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

A/RES/64/173View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 69b Human rights questions, including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, published in 2010.

What other versions does this mandate have?

9 versions · 2010–2025

This is an older version — the most recent is A/RES/80/206

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2025	A/RES/80/206	Promotion of equitable geographical distribution in the membership of the human rights treaty bodies	1,019	94%Compare
2023	A/RES/78/200	Promotion of equitable geographical distribution in the membership of the human rights treaty bodies	1,078	90%Compare
2022	A/RES/76/160	Promotion of equitable geographical distribution in the membership of the human rights treaty bodies	972	100%Compare
2020	A/RES/74/155	Promotion of equitable geographical distribution in the membership of the human rights treaty bodies	972	100%Compare
2018	A/RES/72/174	Promotion of equitable geographical distribution in the membership of the human rights treaty bodies	973	100%Compare

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

7 reports · 2013–2025

Year	Symbol	Title	Mandate resolution
2025	A/80/299	Promotion of equitable geographical distribution in the membership of the human rights treaty bodies report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/78/200
2023	A/78/311	Promotion of equitable geographical distribution in the membership of the human rights treaty bodies report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/76/160
2021	A/76/262	Promotion of equitable geographical distribution in the membership of the human rights treaty bodies report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/74/155
2019	A/74/227	Promotion of equitable geographical distribution in the membership of the human rights treaty bodies report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/72/174
2017	A/72/284	Promotion of equitable geographical distribution in the membership of the human rights treaty bodies report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/70/152

What subjects does this mandate have?

4 subjects

Election of Members Geographical Distribution Human Rights Treaty-Monitoring Bodies

What’s in this document?

11 operative paragraphs

Reiterates that the States parties to the United Nations human rights instruments should take into account, in their nomination of members to the human rights treaty bodies, that these committees shall be composed of persons of high moral character and recognized competence in the field of human rights, consideration being given to the usefulness of the participation of some persons having legal experience, and to equal representation of women and men, and that members shall serve in their personal capacity, and also reiterates that, in the elections to the human rights treaty bodies, consideration shall be given to equitable geographical distribution of membership and to the representation of the different forms of civilization and of the principal legal systems;

Encourages the States parties to the United Nations human rights instruments to consider and 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;

Urges the States parties to the United Nations human rights instruments, including the bureau members, to include this matter in the agenda of each meeting and/or Conference of States Parties to those instruments in order to initiate a debate on ways and means to ensure equitable geographical distribution in the membership of the human rights treaty bodies, based on previous 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:

Each of the five regional groups established by the General Assembly must be assigned a quota of the membership of each treaty body in equivalent proportion to the number of States parties to the instrument that it represents;

There must be provision for periodic revisions that reflect the relative changes in the geographical distribution of States parties;

Automatic periodic revisions should be envisaged in order to avoid amending the text of the instrument when the quotas are revised;

Stresses that the process needed to achieve the goal of equitable geographical distribution in the membership of human rights treaty bodies can contribute to raising awareness of the importance of gender balance, the representation of the principal legal systems and the principle that the members of the treaty bodies shall be elected and shall serve in their personal capacity, and shall be of high moral character, acknowledged impartiality and recognized competence in the field of human rights;

Requests the chairs 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 High Commissioner to submit concrete recommendations on the implementation of the present resolution to the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session;

Decides to continue its consideration of the question at its sixty-sixth session under the item entitled “Promotion and protection of human rights”.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What other versions does this mandate have?

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

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