Human Rights Council

Forty- fo u rth session

30 June–17 July 2020

Agenda item 3

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

Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 16 July 2020

4 4 / 6. Elimination of discrimination against pe rsons 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, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination,

Welcoming the work and taking note of the reports of the Special Rapporteur on the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members submitted to the Human Rights Council, and the recommendations made therein,

Recalling Human Rights Council 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 the annexes thereto,

Recalling also its resolutions 8/13 of 18 June 2008, 12/7 of 1 October 2009, 15/10 of 30 September 2010, 29/5 of 2 July 2015 and 35/9 of 22 June 2017, 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,

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

Recalling also 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, which put them in a situation of vulnerability, 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 members and 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,

Recalling the final report of the Advisory Committee, submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 29/5, and the recommendations contained therein,

1.Welcomes the work of the Special Rapporteur on the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members;

2.Decides to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members for a period of three years, 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 members2 for 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, funds and programmes, in particular the World Health Organization, 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, discrimination 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 continue to report annually to the Human Rights Council, and to report also to the General Assembly, starting from its seventy-sixth session;

3.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;

4.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;

5.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;

6.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 continue consultations with different stakeholders aimed at eliminating leprosy-related discrimination, including by widely disseminating the principles and guidelines and deepening the understanding of them among States and all other concerned stakeholders, with the meaningful participation of persons affected by leprosy and their family members;

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

8.Decides to remain seized of the matter.

27th meeting 16 July 2020

[Adopted without a vote.]