A/HRC/30/26 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 23 July 2015 Original: English Human Rights Council Thirtieth 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 Promotion, protection and implementation of the right to participate in public affairs in the context of the existing human rights law: best practices, experiences, challenges and ways to overcome them Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Summary The present study identifies challenges to the right to political and public participation and ways to overcome those challenges. It provides examples of best practices and experiences with respect to the implementation of the right to participate in political and public affairs. It also makes recommendations drawn from the contributions received as well as from other available sources. The study should be read in conjunction with the report on factors that impede equal political participation and steps to overcome those challenges (A/HRC/27/29), which examines the human rights framework and jurisprudence of United Nations human rights mechanisms in relation to participation in political and public affairs. GE.15-12429(E) *1512429*