50th session of the Human Rights Council has ended in Geneva
11.07.2022
The 50th session of the Human Rights Council was held in Geneva on June 13 - July 8, 2022. It was the eighth meeting of the Council in which Poland participated as a member in the 2020-2022 term.
During the session, the Council adopted 23 resolutions and one decision, extended the mandates of the Special Rapporteurs on Belarus and Eritrea, extended the mandate of the Libya fact-finding mission and five thematic mandates as well as adopted a resolution on the human rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.
From the Polish perspective, it is important to note the resolution on the human rights situation in Belarus, in which the Council strongly condemned the cases of arbitrary killing of detainees and expressed its deep concern about the use of the death penalty in the absence of a guarantee of a fair trial. The Council extended the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Belarus for one year.
Among the most significant events of the Council was the Interactive Dialogue with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on the situation of human rights in Ukraine and the periodic report of the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on human rights in Crimea. According to OHCHR estimates, which are most likely seriously underestimated, until July 3rd the number of victims and injured as a result of hostilities in Ukraine exceeded 10,000 people, including the deaths of 335 children and 4,889 adults. When presenting the situation in Crimea, the High Commissioner pointed to further restrictions to the freedom of expression and stressed her concerns about the lack of respect for the right to freedom of expression, conscience, religion or belief in Crimea.
On July 1, the Council held an urgent debate on human rights of women and girls in Afghanistan. In a resolution adopted by consensus, the Council underlined the importance of the equal enjoyment of human rights by women and girls and asked the High Commissioner to organize an enhanced interactive dialogue on this issue at the next session of the Council in September.
During the session, the Polish delegation delivered national speeches as part of interactive dialogues and discussions on: the human rights situation in Afghanistan; human rights and the humanitarian situation in Mariupol; the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association; promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change; the right to education; the right to freedom of opinion and expression (on behalf of the so-called Lublin Triangle - Poland, Ukraine and Lithuania); the human rights situation in Belarus; and human rights situation in Ukraine. Moreover, Poland took part in discussion panels on good governance (on behalf of the so-called core group of resolution on good governance, which, in addition to Poland, includes Australia, Chile, South Korea and South Africa); and disinformation. Poland also spoke during the urgent debate on the situation of human rights of women and girls in Afghanistan and during the Lithuanian UPR review.
Moreover, Poland was involved in the organization of the following side-events: “Climate Change and Persons with Disabilities - how to ensure equal participation, full realization and enjoyment of human rights?” and "Human Rights in Crisis, Belarus 2022. A call for international action in the midst of a regional crisis".
The next session of the Human Rights Council will be held from September 12 to October 7 in Geneva.
