Human Rights Council

Fift y-first session

12 September–7 October 2022

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 6 October 2022

5 1 / 11. Promotion of a democratic and equitable international order

The Human Rights Council,

Recalling all previous resolutions of the General Assembly, the Commission on Human Rights and the Human Rights Council on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order,

Reaffirming the commitment of all States to fulfil their obligations to promote universal respect for and observance and protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, other instruments relating to human rights, and international law,

Affirming that the enhancement of international cooperation for the promotion and the protection of all human rights should continue to be carried out in full conformity with the purposes and principles of the Charter and of international law and with, inter alia, full respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence, the non-use of force or the threat of force in international relations and non-intervention in matters within the domestic jurisdiction of States,

Reaffirming the determination to work for the dignity and worth of the human person and for the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small,

Reaffirming also that everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights can be fully realized,

Reaffirming further the determination expressed in the Preamble to the Charter to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom, to practice tolerance and good neighbourliness, and to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples,

Stressing that the responsibility for managing worldwide economic and social issues and threats to international peace and security must be shared among the nations of the world and should be exercised multilaterally, and that in this regard the central role must be played by the United Nations as the most universal and representative organization in the world,

Concerned about the continued and systematic abuse by Member States of the extraterritorial application of their national legislation in a manner that affects the sovereignty of other States, the legitimate interests of entities or persons under their jurisdiction and the full enjoyment of human rights,

Considering the major changes taking place on the international scene and the aspirations of all peoples for an international order based on the principles enshrined in the Charter, including promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all and, in particular, respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, as well as peace, democracy, justice, equality, the rule of law, pluralism, development, better standards of living and solidarity,

Reaffirming that the enhancement of international cooperation in the field of human rights is essential for the full achievement of the purposes of the United Nations, including the effective promotion and protection of all human rights,

Reaffirming also that democracy, development and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms are interdependent and mutually reinforcing, and that democracy is based on the freely expressed will of the people to determine their own political, economic, social and cultural systems and their full participation in all aspects of their lives,

Recognizing that the promotion and protection of human rights should be based on the principle of cooperation and genuine dialogue and be aimed at strengthening the capacity of Member States to comply with their human rights obligations for the benefit of all human beings,

Affirming that the right of every State to take part in the conduct of international affairs is essential to the realization of a democratic and equitable international order,

Stressing the need for adequate financing of and technology transfer to developing countries, in particular least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States, including to support their efforts to adapt to climate change and other challenges to development,

Reiterating the importance of a democratic and equitable international order for effectively and promptly addressing the current global challenges and crises, aggravated by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic,

1.Reaffirms that everyone is entitled to a democratic and equitable international order that fosters the full realization of all human rights for all;

2.Reiterates that democracy includes respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms and is a universal value based on the freely expressed will of people to determine their own political, economic, social and cultural systems and their full participation in all aspects of their lives, and reaffirms the need for universal adherence to and implementation of the rule of law at both the national and international levels;

3.Reaffirms that the will of the people, as expressed through periodic and genuine elections, shall be the basis of government authority, and the right to choose representatives freely through periodic and genuine elections, which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures;

4.Calls upon Member States and the United Nations system to minimize the adverse impact of multiple interrelated global crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, through, inter alia, the strengthening and enhancement of international cooperation, increased equality of opportunities for trade, economic growth, sustainable development, global communications, increased intercultural exchange and the preservation and promotion of cultural diversity;

5.Reaffirms that a democratic and equitable international order requires, inter alia, the realization of the following:

(a)The right of all peoples to self-determination, by virtue of which they can freely determine their political status and pursue freely their economic, social and cultural development, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and relevant resolutions of the United Nations;

(b)The right of peoples and nations to permanent sovereignty over their natural wealth and resources;

(c)The right of every human person and all peoples to development;

(d)The right of all peoples to peace;

(e)The right to an international economic order based on equal participation in the decision-making process, interdependence, mutual interest, solidarity and cooperation among all States;

(f)International solidarity, as a right of peoples and individuals;

(g)The promotion and consolidation of transparent, democratic, just and accountable international institutions in all areas of cooperation, in particular through the implementation of the principle of full and equal participation in their respective decision-making mechanisms;

(h)The right to equitable participation of all, without any discrimination, in domestic and global decision-making;

(i)The principle of equitable regional and gender-balanced representation in the composition of the staff of the United Nations system;

(j)The promotion of a free, just, effective and balanced international information and communications order, based on international cooperation for the establishment of a new equilibrium and greater reciprocity in the international flow of information, in particular correcting the digital gap and inequalities in the flow of information to and from developing countries;

(k)Respect for cultural diversity and the cultural rights of all, since this enhances cultural pluralism, contributes to a wider exchange of knowledge and understanding of cultural backgrounds, advances the application and enjoyment of universally accepted human rights across the world and fosters stable, friendly relations among peoples and nations worldwide;

(l)The right of every person and all peoples to a healthy environment and to enhanced international cooperation that responds effectively to the needs for assistance of national efforts to adapt to climate change, particularly in developing countries, and that promotes the fulfilment of international agreements in the field of mitigation;

(m)The promotion of equitable access to benefits from the international distribution of wealth through enhanced international cooperation, in particular in international economic, commercial and financial relations;

(n)The enjoyment by everyone of ownership of the common heritage of humankind in connection to the public right of access to culture;

(o)The shared responsibility of the nations of the world for managing worldwide economic and social development and addressing threats to international peace and security, that should be exercised multilaterally;

6.Stresses the importance of preserving the rich and diverse nature of the international community of nations and peoples, and of respect for national and regional particularities and various historical, cultural and religious backgrounds, in the enhancement of international cooperation in the field of human rights;

7.Urges all actors on the international scene to build an international order based on inclusion, justice, equality and equity, human dignity and mutual understanding, and the promotion of and respect for cultural diversity and universal human rights, and to reject all doctrines of exclusion based on racism, racial discrimination, xenophobiaand related intolerance, as well as on hate speech and supremacist ideologies;

8.Reaffirms that all States should promote the establishment, maintenance and strengthening of international peace and security, and to that end should do their utmost to achieve general and complete disarmament under effective international control and to ensure that the resources released by effective disarmament measures are used for sustainabledevelopment, in particular that of developing countries;

9.Underlines that attempts to overthrow legitimate Governments by force or other illegal means disrupt the democratic and constitutional order, the legitimate exercise of power and the full enjoyment of human rights;

10.Reaffirms the need to continue to work urgently for the establishment of an international economic order based on equity, sovereign equality, interdependence, common interest and cooperation among all States, irrespective of their economic and social systems, in order to correct inequalities and redress existing injustices, to make it possible to eliminate the widening gap between developed and developing countries and to ensure steadily accelerating economic and social development and peace and justice for present and future generations;

11.Takes note of the reportof the Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order;

12.Reiterates that renewed multilateralism, with a more effective and more inclusive approach, is essential in order to respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, with people and respect for human rights at the centre of this process, and stresses that such an endeavour necessitates the global leadership and the coordination of a robust and adequately funded United Nations, and the full commitment and sustained engagement of Member States, international financial institutions, the private sector, academia and civil society;

13.Calls upon all Governments to cooperate with and assist the Independent Expert in the discharge of his mandate, and to provide him with all the necessary information requested by him in order to enable him to fulfil his duties effectively;

14.Requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue to provide all the human and financial resources necessary for the effective fulfilment of the mandate by the Independent Expert;

15.Invites the Independent Expert, in accordance with his mandate, to study and compile good practices and experiences in the field of South-South, North-South and triangular cooperation in the context of their contribution to overcoming global challenges and the achievement of a democratic and equitable international order, in close cooperation with relevant United Nations entities,academia, think tanks and research institutes, particularly the South Centre, and other relevant stakeholders from all regions;

16.Requests the human rights treaty bodies, the Office of the High Commissioner, the special mechanisms of the Human Rights Council and the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee to pay due attention, within their respective mandates, to the present resolution and to make contributions to its implementation;

17.Requests the Independent Expert to continue to report on the implementation of the present resolution to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly, in accordance with their programmes of work;

18.Decides to continue consideration of this matter under the same agenda item in accordance with its programme of work.

4 1st meeting 6 October 2022

[Adopted by a recorded vote of 29 to 14, with 4 abstentions. The voting was as follows:

In favour:

Argentina, Benin, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Cameroon, China, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Eritrea, Gabon, Gambia, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Libya, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritania, Namibia, Nepal, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)

Against:

Czechia, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Republic of Korea, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States of America

Abstaining:

Armenia, Brazil, Marshall Islands and Mexico]