07/02/2014

Joint statements and recommendations at UPR ruled out by HRC President

In a statement made during the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) 18th session, the Human Rights Council President H.E. Mr. Baudelaire Ndong Ella ruled out joint statements and joint recommendations at the UPR.

Basing this clarification on the “institution building package” and the “practice established during the first and second cycle”, Mr. Ndong Ella recalled States that statements and recommendations were “exclusively bilateral” and invited all delegations “to continue respecting those practices”.

This intervention came following Costa Rica’s efforts to be associated with the recommendations made by Botswana and Uruguay on New Zealand and Chile respectively, and with the statement made by Congo on FYR Macedonia. In accordance with the principles recalled by the HRC President, Costa Rica is not mentioned in any of the three Working Group reports and the recommendations were solely attributed to Botswana, Uruguay and Congo.

This was the first attempt by a country to join other statements at the UPR. UPR Info welcomes HRC President’s clarification and calls on States to safeguard the bilateral nature of the UPR process.