OHCHR-HRC Press conference 25 June 2020

Extend a very warm good morning to you.

Literally, it's quite warm outside to our colleague joining us here in Room 3.

And for all of you joining us virtually for this press conference with the President of the Human Rights Council, Ambassador Elizabeth Teehee Fiselberger of Austria, the President for the 14th cycle of the Human Rights Council.

Now you've Miss Teehee Fiselberger was here just a short while ago, as you know, to brief you for the resumption of the 43rd session.

Now the occasion is the 44th session.

The Ambassador will deliver some remarks and then of course to you for your questions.

Before we turn to the Ambassador, I just wanted to point out that we will be sharing with you lots of documents.

In fact, later on this afternoon.

Electronically, we have the famous A-Z guide, which I'll send to you virtually.

The background press release, I believe was just issued in English and in French.

We also have the programme of work which was shared with you last night.

[Other language spoken]

There will be lots of changes amidst the COVID-19 measures and lots of things moving about in that regard.

And there are a few other documents which we'll be sharing with you, a list of proposals that have been announced.

There are no side events.

Usually we distribute a list of side events, but this is one of the measures we've taken.

So not that document, but other things will be shared with you in due course.

So with further ado, I hand over to the Ambassador for opening remarks.

[Other language spoken]

Yes, good morning to all of you.

It's not such a long time ago that we met, but it still seems a long time because these last 10 days have been very busy, as you have probably seen.

So we finished the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council last Tuesday with the delay of four months, as you know, because of the COVID crisis.

We were very happy that we could finish it.

We had done a lot of preparations to adapt to the unusual situation.

You may know that we had conducted comprehensive consultations with delegations various times, both in the plenary as well as bilateral exchange.

Many delegations had voiced concerns with regard to health measures, security and a lot of other concerns, which we all tried to address as best we could.

So it was an unusual meeting, as you have seen.

We're all sitting there with masks.

There was only one person for delegation allowed in the huge assembly hall as a lot of measures.

But I think All in all we did a little assessment of all that on the last day and delegations agreed it had gone rather well.

There are always some issues where we can still try to improve and that's what we're doing now.

With regard to the 44th session, which is due to start next Tuesday, Monday was not possible because there is a disarmament event on the cluster ammunition, I think.

But anyway, we'll start on Tuesday and we hope to finish within three weeks.

Whether that is possible or not, we do not quite know, but we'll see.

You know, it's always like that was the Human Rights Council.

You cannot exactly predict how long discussions take because that's in the hands of delegations, how much they want to speak, how many of them want to take the floor and all of that.

I think the outstanding feature of the 43rd session, certainly of that last week was the urgent debate on systemic racism, police brutality against people of African descent and violence against peaceful protest, as the title said.

That went very smoothly in spite of the fact that there was very little preparation time.

And I think it was a great relief to everybody that that resolution, which was accompanied by so much emotion could in the end of the day be adopted by consensus, which of course makes it a much stronger resolution than than it would have been other in any other case.

So everybody was quite happy about how that went.

There was great cooperation among really countries from all the regions.

But the other thing to point out, I think is that with four months of delay we managed to adopt this rather unusual resolution on Libya, which establishes a fact finding mission.

And I'm saying it's rather unusual because it doesn't happen so often that a resolution on a country gets adopted not only by consensus, but also that even the country concerned is, is in agreement and then actually launched the initiative.

You may remember those of you who were here, President Sarraj from Libya had travelled all the way to Geneva at the beginning of the session in in February in ancient times.

And, and this is what came out now.

Now I, I'd really like to thank you for your interest.

This lockdown phase was, of course, a very difficult one for everybody.

At the beginning.

We were all somehow I'm struck we didn't quite know how this was going to go on.

Then it was quite some work to rebuild, to see what can be done under the unusual circumstances.

And wasn't easy because there were people who said let's wait, this isn't urgent.

Many of us, including me, felt this is a major human rights crisis and the Human Rights Council has a job here which needs to be done.

So I think in the end of the day it all went quite well, but it took a lot of effort and you were there, you were interested.

I understand that there is a lot of interest for the social media of the Human Rights Council.

The journalist really followed what was going on and tried to put it across to a large audience that these are important subjects and I would like so thank you very much for encourage you to go on doing that.

Now what we're really interested in today, as I understand is the 44th session, which we managed to take an agreement that will start on on Tuesday.

[Other language spoken]

Again, we had lots of discussions, but this is what we're doing now.

It will also be a slightly unusual session in in various ways.

First of all, we'll continue with all the health and security measures which we had in the 43rd session on the basis of Swiss authorities, but sometimes even more stringent.

You may remember last week we had masks in the Human Rights Council, which was not yet prescribed by the Swiss authorities at that stage.

So we'll go on having all these measures to keep everybody comfortable.

Some delegations attached a lot of importance to these measures and I think they're really to the benefit of everybody.

Secondly, the session will be unusual because you you may remember that in December last year, decisions were taken was a view to having more efficiency in the council.

And these decisions include that there will be no general debates in the June session.

So we have no general debates, not a single one.

What we do have is interactive dialogues with actually quite a lot of mandate holders, more than 30 mandate holders will have and there will be, there will be dialogues with them.

What I can say to you in detail is that there will be reports from the **** Commissioner on the Philippines.

That's actually what we start with on, on that Tuesday, Nicaragua, the Rohingya, as well as Venezuela on 2 occasions.

The **** Commissioner will also release a report on the impact of new technologies and human rights in the context of assemblies, including peaceful protests.

So that that's one thing.

There will be panel discussions.

Panel discussions will be unusual in that many panellists can join from from other places.

That's the same actually for the for the mandate holder, special rapporteurs, etcetera.

If they are not in Geneva or near Geneva, they will join us virtually via video.

They will probably give an introduction by a video, but then there will be an interactive dialogue.

So delegations will be able to ask questions and they will get answers at the end of the session.

With regards to the presidential statement which we adopted on the 29th on the human rights implications of the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be a for a first update by the **** Commissioner on on these subject matters.

On the human rights implications of the COVID crisis, an oral update by the **** Commissioner on that subject.

Then we'll have the Commission of Enquiry on Burundi, which will present an oral update on the 15th of July, if you're interested.

And the Commission on Inquiry on the Syrian Republic, which has just been mandated, will present the report on the 14th of July.

I mean they have been re mandated.

They had been preparing that report for a while already.

So there is quite, quite a lot of things to do.

There will be a priority on health and safety measures.

Of course I said that already.

So keep on with the social distancing and, and as Rolando said, there will still be no side events.

We made it very clear that in case people organise side events somehow simultaneously to the council, these will not be side events of of the Human Rights Council.

So they don't ask us, we don't check what they're doing.

Maybe people are doing things to accompany the Human Rights Council, but they will be their private events, not side events of of the Human Rights Council.

Yes, I think this is as much as I can tell you.

I think it's very important that we keep working, that we keep including civil society, even if it's more difficult for them because we cannot admit as many people to the rooms as we usually do, but we try to keep up their their important function.

Yeah, well, I think I'll stop here and and rather wait for your questions.

Whatever you wish to to ask, please go ahead.

Thank you, Ambassador, for those remarks.

I should just point out the **** Commissioner's oral update on COVID-19 is in fact taking place on the opening day of 30 June.

This coming Monday, we this Tuesday, sorry Tuesday, we're in the habit of Monday starts Tuesday, the 30th of June, so that you will have it.

This update will be at that point, so I'll turn now.

Maybe if there's no questions in the room, maybe we have.

[Other language spoken]

Yes, Tomohito, we'll take you first and then we'll turn to Laurent Online.

Thank you, Tomario.

[Other language spoken]

I'm sure you have received a concern from some of the delegates before holding the last week's session.

But after finishing that one week session, are are they still, are there still concern from a delegate on holding the next 44th session?

And maybe this is too early to predict, but for the 45th session, are you planning to schedule it in February, in September as it was on the calendar?

[Other language spoken]

Yes, I mean, before we decided and the Council decided by consensus to take up the summer session and next Tuesday we held another consultation with all the delegations and there were quite a lot of people present and many of them took the floor and I must say that a huge majority said it went very well.

They see that all the concerns have been addressed.

They were happy with the security measures and the health measures we have taken and also with the technical and logistical arrangements for people to be participate virtually if they didn't want to come and all that.

There was a small number of delegations who still hesitated.

But I must say the main argument which was left to them, which they were using at that debate was not that they were afraid trade because of health matters or anything.

Their concern was that smaller delegations from countries where the COVID crisis is stronger now than it is in Europe, they might have problems because not so many people would be available in their capitals and because delegations couldn't travel.

Usually delegations do get one or two extra delegates from capitals for the human rights session and and that that was the remaining concern.

So we are now trying to do our best to help these delegations.

There is already a new help desk which has been organised by OHCHR for these delegations, but we still sort of try to keep in contact with them and then see what we can do to help them.

Because of course, I mean this time the human rights count is not going to be quite as busy as usually.

As far as we can see.

We have about 20 resolutions coming up, which is definitely a lot less than what we have normally.

And we have streamlined the programme a bit where you may have seen that we have postponed some debates, we'll have postponed UPR adoptions and so on.

So we tried to make the problem a bit light, the programme a bit lighter and I hope All in all that will help.

But as I said, even the delegations who voiced these concerns then did not say they were against it and didn't ask for a vote and went along with the consensus to start on Tuesday.

[Other language spoken]

Do you have a follow up for the for the first session?

Well, you are ahead of time and certainly ahead of my thinking.

I think this is too early now.

We need to see how it goes.

And, and, and of course we're following very closely what happens in Switzerland and what the Swiss authorities are saying and also what who are saying.

And of course, as soon as we have clarity on these issues, we'll we'll inform you if we can go online and unmute Laurent 00 OK.

[Other language spoken]

Laurent, we hear you.

[Other language spoken]

You for the briefing.

Actually it was quite a similar question so to follow.

Up on that.

Do do you expect, can you say that you're pretty confident there won't be any impact on the way these smaller?

Delegation might be able.

To engage with the Council and have you observed during the week of resumption of the 43rd session or received any complaints or problems from some of the delegation because of that lack of capacity to really engage with the task?

Well, I mean, it's very hard to say how exactly it will go.

It's a fact of life.

Unfortunately, there are bigger and smaller delegations.

I actually come from a country where we have a small delegation compared to many others.

And I was a bit surprised that some of the countries who were speaking very much on the problems of small delegations weren't small themselves.

You know, so there will always, and so all the delegations will always be much busier than bigger delegations.

But I think on the other hand, because we allow people to participate virtually and some of the informal meetings are going to be virtual and so on, you realise that makes it actually easier than it used to be in the past.

So some of the things are easier and some of the things are more difficult for smaller delegations.

As I say, nobody thought that that argument, it should force the council to sort of wait until there was no problem of the COVID crisis left at all.

It's it's a weighing up can we justify to the international community, to the international taxpayers who pay for this whole machinery that we just keep waiting and people thought we couldn't.

That's it.

[Other language spoken]

Oh, sorry.

[Other language spoken]

Actually, on the same vein, you mentioned your whole report that the Eye Commissioner will deliver on, on the effects of forbid on the human rights for the world.

How important.

In terms of content, will the the.

Forbid and its impact will be during the session.

I think the sound is very bad.

Sorry, if Laurent, if you can just repeat the last part of the question.

It was concerning the **** Commissioner's COVID-19 update.

[Other language spoken]

The question more broadly was how central will be the COVID crisis in terms of content during that that session of the the Council.

Well, that's in in the hand of participants.

I'm only the humble president who is trying to make sure that all the logistics are OK and the rules are being respected and so on.

We'll see what the **** Commissioner says.

We we know she has been very committed, very interested and very active in this whole crisis.

And we'll see what delegations say on the COVID pandemic and its implications for human rights.

I'm, I'm waiting for that, as you are.

That is really difficult to predict.

But of course, I would say, as I've said before, I think the COVID crisis really was a magnifying glass on many of the human rights issues, which we had already.

But see, we see it clearer even again, how vulnerable vulnerable groups can be when it comes to a crisis.

And I'm sure the **** Commissioner will have a lot to say about that.

[Other language spoken]

OK, if we can unmute Gabriella as she is unmuted, Gabby, go ahead.

[Other language spoken]

Thank you for taking my question.

[Other language spoken]

My question is kind of practical.

Are we going to have press conferences with special rapporteurs?

Because, you know, this, this COVID also is affecting us as journalists.

We can't approach special rapporteurs or experts in the in the room or when they go out.

I mean, it's it's kind of impossible.

And it's important to have their stories and special, for example, special rapporteur on freedom of expression.

I think it's the last report.

So, yeah, that that was my question.

[Other language spoken]

Perhaps if I, I should answer that perhaps just to note that we are, we have not received any requests yet for these press conferences from experts.

There are, as mentioned by the Ambassador, roughly 30 or so experts who will be presenting.

I should note that with very few exceptions, they will be producing these or presenting these reports virtually from their offices, from their homes around the world.

But we are encouraging them if they have important things to say to you there, to do these virtual types of press conferences.

As soon as we have confirmation, we will, we will certainly announce that to you.

So we'll we'll let you know as as that develops.

I have Jamil if we can unmute Jamil, please.

Yes, thank you, Rolando.

[Other language spoken]

The update on COVID on Tuesday.

Will we get this update on the embargo in advance with the documents?

Of the session or.

It will be a surprise to everyone.

[Other language spoken]

That depends on the **** Commissioner, do you know?

I don't have the idea of course is always to share these, these reports or rather oral update is in form of a statement, a delivered statement and we usually we share these with you in advance under embargo.

How early I can't tell you.

I'll need to check with my colleagues reports in the media office particularly.

So, Jamil, if you can be patient, we'll let you know as soon as we we have that information.

[Other language spoken]

Yes, we hear you loud and clear.

[Other language spoken]

Thanks very much.

[Other language spoken]

Ready.

I mean, one is given the relative success of the 43rd session and its ability to accommodate an urgent debate and the ability to get through quite a large schedule of resolutions, why wouldn't there be a 45th session as usual?

I mean, what would, what would be the, the barriers to going ahead with that?

And the second question is, could you just update us a little bit on the UPR and what will come down in the autumn on UPR?

Well, first of all, yes, the urgent debate, I think that worked out rather successfully as far as the preparations and logistics, etcetera was concerned.

And like you, I see no reason why we shouldn't have the 45th session as scheduled, except if there were bad news from the health front.

You know, at the moment in Switzerland, the situation is is rather positive.

The Swiss government recently have taken further measures on easing.

But there are people who say, you know, there is always the unfortunate perspective that there might be a second wave.

I mean, this would be the only reason I can see why we would have to make changes if there were real health problems coming over the summer, which I hope, I don't hope will happen.

But we learn from doctors that we can't exclude that, that that could be the only reason.

On the UPA we have, we had to postpone the session, which was scheduled for May.

We're having it now in November from the second into the 13th.

I think we have 14 countries like usual, and one of them is the United States.

That's all I can tell you at this stage.

But you're probably interested in the one in the United States.

But there is not much of A detail that I can tell you at the moment.

I'm sorry.

[Other language spoken]

No questions online for the moment.

Any in the room?

No, maybe just to note on the UPR issue that normally we would have 14 states adopted reports for this session.

There are two, Kuwait and Spain.

Kuwait and Spain will be considered on the 16th of July.

The rest will be pushed to the 45th session, just to note that.

Now we try to alleviate the agenda, the programme of worse.

So we said we would rather suggest to postpone the adoptions because we won't have adoptions in September anyway because the UPR round, it may have to be cancelled.

But then we wanted to treat all delegations equally and we said to them if you prefer to have it now, you can have it now, If you prefer to have it in September, you can have it in September.

And the result is that 2 want to have it now, and the rest we'll have it in September.

[Other language spoken]

Nick, you have a follow up question.

[Other language spoken]

There we are.

[Other language spoken]

Why there are only 20 resolutions for the 44th session?

[Other language spoken]

What's reduced the number so dramatically?

Well, I think it's just maybe it's in part a coincidence, but maybe in obviously it's also because delegations are more reluctant.

They understand that this is still a very stress session under special circumstances.

So I think there is a general understanding for that.

It also has to be said that even before the COVID crisis, we at some stage, you know, the council was totally overwhelmed by its own programme of work.

So there have been discussions on deficiencies going on for quite a few years now that were efforts through the so-called biannualization or try annualization which is to not bring resolutions every year but only every other year or in one out of three years.

And these efforts I think are also showing now we have already seen a decrease in resolutions last year.

So a general awareness of countries that the Council doesn't get any better or more efficient or more effectful just because you introduce more initiatives.

Maybe if I can just add to that, I mean, of course, we've just adopted 40 resolutions, as the Ambassador noted.

So if we were to go ahead and adopt another 20 in the coming weeks, this would be a record **** 60 resolutions in a matter of a short time frame under the current circumstances.

So this is unusual in and of itself.

[Other language spoken]

The 40 resolutions we had from the spring session, that was in part that's a **** number and was in part the result of this by annualization because it just so happened that suddenly there was a lot of those in the spring session.

Indeed.

And just to remind you that this the list of initiatives that have been announced at the organisational meeting on 12 and 15 June, we could share that.

I think there are 19 draughts in total that have been announced.

So we can share that with you later today.

So if there are no further questions either in the room or online, there are not.

[Other language spoken]

OK, Antonio from FA, just put your hand up.

[Other language spoken]

Could we unmute Antonio, please?

There we are.

Antonio.

[Other language spoken]

I understand that you.

Said that there will.

Be two reports by the **** Commissioner on Venezuela.

Can you explain where?

By there will be two.

Well, you may remember that there were two initiatives, 2 resolutions on Venezuela.

One of them was introduced under item 2, and the result of that was a cooperation with the **** Commissioner which laid, among other things, to the permission for the **** Commissioner to establish a small office in Venezuela and the Venezuelan authorities work with that office.

So that was 1 initiative.

The other initiative came in under item 4 and that was about establishing A mandate holder.

That was a resolution which Venezuela rejected, which went through successfully.

As far as we know, Venezuela does not cooperate in that context and that there was a bit of a procedural competition if you want.

Some countries who were friendly to Venezuela thought it might be a good idea to introduce such an initiative already under item 2, because item 2 comes before item 4.

But then the Item 4 resolution came through anyway.

So we have these two resolutions.

It's a bit of an unusual situation.

I'm not sure it's the most efficient.

But the positive thing, of course, is that there is cooperation with the **** Commissioner and it is important that this cooperation goes on.

[Other language spoken]

Maybe just highlight and in the programme of work, you see that the Item 2 discussion on Venezuela is scheduled for the 1st of July, whereas the Item 4 discussion on Venezuela is 15 July.

So do consult the programme of work for as that may shift slightly.

If there are no further questions, there are none.

I'd like to thank you all for joining us both here in Room 3 and online, and to you especially, Ambassador, good luck ahead of this very busy session and thank you again for your reporting and for joining us.

[Other language spoken]

Bye, bye everybody.