In its Resolution 28/14, the Human Rights Council decided “to establish a Forum on Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law to provide a platform for promoting dialogue and cooperation on issues pertaining to the relationship between these areas” and to “identify and analyse best practices, challenges and opportunities for States in their efforts to secure respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law”.
On 24 and 25 November 2022 the 4th edition of the Forum on Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law was held in Geneva with the theme “Strengthening democracies to build back better: challenges and opportunities”.
This forum is a space for dialogue between different actors around relevant topics for promotion and protection of human rights. To facilitate the participation of civil society, academics and experts, it is not required to have consultative status to participate in the debates with a writen or an oral contribution. Sine Qua Non participates in these spaces and monitors the debates and subsequent recommendations presented at the Human Rights Council, and in its role of promoting the participation of civil society organisations and accompanying them in their access to this international human rights mechanism, notifies entities with which it collaborates of the possibility of making relevant contributions and, where appropiate, supports and accompanies them in their participation.
The session of the 4th Forum on Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law opened with a statement by the President of the Human Rights Council, H.E. Mr. Federico Villegas, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Argentina to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, who emphasized that, because opportunities could emerge from every crisis, the Forum was a space to reflect on the impact that the pandemic had had on democratic institutions and processes, human rights and the rule of law, because the analysis of the level of resilience of democratic institutions and processes was useful to identify gaps in preparation for future global crises by.
It also opened with a statement by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr. Volker Türk, who focused on trust as the central notion underlying the theme of the Forum and the foundation of modern democracies. He noted that mistrust, exacerbated by the COVID19 pandemic, had shaken democracies, and pandemic-related challenges to human rights had had a detrimental impact on the proper functioning of democracies and on civic space, including through the misuse of emergency measures and the suspension of activities of judicial and administrative institutions. He noted that stronger institutions, genuine participation, and free and empowered civic space were critical to restoring trust between governments and people. Reviving trust in government decisions and institutions would be possible only through genuine inclusivity, dialogue, accountability and adherence to human rights and the rule of law. Inclusive and diverse participation could be ensured by giving voice to those most affected and to the most underrepresented categories, while creating a secure environment for civil society actors would be conducive to the exercise of enabling rights. He stressed that civic space, in all its forms, was essential for building trust, while a vibrant civil society, a free media and an engaged academia were vital components of a healthy social fabric.
In the concluding remarks, the Chair, Patricia A. Hermanns, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Bahamas to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, noted that strengthening of democracy was key for sustainable recovery from crises, meaning reaching first the most marginalized, who need to be included at all stages of policy design and implementation, and for increasing resilience in the face of ongoing and future emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. She also stressed that multilateralism remained an essential approach for sustainable recovery from global crises. Regarding to digitalization, she said that there was a need for more transparency and inclusion, and a need to bridge the digital divides and ensure that new technologies enhanced people’s rights and did not limit them. She also remarked that youth participation must be institutionalized, facilitated and sustained, and recalled that an inclusive, safe and enabling environment for women and for civil society actors was key for exercising public freedoms. In conclusion, the Chair pointed out that social cohesion and a renewed social contract based on the elimination of inequalities were the best way to prepare for future emergencies and to reduce the likelihood of authoritarianism emerging or strengthening, because there was a direct link between robust social policies and stronger democracies. In order to protect democracy, she noted that the rule of law and access to justice needed to become a priority and needed to be supported.
Know more
On the Forum on Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law
www.ohchr.org/en/hrc-subsidiaries/democracy-forum
On the Fourth Session of the Forum on Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law
https://www.ohchr.org/en/events/forums/2022/fourth-session-forum-human-rights-democracy-and-rule-law
November 2022