UN Human Rights Council Advisory Committee – Overview – Thematic Studies – Significant for Women’s Human Rights Advocacy – NGO Participatio

Author: WUNRN

Date: August 21, 2017

UN Human Rights Council Advisory Committee – Can Be Significant in Advocacy on Women’s Human Rights Issues

Pursuant to Council resolution 5/1 paragraphs 65 to 84, the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee has been established to function as a think-tank for the Council and work at its direction. The Committee held its first meeting in August 2008. It meets twice a year, for one week in February immediately before the March session of the Council and for one week in August.

Mandate & Functions

The Advisory Committee provides expertise to the Council in the manner and form requested by it. It mainly focuses on studies and research-based advice.
The Committee may also propose within the scope of the work set out by the Council, for the latter’s consideration and approval, suggestions for further research proposals.
In its work, the Committee should be implementation-oriented and the scope of its advice should be limited to thematic issues pertaining to the mandate of the Council, namely promotion and protection of all human rights.
It shall not adopt resolutions or decisions.

Membership

The Committee is composed of 18 independent experts from different professional backgrounds representing the various regions of the world (5 from African States; 5 from Asian States; 2 from Eastern European States; 3 from Latin American and Caribbean States, and 3 from Western European and other States). Experts are nominated by Governments and elected by the Council. Elections normally take place at the September session of the Council.

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/AdvisoryCommittee/Pages/PastMandates.aspx

Past Mandates & Achievements

MULTIPLE STUDIES BY THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAVE GENDER DIMENSIONS AS:

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/AdvisoryCommittee/Food/Pages/ACRightToFood.aspx

Right to Food

Within the context of its work on the right to food, the Advisory Committee has to date undertaken and finalized studies on discrimination in the context of the right to food; on ways and means to further advance the rights of people working in rural areas; and on the relationship between severe malnutrition and childhood diseases, taking children affected by noma as an example. The Advisory Committee furthermore transmitted to the Council at its 19th session a preliminary study on the urban poor and their enjoyment of the rights to food, and a concept paper on a preliminary study on rural women and their enjoyment of the right to food.

Background

In its resolution 7/14, the Council requested the Advisory Committee to consider potential recommendations for approval by the Council on possible further measures to enhance the realization of the right to food, bearing in mind the priority importance of promoting the implementation of existing standards.

The Advisory Committee established a drafting group consisting of Mr. Bengoa Cabello, Ms. Chung, Mr. Hüseynov, Mr. Ziegler and Ms. Zulficar (AC rec. 1/8), and made recommendations to the Council on the conceptual framework of such a study on the right to food (AC rec. 2/7).

Discrimination in the context of the right to food

In its resolution 10/12, the Council requested the Advisory Committee to undertake a study on discrimination in the context of the right to food, including identification of good practices and anti-discriminatory policies and strategies, and to report thereon to the Council at its thirteenth session.

At its third and fourth sessions, the drafting group of the Advisory Committee worked on a preliminary report, which was endorsed by the Advisory Committee at its fourth session and transmitted to the Council (A/HRC/13/32).

In its resolution 13/4 the Council requested OHCHR to seek the views and comments of Member States, relevant international and regional organizations, NHRIs as well as civil society organizations, including NGOs, on the preliminary study, so that the Advisory Committee could take them into account for the conclusion of the study. Accordingly, the Secretariat sent a note verbale on 21 May 2010 to all relevant stakeholders.

For the conclusion of the study, the Committee took into consideration comments and suggestions made by States, United Nations special agencies, international organizations and other relevant stakeholders, including national human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations.

At its 16th session, in its resolution 16/27, the Human Rights Council welcomed the Advisory Committee’s submission of the final study on discrimination in the context of the right to food (A/HRC/16/40).

Ways and means to further advance the rights of people working in rural areas

In resolution 13/4 , the Council, taking into account the recommendation 4/3 made by the Advisory Committee, mandated the Committee to undertake a preliminary study on ways and means to further advance the rights of people working in rural areas, including women, in particular smallholders engaged in the production of food and/or other agricultural products, including from directly working the land, traditional fishing, hunting and herding activities, and to report thereon to the Council at its sixteenth session.

At its 16th Session, in its resolution 16/27, the Human Rights Council took note of the Advisory Committee’s submission of the preliminary study (A/HRC/16/63), and requested OHCHR to collect the views and comments of all Member States, all relevant United Nations special agencies and programmes, in particular the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and all other relevant stakeholders on the preliminary study to further advance the rights of people working in rural areas, so that the Advisory Committee could take them into account in the preparation of the final study to be presented to the Council at its 19th session. The Secretariat circulated a Note verbale in this regard on 6 April 2011 (E – F).

At its 19th session, in its resolution 19/7, the Human Rights Council took note of the final study on ways and means to further advance the rights of people working in rural areas (A/HRC/19/75).

The relationship between severe malnutrition and childhood diseases, taking children affected by noma as an example

At its 16th session, in its resolution 16/27, the Human Rights Council requested the Advisory Committee to undertake a comprehensive study on the relationship between severe malnutrition and childhood diseases, taking children affected by noma as an example, and ways to improve the protection of malnourished children. It also requested OHCHR to collect the views and comments of all Member States, all relevant UN special agencies and programmes, in particular the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and all other relevant stakeholders on the preliminary study, so that the Advisory Committee could take them into account in the preparation of the study.

The Advisory Committee examined a preliminary study at its 7th session, and at its 8th session endorsed a comprehensive study, including the human rights principles and guidelines annexed thereto, and decided to submit it to the Council at its 19th session.

At its 19th session, in its resolution 19/7, the Human Rights Council took note of the study (A/HRC/19/73). In the same resolution the Council also encouraged States to implement the human rights principles and guidelines to improve the protection of children at risk or affected by malnutrition, specifically at risk of or affected by noma, which were annexed to the study.

Urban poor and their enjoyment of the rights to food

At its 16th session, in its resolution 16/27, the Human Rights Council requested the advisory Committee to undertake a further comprehensive study on the urban poor and their enjoyment of the right to food, including strategies to improve their protection and practices.

At its 7th session the Advisory Committee assigned the preparation of a preliminary study on this topic to the drafting group, which was endorsed at the 8th session and transmitted to the Council.

At its 19th session, in its resolution 19/7, the Human Rights Council took note of the preliminary study (A/HRC/AC/8/5) and requested OHCHR to collect the views and comments of all Member States, all relevant UN special agencies and programmes, in particular the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and all other relevant stakeholders on the preliminary study, so that the Advisory Committee could take them into account in the preparation of the final study to be presented to the Council at its 22nd session. The Secretariat circulated a Note verbale in this regard on 2 April 2012 (E – F).

> Final study of the Advisory Committee on the promotion of human rights of the urban poor: strategies and best practices (A/HRC/22/61)
A – E – F – R – S

Rural women and their enjoyment of the right to food

At its 16th session, in its resolution 16/27, the Council requested to undertake a further comprehensive study on rural women and their enjoyment of the right to food, including patterns of discrimination, strategies and policies for their protection and best practices, with a special focus on female-headed households and temporary or seasonal workers.

At its 7th session, the Advisory Committee assigned the preparation of a preliminary study on this topic to the drafting group, to be presented to the Committee at its 9th session.

At its 19th session, in its resolution 19/7, the Human Rights Council took note of the concept note (A/HRC/AC/8/CRP.2) and requested OHCHR to collect the views and comments of all Member States, all relevant UN special agencies and programmes, in particular the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and all other relevant stakeholders, so that the Advisory Committee could take them into account in the preparation of the study. The Secretariat circulated a Note verbale in this regard on 2 April 2012 (E – F).

> Final study of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee on rural women and the right to food (A/HRC/22/72)
A – C – E – R – S

NGO’s Participation with the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/AdvisoryCommittee/Pages/NGOParticipation.aspx

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/AdvisoryCommittee/Pages/AboutAC.aspx

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UN Human Rights Council Advisory Committee – Overview – Thematic Studies – Significant for Women’s Human Rights Advocacy – NGO Participatio

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