A/HRC/25/27 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 23 December 2013 Original: English Human Rights Council Twenty-fifth session Agenda items 2 and 3 Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the role of the public service as an essential component of good governance in the promotion and protection of human rights Summary The present report begins by providing some background information on good governance and human rights and definitions of relevant concepts. It then addresses the role of public service as an essential component of good governance in the promotion and protection of human rights and highlights the major challenges to public service in the promotion and protection of human rights. It also contains a compilation of good practices based on submissions received from Member States, intergovernmental organizations, national human rights institutions, a non-governmental organization and an observer to the United Nations. GE.13-19086 *1319086*