Informal meeting on the Agenda - March 21st - AB

The facilitator submitted a draft agenda for the organisation of future HRC sessions. The two main issues debated were the following :

- Germany on behalf of the EU, as well as France, argued that the annual programme should be rather light and general agenda, to allow more flexibility. For instance, there should be enough time left during the HRC to deal with unexpected situations of emergency. On the opposite, Cuba on behalf of NAM, Mexico, USA, asked for a detailed programme of work, in order to increase the predictability of the HRC. China explained that the principle of flexibility is of less importance than the principle of predictability.

- Three options of agenda were described in the draft

Option A :
1. Economic, social and cultural rights
2. Civil and political rights
3. Right to development
4. Rights of peoples and specific groups and individuals
-> Algeria, Morocco, Malaysia, Iran, Argentina, South Africa, Cuba and Pakistan supported this option, the two latter specifying that the right to development should occupy the first place.
Norway and New Zealand also showed their preference for this option, but said that a fifth item should be added : country specific situations.

Option B :
1. Civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including right to development
2. Rights of peoples and specific groups and individuals
-> No one chose this solution

Option C :
1. Promotion and protection of HR
1. HR bodies and mechanisms
-> Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Mexico expressed their preference for this option because it is more inclusive, transversal, innovative and flexible.