Top UN rights body extends mandates for Russia and Sudan

The mandate of Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Russia, established by the 47-member Council in October 2022, was extended last October. The Special Rapporteur is tasked with monitoring, assessing and reporting on the rights situation in the country.

The current mandate holder, Mariana Katzarova, is not a UN staff member and serves independently from the UN Secretariat.

Call for ‘full engagement’

Adopting a resolution with a recorded vote of 20 in favour to 8 against, with 19 abstentions, the Council also urged Russian authorities to engage “fully and non-selectively” with all UN human rights mechanisms.

This includes “constructive communication and full cooperation” with the Special Rapporteur, as well as granting unhindered access to visit Russia and to meet freely with relevant stakeholders.

The Council also welcomed the Special Rapporteur’s recent report, presented in September.

In her report Ms. Katzarova expressed deep concern over the rights situation in the country, which she said was marked by “State-driven human rights violations, legalized by new or amended legislation”, that have shut down independent civic and political arenas in Russia.

Extension for Sudan investigators

Similarly on Wednesday, the Council extended its probe into alleged human rights violations and abuses in Sudan, where rival militaries have been at war since April 2023.

Twenty-three of the Council’s members voted to extend the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan for one year, while 12 voted against, and 12 abstained.

The Council also condemned the escalation of attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in El Fasher as their siege of the Government-held city continues, calling for its immediate withdrawal and protection of civilians in accordance with international law.

The three-member Independent Fact-Finding Mission was established by the Human Rights Council in October 2023 for an initial duration of one year to investigate and establish the facts, circumstances and root causes of all alleged human rights and humanitarian law-related violations.

Its members, Mohamed Chande Othman (chair), Joy Ngozi Ezeilo and Mona Rishmawi, serve in their individual capacities, independent of the United Nations. They are not UN staff, and they receive no salary.

New members elected

Also on Wednesday, the UN General Assembly, in New York elected new Member States to serve on the Human Rights Council for three-year terms starting 1 January 2025.

The newly elected members are Benin (re-elected), Bolivia, Colombia, Cyprus, Czechia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Gambia (re-elected), Iceland, Kenya, Marshall Islands, Mexico, North Macedonia, Qatar (re-elected), Republic of Korea, Spain, Switzerland, and Thailand.

They will join Albania, Algeria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominican Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Indonesia, Japan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Malawi, Maldives, Morocco, Netherlands, Romania, South Africa, Sudan, and Viet Nam, whose terms will end at the end of 2025 and 2026.

The Council’s membership is based on equitable geographical distribution.

Human Rights Council

The UN Human Rights Council is the highest intergovernmental body for promoting and protecting human rights globally.

It was established in 2006, replacing the UN Commission on Human Rights, and consists of 47 member states elected for three-year terms.

The Council holds regular sessions three times a year in Geneva and can convene special sessions upon request from one-third of its members.