With the end of 2014, the Czech Republic concluded its membership in the Human Rights Council (HRC), the United Nations’ principal human rights body. Throughout the three-and-a-half-year-long membership (19 June 2011-31 December 2014), the Czech Republic was defending and promoting indivisibility and universality of human rights building on its longstanding human rights reputation on the global scene.

The Czech membership was marked by active engagement – the Czech Ambassador served as a Vice-President of the Council in 2014, the Czech initiative on equal participation in political and public affairs has brought an important new theme to the Council’s debates and the importance of the rights to freedom of assembly and association was highlighted by two resolutions co-authored by the Czech Republic. And the Czech voice will remain to be heard in the Council beyond 2014 as the country continues actively engaging as an observer while campaigning for the HRC seat again for 2019-2021.

 „The Human Rights Council membership was a good opportunity for the Czech Republic to further enhance its human rights reputation on the multilateral scene,” said Ambassador Kateřina Sequensová, the Czech Permanent Representative to the UN Office in Geneva. “During the time spent in the Council, the Czech Republic demonstrated and confirmed – through pro-active, open and principled engagement – that promotion and protection of human rights was, is and will remain our foreign policy priority. It was also a good motivation to further work and improve the human rights record at home.”  

The Czech membership saw 10 regular and 6 special sessions of the Council. The new Czech initiative started in 2013 has brought to the Council an important topic of the right to vote and be elected and participate in decision-making on public affairs. The resolution on the rights to freedom of assembly and association helped keep the Council’s focus on another important and highly topical issue. Both initiatives – four resolutions in total between 2011-2014 – were adopted by consensus. Apart from these flagship initiatives, the Czech Republic took part in various debates, interactive dialogues and negotiations of resolutions; special attention was given to country-specific resolutions aimed at improving grave human rights situation in countries such as Belarus, Myanmar/Burma, Sudan, Eritrea or DPRK. The Czech Republic also took part in shaping EU common positions; this entailed also negotiating several resolutions on the EU’s behalf and preparing EU statements. Last but not least, the Czech Republic organized side-events and exhibitions on the margins of Council sessions.

The membership concluded in 2014 was the Czech Republic’s second presence in the Council as it was among its founding members when it was created in 2006; however, at that time, the Czech membership was limited to one year only. The lobbying for the third Czech Council membership – from 2019-2021 – has already started. In the meantime, the Czech Republic will continue its engagement in the HRC with the same vigour as an active observer.

 

Czech membership in the Human Rights Council in numbers

3 and a half years in the Council (19 June 2011-31 December 2014)

148 votes in the UN General Assembly electing the Czech Republic to the HRC in 2011

1 year of Vice-Presidency of the Council (2014)

2 Czech resolutions on equal participation in political and public affairs

2 co-authored resolutions on the rights to freedom of assembly and association

10 regular sessions of the Council

6 special sessions of the Council

3 statements by the Minister of Foreign Affairs at Council sessions in March (2012, 2013, 2014)

Taking action on more than 300 resolutions (more than 20 percent of them voted)