Human Rights Council

Thirt y- f if th session

6–23 June 2017

Agenda item 3

Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil , political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development

Andorra,* Azerbaijan,* Brazil, Egypt,† Ethiopia, Fiji,* Israel,* Japan, Morocco,* Republic of Korea, Thailand,* Ukraine,* Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), Zambia:* draft resolution

35/…Elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members

The Human Rights Council,

Guided by the purposes, principles and provisions of the Charter of the United Nations,

Guided also by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and recalling relevant international human rights instruments, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child,

Recalling its resolutions 5/1, on institution-building of the Human Rights Council, and 5/2, on the Code of Conduct for Special Procedures Mandate Holders of the Council, of 18 June 2007, and stressing that the mandate holder shall discharge his or her duties in accordance with those resolutions and annexes thereto,

Recalling also Human Rights Council resolutions 8/13 of 18 June 2008, 12/7 of 1 October 2009, 15/10 of 30 September 2010 and 29/5 of 2 July 2015, and General Assembly resolution 65/215 of 21 December 2010,

Recalling further the universality, indivisibility, interdependence and interrelatedness of all human rights and fundamental freedoms,

W elcoming theGlobal Leprosy Strategy 2016–2020, of the World Health Organization, and sharing the common aspiration to accelerate towards a leprosy-free world,

Recalling that leprosy is curable and that the human rights of persons with leprosy could be better protected by treatment provided in the early stages, which can prevent disability,

Deeply concerned that, in various parts of the world, persons affected by leprosy and their family members have faced and continue to face barriers to their participation as equal members of society, including isolation, discrimination and violations and abuses of their human rights, and conscious that greater attention is needed to address these challenges,

Reaffirming that persons affected by leprosy and their family members, including women and children, should be treated with dignity and are entitled to the enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms under customary international law, relevant conventions and national constitutions and laws,

Recognizing that persons affected by leprosy and their family members still face multiple forms of prejudice and discrimination stemming from misinformation about and misunderstanding of the disease throughout the world,

Recognizing also that specific attention is needed to address all forms of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members,

Bearing in mind the need to intensify efforts to eliminate all forms of prejudice and discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family membersand to promote policies facilitating their inclusion, throughout the world,

Stressing the importance of implementing the principles and guidelines for the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members, submitted by the Advisory Committee in 2010, to which Governments, relevant United Nations bodies, specialized agencies, funds and programmes, other intergovernmental organizations and national human rights institutions were encouraged to give due consideration in Council resolution 15/10 and General Assembly resolution 65/215,

Welcoming the final report ofthe Advisory Committee based on Councilresolution 29/5 and the recommendations contained therein,

1.Decides to appoint, for a period of three years, a Special Rapporteur on the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members, with the following mandate:

(a)To follow up and report on progress made and measures taken by States for the effective implementation of the principles and guidelines for the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members1for the realization of the enjoyment of human rights by persons affected by leprosy and their family members in all regions of the world, and to make recommendations to the Human Rights Council in this regard;

(b)To engage in dialogue and consult with States and other relevant stakeholders, including United Nations bodies, specialized agencies, in particularthe World Health Organization, funds and programmes, other intergovernmental organizations, regional human rights mechanisms, national human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations to identify, exchange and promote good practices relating to the realization of the rights of persons affected by leprosy and their family members, and to their participation as equal members of society with a view to achieving a leprosy-free world;

(c)To raise awareness of the rights of persons affected by leprosy and their family members and to combat stigmas, prejudices and harmful traditional practices and beliefs that hinder their enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms and their participation in society on an equal basis with others;

(d)To report annually to the Human Rights Council, starting from its thirty-eighth session;

2.Calls upon all States to cooperate with the Special Rapporteur in the discharge of the mandate, including by providing all information requested, to give serious consideration to responding favourably to the requests of the Special Rapporteur to visit their countries, and to consider implementing the recommendations made in the reports of the mandate holder;

3.Encourages all relevant stakeholders, including United Nations bodies, specialized agencies, funds and programmes, other international organizations, regional human rights mechanisms, national human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations to cooperate fully with the Special Rapporteur to enable him or her to fulfil the mandate;

4.Requests the Secretary-General and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide the Special Rapporteur with all the human, technical and financial resources necessary for the effective fulfilment of the mandate;

5.Encourages the High Commissioner and the Special Rapporteur, in collaboration with States and with relevant international organizations such as the World Health Organization as well as concerned non-governmental organizations, to organize seminars on leprosy-related discrimination,at appropriate times and in appropriate locations, in order to widely disseminate the principles and guidelines and deepen the understanding of them among States and all other concerned stakeholders, ensuring substantial participation by persons affected by leprosy;

6.Encourages States,all relevant stakeholders, including United Nations bodies, specialized agencies such as the World Health Organization, funds and programmes, special procedures, other international organizations, regional human rights mechanisms, national human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations, to participate actively in the seminars;

7.Decides to remain seized of the matter.