The UNHRC will adopt two Swiss initiatives

Ignazio Cassis obtained in Geneva the extension of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment and the participation of all Member States in it

The Human Rights Council in Geneva concluded its 46th session after more than four weeks of work, held in virtual form.
Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, assisted by over a hundred senior officials, participated in the opening session.
In this context, the HRC adopted two resolutions presented by Switzerland together with its partner states.
With the first resolution, Switzerland intends to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment. With the second resolution Switzerland reaffirms the importance of the participation of all UN member states in the work of the HRC.
The 46th session of the Human Rights Council began on February 22 with the high-level segment, which was attended by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis.
More than 120 senior officials, a record number, spoke as part of this segment, which was held virtually for the first time.
In his speech as representative of the host country, he emphasized how the pandemic has demonstrated the crucial importance of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, whether the right to life, health or education, and the freedom of access to reliable information.

Universal abolition of the death penalty is at the heart of the matter

Like other ministers, the head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) participated in a high-level panel on the issue of the death penalty, during which he reaffirmed Switzerland’s commitment to the universal abolition of the death penalty.
The two initiatives presented by Switzerland were very successful. The first initiative, on the protection of the environment, which was presented in cooperation with Costa Rica, the Maldives, Morocco and Slovenia, made it possible to renew the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment for a period of three years.
The second Swiss initiative, on the other hand, presented with a cross-regional group of 24 states, calls for all UN member states, including those without a Permanent Mission in Geneva, to participate in the UNHRC session in March 2022.

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In the course of the session, Switzerland also commented on the human rights situation in various countries, focusing in particular on the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly.
In this regard, it highlighted with concern the global increase in attacks against human rights defenders, protesters and even journalists.
Switzerland also intends to continue its commitment to the fight against impunity by supporting efforts to document all alleged violations of international law so that perpetrators can be held accountable.

Support for the UN High Commissioner on Belarus

With this in mind, it offered its support to the resolution on Belarus by urging the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to examine the alleged human rights violations committed since May 2020.
In addition, Switzerland supported the renewal of the mandates of the Commission of Inquiry on Syria and the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan.
Switzerland also took the opportunity of dialogues with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, and various UN experts to express its position on the human rights situation, particularly in Burundi, North Korea, Eritrea, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Venezuela and also Yemen.

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Following the seizure of power by the military authorities in Myanmar and the holding of an extraordinary session of the HRC on February 12, Switzerland once again expressed its concerns about the situation.
It also joined several joint declarations initiated by other States on the human rights situation in Belarus, Egypt, the Tigray region of Ethiopia, Russia and Venezuela.
By carrying out the work online, the HRC was able to maintain its operational capacity to alleviate the human rights consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and react to the current situations regarding the respect of these rights in the world.
As one-third of the HRC membership is renewed each year, this 46th session was marked by the return of states as HRC members such as China, France, the United Kingdom, and Russia, and the return of the United States as an observer state.