights instruments to adopt concrete actions, inter alia, the possible establishment of quota distribution systems by geographical region for the election of the members of the treaty bodies, thereby ensuring the paramount objective of equitable geographical distribution in the membership of those human rights bodies;

Calls upon the States parties to the United Nations human rights instruments to include, as an agenda item at their forthcoming meetings, a debate on ways and means to ensure equitable geographical distribution in the membership of the human rights treaty bodies, based on the recommendations of the Commission on Human Rights and the Economic and Social Council and the provisions of the present resolution;

Recommends, when considering the possible establishment of a quota by region for the election of the membership of each treaty body, the introduction of flexible procedures that encompass the following criteria:

Requests the chairpersons of the human rights treaty bodies to consider at their next meeting the content of the present resolution and to submit, through the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, specific recommendations for the achievement of the goal of equitable geographical distribution in the membership of the human rights treaty bodies;

Requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to submit concrete recommendations on the implementation of the present resolution to the General Assembly at its sixtieth session;