Joint civil society letter calling to ensure live online modalities of participation for UN human rights bodies and mechanisms

His Excellency,  Mr António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations

Her Excellency, Ms Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva (UN Geneva)

His Excellency, Ambassador Omar Zniber, Permanent Representative of Morocco to the United Nations Office in Geneva and President of the Human Rights Council

cc: His Excellency, Mr Mahamane Cissé-Gouro, Director of the Council and Treaty Mechanisms Division at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

Re: Ensuring live online modalities of participation for UN human rights bodies and mechanisms

Excellencies,

The undersigned civil society organisations are writing to express our great concern regarding issues of access and participation at the UN Human Rights Council, Treaty Bodies and related mechanisms. We recall the letter signed by 40 civil society organisations on 23 June 2023 welcoming the agreement between the Secretary-General and the President of the Human Rights Council for the 17th cycle to maintain hybrid modalities of participation throughout 2023 and urging the competent bodies to create a mandate that would allow for the consolidation of said modalities.

We deeply regret, however, that the 5th Committee of the General Assembly and its relevant subsidiary bodies in New York failed to provide the required mandate and legislative framework upon which such modalities could have been permanently adopted for 2024. We regret further that, in the recent UPR 45th session, the United Nations Offices at Geneva (UNOG)  did not provide modalities for live online participation, as it maintained that it has no mandate for providing hybrid services. Similarly, we are extremely concerned by the negative impact that these measures are having on the functioning of those Treaty Bodies that are currently in session or that will soon begin their sessions, as the online participation of numerous civil society representatives that were scheduled to interact with Treaty Bodies have been cancelled, while hybrid and online meetings are still allowed for States upon request.

We join States in Geneva in expressing our deep concern about the significant negative impact of the lack of provision for live online participation tools on the inclusivity and universality of all UN human rights bodies and mechanisms, including the Human Rights Council, UPR and Treaty Bodies. Civil society organisations have long demanded effective means for remote participation, due to the glaring obstacles faced by rights holders and victims and survivors of violations, as well as people from marginalised and vulnerable communities, in accessing multilateral spaces, including, but not limited to, denial of visas, resource challenges, travel costs, environmental considerations, security concerns and accessibility for people with disabilities. 

For the past four years, the Human Rights Council and other human rights mechanisms in Geneva have set an excellent example for the UN-wide system and strengthened their work through live online interventions and pre-recorded videos, coupled with in-person interventions. These interventions have improved diversity and accessibility and brought defenders and victims of violations closer to the UN human rights system, in turn making the UN more relevant to rights holders. It is disheartening that we now face discontinuation of best practices rather than adoption across the UN mechanisms.

As illustrated by the High Commissioner’s landmark report A/HRC/51/13, “the recipe for effective crisis response and for trust and resilience is a more systematic investment in meaningful, safe and inclusive participation at all levels, coupled with effective measures to protect access to information and an enabling environment for debate as well as the security and holistic protection of those who speak up”.

Additionally, as we have emphasised on different occasions, Geneva is the central hub for human rights conferences at the UN level, and urgent action should be taken to mitigate its contributions to the climate crisis. While in-person meetings are necessary, the possibility of intervention through online participation allows the UN to align its practices with the urgency of reducing carbon emissions. With the HRC sessions getting longer, and the unmitigated planetary crisis, sustainability must be a priority. Ensuring modalities for remote participation also contributes to building greater engagement and ownership of norms and standards. 

The undersigned organisations respectfully urge you to:

• Similarly to 2023, ensure that the necessary provisional arrangements are put in place to allow the UN human rights bodies and mechanisms, including the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms as well as the Treaty Bodies and other mechanisms, to continue to make live online participation available through Zoom, WebEx or other tools in all in-person meetings, both formal and informal, in all its sessions throughout 2024, until mandated otherwise, following the good practices consolidated during the business continuity scheme and the previous arrangements between the Council’s Presidency and the Secretary-General.

• Ensure that UNOG and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) have the budget and mandate to provide all stakeholders engaging with the UN human rights bodies, including the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms, as well as the Treaty Bodies and other mechanisms, with the necessary channels to participate in meetings via  Zoom, WebEx or other relevant platforms.

• Insofar as is necessary and appropriate, address these challenges with the 5th Committee and relevant subsidiary bodies to ensure that the framework and technical requirements for hybrid and virtual services are put in place permanently for the effective participation of all stakeholders, in particular the beneficiaries of the UN system, including human rights defenders, and civil society organisations.

Please accept, Excellencies, the assurances of our highest consideration.

1. ABC Nepal (Agro-Forestry Basic Health and cooperative Nepal)

2. ABC TAMIL OLI

3. Acceso a la Justicia

4. Acción Solidaria

5. Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights

6. ACTION SRI LANKA

7. ADALAH- The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel

8. AJIS Association Jeunesse Insertion Solidarite

9. Akahata – Equipo de trabajo en sexualidades y géneros

10. Al Mezan Center for Human Rights

11. Alana Institute

12. Albinism Society of Eswatini ASESWA

13. Al-Haq, Law in the Service of Man

14. All Survivors Project

15. Amazon Watch

16. Amnesty International

17. Anti-Slavery International

18. APLE Cambodia

19. Aquarius Supervivientes

20. ARARTEKO. OMBUDS OF THE BASQUE COUNTRY

21. Arisa

22. ASSOCIATION BHARATHI CENTRE CULTUREL FRANCO-TAMOUL

23. Association caritative étudiante pour la jeunesse

24. ASSOCIATION CULTURELLE DES TAMOULS EN France

25. Association de Défense et de Promotion des Droits de l’Homme (ADEAGE)

26. Association de Developpement et de la promotion de Droit de l’Homme

27. Association des étudiants tamouls de France

28. Association des jeunes femmes pour la culture et le développement D’Haiti

29. ASSOCIATION DES JURISTES SPECIALISES EN DROITS ETRANGERS (A.J.S.D.E.).

30. ASSOCIATION DROIT ET TALENTS DE FEMMES

31. Association for emancipation solidarity and equality of women – ESE

32. Association for Progressive Communications (APC)

33. Association Humaniste de France

34. ASSOCIATION LUTTE CONTRE LA VIOLENCE FAITE AUX FEMMES

35. Association Pour La Diffusion Des Droits De L’homme Dans L’universite De Lyon

36. Association Pour la Solidarité Internationale

37. Association pour le Droit de l’Homme et Le Développement Durable

38. ASSOCIATION POUR LE DROIT DE L’HOMME ET LE DEVELOPPEMENT DURABLE

39. ASSOCIATION THENDRAL

40. AsyLex

41. ATD Fourth World

42. Austrian League for Human Rights

43. AYTAÇ VISUAL IMPAIRED VILLAGE

44. Boutokaan Inaomataia ao Mauriia Binabinaine Association (BIMBA)

45. Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)

46. Caleidoscopio Humano

47. Caribbean Association for Youth Development (CAYD)

48. Center for Human Rights Defenders and Justice (CDJ)

49. Center for Migration, Gender, and Justice

50. Center for the human rights of children, Loyola University Chicago School of Law

51. Central Union for Child Welfare, Finland

52. Centre for Child Law

53. Centre for Civil and Political Rights (CCPR-Centre)

54. Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (CDD)

55. Centre for Human Rights and Development

56. Centre International de Conseil, de Recherche et d’Expertise en Droits de l’Homme (CICREDHO)

57. Child Rights Coalition Asia (CRC Asia)

58. Child Rights Connect

59. Child Rights International Network (CRIN)

60. Children’s Institute, University of Cape Town

61. Children’s Rights Alliance for England, part of Just for Kids Law

62. CHOICE for Youth and Sexuality

63. CIVICUS

64. Civil Liberties Union for Europe

65. Civilis Derechos Humanos

66. Clean Air Action Group (Hungary)

67. Clima21

68. CNAPE

69. Colectivo Artesana

70. Collectif des Ligues et Associations de Defense des Droits de l’Homme au Rwanda ”CLADHO”

71. Collective Campaign for Peace (COCAP)

72. Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI)

73. Conectas Direitos Humanos

74. Conscience and Peace Tax International (CPTI)

75. Convention Against Enforced Disappearances Initiative (CEDI)

76. Corporación Programa La Caleta

77. CRCA/ECPAT Albania

78. Defence for Children International

79. Defence For Children International Canada

80. Défenseurs plus

81. Derechos Digitales · América Latina

82. Državljan D / Citizen D

83. Due Process of Law Foundation

84. Edmund Rice International

85. Egyptian Coalition for Child Rights

86. Egyptian Foundation for the Advancement of Childhood Conditions (DCI EGYPT)

87. Enfants Solidaires d’Afrique et du Monde (ESAM)

88. Equipo Decenio Afrodescendiente- España

89. ETUDIANTS POUR UNE SOCIETE DURABLE PARIS

90. European Network on Statelessness

91. EuSouEu A Ferrugem

92. FEED

93. FIAN International

94. FIAN Norway

95. FIDH

96. Fondation « Zanmi Timoun

97. Freer Press Unlimited

98. Fundacion Aguaclara

99. Fundación Cónclave Investigativo de las Ciencias Jurídicas Y Sociales (CIJYS)

100. Fundación Grupo de Apoyo Mutuo

101. Fundacion Nuevas Bandas

102. FundaRedes

103. Geledés – Instituto da Mulher Negra

104. Global Alliance against Traffic in Women

105. Global Detention Project

106. Globe International Center

107. Greek Helsinki Monitor

108. Haïti débout pour les droits des enfants

109. Háttér Society

110. Hivos

111. “Hope For Children” CRC Policy Center

112. Hochstrittig.org

113. Hong Kong Committee in Norway

114. Human Rights Center for Citizens of Mongolia, NGO

115. Human Rights House Foundation

116. Human Rights Watch

117. Humanists International

118. Hungarian Helsinki Committee

119. IFEX

120. International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)

121. ILGA World

122. IMPETUS

123. Independent academic & migration-health justice advocate

124. International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI)

125. International Catholic Child Bureau

126. International Coalition for Children with Incarcerated Parents

127. International Commission of Jurists

128. International Disability Alliance

129. International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights

130. International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse

131. International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA)

132. International Play Association – Canada Branch

133. International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)

134. International Social Service – General Secretariat

135. International Tibet Network

136. International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW AP)

137. Irídia – Center for Human Rights

138. Irish Council for Civil Liberties

139. JEUNESSE ETUDIANTE TAMOULE

140. Justiça Global

141. Justice & Peace

142. Justicia Encuentro y Perdón

143. Kenya Alliance for Advancement of Children

144. Laboratorio de Paz

145. LE CONSEIL INTERNATIONAL POUR LES DROITS DE L’HOMME

146. LE PONT

147. Les Caribous Libérés

148. LGBT CENTRE MONGOLIA

149. Make Mothers Matter (MMM)

150. Methoria

151. Molo Songololo

152. Mongolian Women’s Employment Supporting Federation NGO

153. Monitor de Derechos Humanos

154. MOSCTHA

155. MOVIMIENTO MOVILIZANDONOS por una cultura de DERECHOS DE NIÑOS, NIÑAS Y ADOLESCENTES EN CHILE

156. National Secular Society

157. Netherlands Helsinki Committee

158. NGO for Children Confederation

159. Norwegian Helsinki Committee

160. Norwegian Peoples Aid

161. Norwegian Students’ and Academics’ International Assistance Fund – SAIH

162. ONG Synergies & Développement (SYDEV)

163. Oyu Tolgoi Watch

164. Paradigm Initiative

165. Peace Brigades International

166. People Forum for Human Rights(people Forum)

167. Plan International

168. Plataforma de Infancia

169. Polish Foster Care Coalition (in Polish: Koalicja na rzecz Rodzinnej Opieki Zastępczej)

170. POURAKHI Nepal

171. Presentation Sisters in Ireland & England

172. Privacy International

173. PROMEDEHUM

174. QADER for Community Development

175. Realizing Sexual and Reproductive Justice

176. Red para la Infancia y la Familia – Peru

177. REDE DE MULHERES NEGRAS DE PRNAMBUCO

178. Réseau des Organisations de la Société Civile pour l’Observation et le Suivi des Elections en Guinée – ROSE

179. Rivers without Boundaries Coalition

180. Rural Reconstruction Nepal

181. Rutgers

182. SAMAAP

183. Save the Children

184. Save the Children South Africa NPC

185. Sexual Rights Initiative

186. Shakti Samuha

187. Sisters Trust

188. South African Child Rights Coalition

189. Steps Without Borders NGO

190. StopIGM.org / Zwischengeschlecht.org

191. TAMIL UZHAGAM

192. Tamil-Style

193. Tanzania Child Rights Forum

194. TB-Net

195. Terre des Hommes International Federation

196. The Advocates for Human Rights

197. The Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

198. The Norwegian Forum for Development and Environment (ForUM Norway)

199. The Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara

200. The Norwegian Tibet Committee

201. Tibet Justice Center

202. TOURNER LA PAGE

203. Transbantu Association Zambia

204. Transitional Justice Institute, Ulster University

205. UN Program, Occidental College

206. UNICEF Ireland

207. Vicaría de Derechos Humanos de la Arquidiócesis de Caracas

208. WO=MEN Dutch Gender Platform

209. Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)

210. World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)

211. World Uyghur Congress