Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 17 June 2011  [without reference to a Main Committee (A/65/L.78)]  65/281.  Review of the Human Rights Council        The General Assembly,    Recalling its resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006 establishing the Human  Rights Council, and in particular paragraphs 1 and 16 thereof,    Recalling also its resolution 62/219 of 22 December 2007,    Recognizing that peace and security, development and human rights are the  pillars of the United Nations system and the foundations for collective security and  well-being,    Reaffirming that the Human Rights Council was created with the aim of  ensuring effective enjoyment by all of all human rights, civil, political, economic,  social and cultural rights, including the right to development, and that the Council is  responsible for promoting universal respect for the protection of all human rights  and fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction of any kind and in a fair and  equal manner,    Recalling the competencies of the Third and Fifth Committees as the Main  Committees of the General Assembly tasked with social, humanitarian and cultural  issues and administrative and budgetary issues, respectively,    Taking note of Human Rights Council resolution 16/21 of 25 March 2011  containing the text entitled “Outcome of the review of the work and functioning of  the Human Rights Council”,1    Recalling all its previous decisions on the allocation of the agenda item  entitled “Report of the Human Rights Council”,    Recalling also its resolution 63/263 of 24 December 2008 which endorses the  relevant conclusions and recommendations of the Advisory Committee on  Administrative and Budgetary Questions on the consideration of the financial  requirements arising from resolutions and decisions of the Human Rights Council,  _______________  1 See A/HRC/16/2.   A/RES/65/281  2    1.  Reaffirms its resolution 60/251;    2.  Decides that the present resolution shall supplement its resolution 60/251;    3.  Decides also to maintain the status of the Human Rights Council as a  subsidiary body of the General Assembly and to consider again the question of  whether to maintain this status at an appropriate moment and at a time no sooner  than ten years and no later than fifteen years;    4.  Decides further that from 2013, the Human Rights Council will start its  yearly membership cycle on 1 January;    5.  Decides that, as a transitional measure, the period of office of members  of the Human Rights Council ending in June 2012, June 2013 and June 2014 will  exceptionally be extended until the end of the respective calendar year;    6.  Decides also to continue its practice of allocating the agenda item  entitled “Report of the Human Rights Council” to the plenary of the General  Assembly and to the Third Committee, in accordance with its decision 65/503 A,  with the additional understanding that the President of the Council will present the  report in her or his capacity as President to the plenary of the General Assembly and  the Third Committee and that the Third Committee will hold an interactive dialogue  with the President of the Council at the time of her or his presentation of the report  of the Council to the Third Committee;    7.  Decides further that the annual report of the Human Rights Council shall  cover the period from 1 October to 30 September, including the regular September  session of the Council;    8.  Decides to consider through its Fifth Committee all financial implications  emanating from the resolutions and decisions contained in the annual report of the  Human Rights Council, including those emanating from its September session;    9.  Recognizes the need to provide adequate financing to fund unforeseen  and extraordinary expenses arising from resolutions and decisions of the Human  Rights Council, and in this regard requests the Secretary-General to present a report  with options for consideration by the Fifth Committee at the main part of the sixty- sixth session of the General Assembly, taking into account the relevant conclusions  and recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary  Questions;    10. Adopts the text entitled “Outcome of the review of the work and  functioning of the Human Rights Council” annexed to the present resolution.  100th plenary meeting  17 June 2011       A/RES/65/281  3  Annex  Outcome of the review of the work and functioning of the Human  Rights Council    I.  Universal periodic review 2  A.  Basis, principles and objectives of the review  1.  The basis, principles and objectives of the universal periodic review as set  forth in paragraphs 1 to 4 of the annex to Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 of  18 June 20073 shall be reaffirmed.    B.  Periodicity and order of the review  2.  The second cycle of the review shall begin in June 2012.  3.  The periodicity of the review for the second and subsequent cycles will be four  and a half years. This will imply the consideration of forty-two States per year  during three sessions of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review.  4.  The order of review established for the first cycle of the review shall be  maintained for the second and subsequent cycles.    C.  Process and modalities of the review  1.  Focus and documentation  5.  The review during the second and subsequent cycles will continue to be based  on the three documents identified in paragraph 15 of the annex to Human Rights  Council resolution 5/1.  6.  The second and subsequent cycles of the review should focus on, inter alia, the  implementation of the accepted recommendations and the developments in the  human rights situation in the State under review.  7.  The general guidelines for universal periodic review reports adopted by the  Council in its decision 6/102 of 27 September 20074 shall be adjusted to the focus  of the second and subsequent cycles before the eighteenth session of the Council.  8.  Other relevant stakeholders are encouraged to include in their contributions  information on the follow-up to the preceding review.  9.  The summary of the information provided by other relevant stakeholders  should contain, where appropriate, a separate section for contributions by the  national human rights institution of the State under review that is accredited in full  compliance with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the  promotion and protection of human rights (“the Paris Principles”), contained in the  annex to General Assembly resolution 48/134 of 20 December 1993. Information  provided by other accredited national human rights institutions will be reflected  accordingly, as well as information provided by other stakeholders.  _______________  2 Changes to the universal periodic review contained in section I of the present text shall be applicable as  of the second cycle of the review.  3 See Official Records of the General Assembly, Sixty-second Session, Supplement No. 53 (A/62/53),  chap. IV, sect. A.  4 Ibid., Sixty-third Session, Supplement No. 53 (A/63/53), chap. I, sect. B.   A/RES/65/281  4  2.  Modalities  10. The role of the group of three rapporteurs (troika) shall be maintained as set  forth in the annex to Council resolution 5/1 and in the President’s statement  PRST/8/1.5  11. Following the extension of the review cycle to four and a half years and within  existing resources and workload, the duration of the Working Group meeting for the  review will be extended from the present three hours and the modalities will be  agreed upon at the seventeenth session of the Council, including the list of speakers,  which shall be based on the modalities as appear in the Appendix.   12. The final outcome of the review will be adopted by the plenary of the Council.  The modalities for the organization of the one-hour consideration of the outcome  shall be in accordance with the President’s statement PRST/9/2.6   13. The national human rights institution of the State under review, consistent with  the Paris Principles, shall be entitled to intervene immediately after the State under  review during the adoption of the outcome of the review by the Council plenary.   14. The Universal Periodic Review voluntary trust fund to facilitate the  participation of States, established by the Council in its resolution 6/17 of  28 September 2007, 7  should be strengthened and operationalized in order to  encourage a significant participation of developing countries, particularly least  developing countries and small island developing States, in their review.     D.  Outcome of the review  15. The recommendations contained in the outcome of the review should  preferably be clustered thematically with the full involvement and consent of the  State under review and the States that made the recommendations.  16. The State under review should clearly communicate to the Council, in a  written format, preferably prior to the Council plenary meeting, its positions on all  received recommendations, in accordance with the provisions of paragraphs 27 and  32 of the annex to Council resolution 5/1.     E.  Follow-up to the review  17. While the outcome of the review, as a cooperative mechanism, should be  implemented primarily by the State concerned, States are encouraged to conduct  broad consultations with all relevant stakeholders in this regard.  18. States are encouraged to provide the Council, on a voluntary basis, with a  midterm update on follow-up to accepted recommendations.   19. The voluntary fund for financial and technical assistance, established by the  Council in its resolution 6/17, should be strengthened and operationalized in order  to provide a source of financial and technical assistance to help countries, in  particular least developed countries and small island developing States, to  implement the recommendations emanating from their review. A board of trustees  should be established in accordance with the rules of the United Nations.  _______________  5 Ibid., chap. III, sect. C.  6 Ibid., Supplement No. 53A (A/63/53/Add.1), chap. III.  7 Ibid., Supplement No. 53 (A/63/53), chap. I, sect. A.   A/RES/65/281  5  20. States may request the United Nations representation at the national or  regional level to assist them in the implementation of follow-up to their review,  bearing in mind the provisions of paragraph 36 of the annex to Council resolution  5/1. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights may  act as a clearing house for such assistance.  21. Financial and technical assistance for the implementation of the review should  support national needs and priorities, as may be reflected in national implementation  plans.    II.  Special procedures  A.  Selection and appointment of mandate holders  22. To further strengthen and enhance transparency in the selection and  appointment process of mandate holders envisaged in the annex to Council  resolution 5/1, the following provisions will apply:    (a)  In addition to entities specified in paragraph 42 of the annex to Council  resolution 5/1, national human rights institutions in compliance with the Paris  Principles may also nominate candidates as special procedure mandate holders;     (b)  Individual candidates and candidates nominated by entities shall submit  an application for each specific mandate, together with personal data and a  motivation letter no longer than 600 words. The Office of the High Commissioner  shall prepare a public list of candidates who applied for each vacancy;    (c)  The consultative group established pursuant to paragraph 47 of the annex  to Council resolution 5/1 will consider, in a transparent manner, candidates having  applied for each specific mandate. However, under exceptional circumstances and if  a particular post justifies it, the group may consider additional candidates with equal  or more suitable qualifications for the post. The group shall interview shortlisted  candidates to ensure equal treatment of all candidates;     (d)  In implementing paragraph 52 of the annex to Council resolution 5/1, the  President shall justify his or her decision if he or she decides not to follow the order  of priority proposed by the consultative group.     B.  Working methods   23. In line with Council resolution 5/2 of 18 June 2007,3 States should cooperate  with and assist special procedures mandate holders in the performance of their tasks  and it is incumbent on mandate holders to exercise their functions in accordance  with their mandates and in compliance with the code of conduct.   24. The integrity and independence of the special procedures mandate holders and  the principles of cooperation, transparency and accountability are integral to  ensuring a robust system of special procedures that would enhance the capacity of  the Council to address human rights situations on the ground.   25. The special procedures mandate holders shall continue to foster a constructive  dialogue with States. The special procedures mandate holders shall also endeavour  to formulate their recommendations in a concrete, comprehensive and action- oriented way and pay attention to the technical assistance and capacity-building  needs of States in their thematic and country mission reports. The comments of the  State concerned shall be included as an addendum to country mission reports.   A/RES/65/281  6  26. States are urged to cooperate with and assist special procedures mandate  holders by responding in a timely manner to requests for information and visits, and  to study carefully the conclusions and recommendations addressed to them by the  special procedures mandate holders.   27. The Council should streamline its requests to special procedures mandate  holders, in particular with regard to reporting, to ensure a meaningful discussion of  their reports. The Council should remain a forum for open, constructive and  transparent discussion on cooperation between States and special procedures  mandate holders, allowing for the identification and exchange of good practices and  lessons learned.  28. The national human rights institution, consistent with the Paris Principles, of  the country concerned shall be entitled to intervene immediately after the country  concerned during the interactive dialogue, following the presentation of a country  mission report by a special procedures mandate holder.  29. The Office of the High Commissioner will continue to maintain information on  special procedures, such as mandates, mandate holders, invitations and country  visits and responses thereto, as well as reports presented to the Council and the  General Assembly, in a comprehensive and easily accessible manner.   30. The Council strongly rejects any act of intimidation or reprisal against  individuals and groups who cooperate or have cooperated with the United Nations,  its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights, and urges States to  prevent and ensure adequate protection against such acts.    C.  Resources and funding   31. The Council recognizes the importance of ensuring the provision of adequate  and equitable funding, with equal priority accorded to civil and political rights and  economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development, to support  all special procedures mandate holders according to their specific needs, including  additional tasks entrusted to them by the General Assembly. This should be achieved  through the regular budget of the United Nations.   32. The Council therefore requests the Secretary-General to ensure the availability  of adequate resources within the regular budget of the Office of the High  Commissioner to support the full implementation by special procedures mandate  holders of their mandates.  33. The Council also recognizes the continued need for extrabudgetary funding to  support the work related to the special procedures, and welcomes further voluntary  contributions by Member States, emphasizing that these contributions should be, to  the extent possible, non-earmarked.  34. The Council highlights the need for full transparency in the funding of the  special procedures.    III. Human Rights Council Advisory Committee  35. The Council shall, within existing resources, strengthen its interaction with the  Human Rights Council Advisory Committee and engage more systematically with it  through work formats such as seminars, panels, working groups and sending  feedback to the inputs of the Committee.  36. The Council shall endeavour to clarify specific mandates given to the Advisory  Committee under relevant resolutions, including indicating thematic priorities, and   A/RES/65/281  7  provide specific guidelines for the Advisory Committee with a view to triggering  implementation-oriented outputs.   37. In order to provide a proper setting for a better interaction between the Council  and its Advisory Committee, the first annual session of the Committee shall  henceforth be convened immediately prior to the March session of the Council,  while the second session shall be held in August.  38. The annual report of the Advisory Committee shall be submitted to the  Council at its September session, and be the subject of an interactive dialogue with  the Committee Chair. The present provision does not exclude other interaction with  the Committee should such opportunities arise and be deemed appropriate by the  Council.  39. The Advisory Committee shall endeavour to enhance intersessional work  between its members in order to give effect to the provisions of paragraph 81 of the  annex to Council resolution 5/1.     IV. Agenda and framework for the programme of work  40. The agenda of the Council and the framework for the programme of work are  as specified in the annex to Council resolution 5/1.   41. Council cycles will be aligned with the calendar year and be subject to any  necessary transitional arrangements decided on by the General Assembly.     V.  Methods of work and rules of procedure  A.  Yearly panel discussion with United Nations agencies and funds   42. The Council shall hold a half-day panel discussion once a year to interact with  the heads of governing bodies and secretariats of United Nations agencies and funds  within their respective mandates on specific human rights themes, with the objective  of promoting the mainstreaming of human rights throughout the United Nations  system. The present provision does not preclude other opportunities that may arise  for discussions between the Council and United Nations agencies and funds on the  mainstreaming of human rights.   43. State or regional groups may propose issues to be discussed by the panel. On  the basis of such proposals and consultation with all regional groups, the President  of the Council will propose the theme of the panel discussion for the upcoming year  for approval by the Council at its relevant organizational session.   44. The Office of the High Commissioner, in its capacity as secretariat of the  Council, shall coordinate the preparation of the documentation required for the  panel discussion.     B.  Voluntary yearly calendar of resolutions   45. The Bureau shall establish a tentative yearly calendar for the thematic  resolutions of the Council in consultation with the main sponsors. The yearly  calendar will be established on a voluntary basis and without prejudice to the right  of States as provided for in paragraph 117 of the annex to Council resolution 5/1.   46. The calendar should also contemplate the appropriate synchronization of  schedules for resolutions, mandates and presentation of reports by the special  procedures mandate holders, taking into account the need for balance among them.   47. The Bureau shall present a report to the Council at its eighteenth session.    A/RES/65/281  8    C.  Biennial and triennial thematic resolutions   48. In principle and on a voluntary basis, omnibus thematic resolutions should be  considered on a biennial or triennial basis.   49. Thematic resolutions on the same issue to be presented in-between the above- mentioned intervals are expected to be shorter and focused on addressing the  specific question or gap in standards that justified their presentation.   D.  Transparency and extensive consultations for resolutions and decisions   50. The consultation process on, inter alia, resolutions and decisions of the  Council shall observe the principles of transparency and inclusiveness.     E.  Documentation   51. There is a need to ensure the availability of working documents in a timely  manner and in all official languages of the United Nations.     F.  Deadlines for the notification and submission of draft initiatives and  information related to programme budget implications  52. There is a need for early submission of draft resolutions and decisions by the  end of the penultimate week of the Council session.   53. Sponsors of initiatives are encouraged to contact the Office of the High  Commissioner before the second week of the session with a view to facilitating the  circulation of information on budgetary implications, if any.     G.  Establishment of an Office of the President   54. In line with the procedural and organizational roles of the President, an Office  of the President of the Human Rights Council shall be established, within existing  resources, to support the President in the fulfilment of his or her tasks and to  enhance efficiency, continuity and institutional memory in this regard.  55. The Office of the President shall be provided with adequate resources drawn  from the regular budget, including staff, office space and necessary equipment  required for the fulfilment of the tasks. The appointment of the staff of the Office  shall promote equitable geographic distribution and gender balance. The staff of the  Office shall be accountable to the President.  56. The composition, modalities and financial implications of the Office of the  President shall be considered by the Council on the basis of the report of the  secretariat, at its seventeenth session.    H.  Human Rights Council secretariat services  57. The secretariat services to the Council and its mechanisms should continue to  be improved to enhance the efficiency of the work of the Council.     I.  Accessibility for persons with disabilities  58. There is a need to enhance accessibility for persons with disabilities to the  Council and the work of its mechanisms, including its information and  communications technology, Internet resources and documents, in accordance with  international standards on accessibility for persons with disabilities.    A/RES/65/281  9  J.  Use of information technology   59. The Council shall explore the feasibility of using information technology, such  as videoconferencing or videomessaging, to enhance access and participation by  non-resident State delegations, specialized agencies, other intergovernmental  organizations and national human rights institutions consistent with the Paris  Principles, as well as by non-governmental organizations in consultative status,  bearing in mind the need to ensure full compliance of such participation with the  Council’s rules of procedure and rules concerning accreditation.   60. The use of modern information technology, such as electronic circulation, is  encouraged in order to reduce the circulation of paper.     K.  Task force  61. The Council decides to establish a task force to study the issues envisaged in  paragraphs 57 to 60 above, in consultation with Government representatives, the  Office of the High Commissioner, the United Nations Office at Geneva and all  relevant stakeholders, and to submit concrete recommendations to the Council at its  nineteenth session.    L.  Technical assistance trust fund  62. The Council will consider modalities for the establishment of a technical  assistance trust fund to support the participation of least developed countries and  small island developing States in the work of the Council at its nineteenth session.    Appendix  Modalities for establishing the list of speakers for the Working Group on the  Universal Periodic Review    The established procedures, which allow speaking time of three minutes for  Member States and two minutes for observer States, will continue to apply when all  speakers can be accommodated within the number of minutes available to Member  and observer States.    Should it not be possible to accommodate all speakers within the minutes  available based on three minutes of speaking time for Member States and two  minutes for observer States, the speaking time will be reduced to two minutes for  all.    If all speakers still cannot be accommodated, the speaking time will be divided  among all delegations inscribed so as to enable each and every speaker to take the  floor.    Steps for drawing up the list of speakers  1.  The list of speakers will open at 10 a.m. on the Monday of the week preceding  the beginning of the session of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic  Review and remain open for a period of four days. It will close on the Thursday at  6 p.m. A registration desk will be set up at the Palais des Nations. The exact location  will be communicated to all permanent missions by the secretariat.  2.  In all cases, regardless of speaking time, the delegations inscribed on the list  of speakers will be arranged in alphabetical order of the country names in English.  On the Friday morning preceding the beginning of the session, the President, in the  presence of the Bureau, will draw by lot the first speaker on the list. The list of   A/RES/65/281  10  speakers will continue from the State drawn onwards. On the Friday afternoon, all  delegations will be informed of the speaking order and of the speaking time  available to delegations.  3.  Speaking time limits during the review will be strictly enforced. Speakers who  exceed their speaking time will have their microphones cut off. Speakers may  therefore wish to deliver the essential part of their statements at the beginning.  4.  All speakers will have the possibility of swapping places on the list of  speakers under bilateral arrangement between speakers.