A/HRC/40/65
B.
Recommendations
66.
States should implement the recommendations included in the report of the
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the
contribution of parliaments to the work of the Human Rights Council and its
universal periodic review (A/HRC/38/25). In particular, they should ensure regular
participation by parliaments in the work of the Human Rights Council and its
mechanisms, including the universal periodic review and special procedures. States
should also consider adopting new, innovative ways to facilitate such participation.
Parliaments should be invited to express their views on the government’s position on
recommendations received.
67.
Parliaments should facilitate legislative changes needed to enable States to
implement recommendations of the universal periodic review that they have accepted.
68.
Parliamentarians should further discuss the Draft Principles on Parliaments
and Human Rights (A/HRC/38/25, annex I), including next steps on how they are
taken forward.
69.
Parliaments should increase collaboration with human rights treaty bodies,
including for the preparation of State reports and during discussion with the treaty
bodies, and oversee the implementation of recommendations. Treaty bodies are
invited to draw inspiration from the systematic engagement of the Committee on the
Elimination of Discrimination against Women with parliaments and the InterParliamentary Union and to develop similar methods of cooperation.
70.
States should support the human rights work of international and regional
parliamentary organizations and replicate at the national level successful initiatives
taken by these organizations to strengthen attention to human rights issues.
71.
States and civil society organizations should invest in education, training and
awareness-raising for parliamentarians about the work of the United Nations human
rights system, including the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms and the
human rights treaty bodies.
VII. Conclusions
72.
In his concluding remarks, the Chair, Mr. Chungong, expressed appreciation to
all participants for their engagement and commitment, and thanked all panellists and
moderators for their contributions and the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights for the organization of the Forum. He referred to
the collaboration between the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Office of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in preparing the Forum as a fine
example of the cooperation agreement between the United Nations and the InterParliamentary Union.
73.
Mr. Chungong summarized the main issues discussed during the Forum. He
expressed satisfaction at the unanimous opinion on the importance of parliament in
promoting and defending human rights, and the value of parliamentary committees,
subcommittees and caucuses on human rights. He referred to parliament’s power to
enact legislation, to take a preventive approach towards human rights protection, and
to review legislation for compliance with human rights standards. A culture of human
rights should be built across parliaments to mainstream human rights in
parliamentary work, including through budget oversight and allocation work. Human
rights implementation should be a multiparty endeavour. Mr. Chungong underlined
the need for interparliamentary cooperation so that parliaments could be mutually
reinforcing and share best practices. He reiterated that parliaments should be
representative and reflect all views. Gender equality and the representation of
minority groups in parliament and governing institutions was key. Mr. Chungong
referred to the work of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Committee on the Human
Rights of Parliamentarians and said the media and civil society should defend
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