Ministry Statements and Speeches 2009

Human Rights Council: 10th session: Report of the Council Advisory Committee: Statement by New Zealand, 23 March 2009

We thank the Chairman of the Council Advisory Committee for the presentation of the report and the members of the Committee for their work.

New Zealand supports previous speakers in respect of the need for the Council to consider the recommendations of the Advisory Committee prior to their adoption. In our view:

• The recommendations from the Advisory Committee to the Human Rights Council cannot be automatically adopted by the Council.

• There must be space to debate and amend the Advisory Committee’s recommendations in a transparent manner prior to their adoption by the Council. Such debate will increase awareness of and support for the work of the Advisory Committee.

• Recommendations can be considered and incorporated into the corresponding thematic resolution in the Human Rights Council, as is already the case with some of the Advisory Committee’s recommendations. In some cases, it may be appropriate to act upon the recommendations through a Presidential decision. It will depend on the recommendation in question. However, all must be subject to the possibility of debate and amendment.

• We consider that the Council could 'take note', orally, of the report of the Advisory Committee. There is no obligation upon the Council to take further action in respect of any recommendation or proposal contained therein.

• The content of recommendations that are to be progressed need not be agreed in the same session as the report is presented; recommendations may be actioned through incorporation in resolutions submitted in accordance with the Council’s annual programme of work.

• This approach is consistent with the understanding that the Advisory Committee may submit proposals to the Council for its consideration and at the same time should remain responsive to the Council’s needs and should work at the direction of the Council.

• On a procedural matter, we agree with previous speakers who have indicated that the Advisory Committee need not adopt resolutions or submit recommendations to the Council in the form of draft decisions or resolutions.

In respect of the Advisory Committee’s recommendations on gender integration, we appreciate the commitment of the Advisory Committee to integrating a gender perspective and we support its efforts in this regard.

Consistent with the above point of view, we would see the Advisory Committee’s recommendations on gender integration as being more appropriately discussed and acted upon in the relevant thematic resolution on the integration of a gender perspective in a future session of the Council.

In respect of the proposed recommendation contained in the report of the Advisory Committee on gender mainstreaming, we would recommend its replacement with a recommendation which:

• authorises the Advisory Committee to prepare draft guidelines on methods to improve integration of a gender perspective in all work of the Human Rights Council, including its subsidiary mechanisms, drawing on the existing work carried out within the UN system on gender mainstreaming.
• Requests the Advisory Committee to report annually to the Human Rights Council on the extent to which a gender perspective has been integrated into the studies of the Advisory Committee.

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