Call for inputs - Report of High Commissioner - "Civil society space in multilateral institutions" - Deadline 1 May 2017

(Pix  Larry Catá Backer 2017)

For those who might find this sort of engagement interesting, I pass along a "Call for Inputs" for the Human Rights High Commissioner's forthcoming report on civil society space. Despite a certain cynicism about the value of such contribution (elite organizations are "heard" others are "acknowledged", these have marginal effect on the thrust of a report that has in essence already been structured, it can have negative consequences where governments monitor the public participation of its citizens, etc.)  participation might be worth considering for a number of reasons: 

(1) it serves to bridge connection among civil society actors to each other, thus strengthening global civil society dialogue (e.g. here);

(2) it provides a basis for internal coherence of civil society programs and activities, creating an opening through which civil society may also either contribute to the narrative or develop its own (e.g. here); 

(3) it helps refine individual and civil society engagement with home states and international organizations (e.g., here); and 

(4)  most important, it serves to develop positions about both multilateralism (here) and the role of civil society within its various polycentric governance centers (here) at a time when the concepts are in flux and leadership power may be shifting (here) and regulatory governance mechanisms may become more important (e.g., here). 

None of these may have anything to do with the High Commissioner's project; they have everything to do with the continuing development of an autonomous civil society sector, composed of groups and individuals, that serve through their engagement, as testimony to the limitations of the power of states--alone or in concert--to assert monopoly authority over discourse that flows beyond and through their borders.  For democratic states this must be folded into their legitimating ideology of participation (even the Russians as reluctant as they might be in that regard (eg here)); for Marxist Leninist state, this represents a means of better understanding and developing and implementing the mass line concept within Leninist organizational principles (which remains very much a work in progress, e.g., here).  

The Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council  (A/HRC/RES/32/31 (20 July 2016)) E F S A C R

Requests the High Commissioner to prepare a report compiling information on the procedures and practices in respect of civil society involvement with regional and international organizations, including United Nations bodies, agencies, funds and programmes, and the contribution of civil society to their work and challenges and best practices, and in that regard to continue to engage with and seek input from those organizations and entities, as well as the views of States, national human rights institutions, civil society and other stakeholders, and to submit the compilation to the Human Rights Council at its thirty-eighth session (Resolution ¶ 18)

The text of the Call for Submissions (English and Français follows.

Subject: Call for submissions pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 32/31 on Civil Society Space

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights would like to invite contributions from national human rights institutions, civil society and other stakeholders for the forthcoming report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 32/31 on civil society space.

Human Rights Council resolution 32/31 on civil society space in its paragraph 18 requests the High Commissioner to “prepare a report compiling information on the procedures and practices in respect of civil society involvement with regional and international organizations, including United Nations bodies, agencies, funds and programmes, and the contribution of civil society to their work and challenges and best practices, and in that regard to continue to engage with and seek input from those organizations and entities, as well as the views of States, national human rights institutions, civil society and other stakeholders, and to submit the compilation to the Human Rights Council at its thirty-eighth session”.

Resolution 32/31 is available here:

It would be appreciated if written submissions could be sent electronically in Word format to the email: civilsociety@ohchr.org indicating “Civil Society Space Report - Input" in the subject heading. Submissions should not exceed 10 pages and should be received by 1 May 2017 at the latest. Written submissions will not be translated and should therefore be submitted in English or French.

Please also find below links to the publication, “Civil Society Space and the United Nations Human Rights System - A Practical Guide for Civil Society” in the official UN languages.

Arabic:

Chinese:

English:

French:

Russian:

Spanish:


The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights would like to thank in advance the national human rights institutions, civil society and other stakeholders for their cooperation in this regard.

__________

 

HAUT-COMMISSARIAT AUX DROITS DE L’HOMME • OFFICE OF THE HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS PALAIS DES NATIONS • 1211 GENEVA 10, SWITZERLAND
www.ohchr.org • TEL: +41 22 917 9335 • FAX: +41 22 917 9008 • E-MAIL: BSmith@ohchr.org

Sujet: Appel aux contributions écrites au rapport sur le champ d'action de la société civile


Le Bureau du Haut-Commissariat aux droits de l'homme voudrait inviter à soumettre les contributions des institutions nationales des droits de l'homme, de la société civile et d'autres intervenants pour le prochain rapport pour le prochain rapport du Haut- Commissaire aux Droits de l’Homme, conformément à la résolution 32/31 du Conseil des Droits de l’Homme sur le champ d’action de la société civile.

La résolution 32/31 du Conseil des Droits de l’homme sur le champ d’action de la société civile, paragraphe 18, « prie le Haut-Commissaire d’établir une compilation de recommandations pratiques pour la création et le maintien d’un environnement sûr et favorable à la société civile, en se fondant sur les bonnes pratiques et les enseignements tirés et, à cet égard, de continuer à collaborer avec les États, les titulaires de mandat au titre des procédures spéciales du Conseil des droits de l’homme, les organes conventionnels, les organes et organismes compétents des Nations Unies, les mécanismes régionaux des droits de l’homme, les institutions nationales des droits de l’homme, la société civile et autres parties prenantes, et à chercher à connaître leur avis, et de lui soumettre ce document à sa trente-deuxième session; »

La résolution 32/31 est disponible à l’adresse suivante:

https://daccess-ods.un.org/access.nsf/Get?Open&DS=A/HRC/RES/32/31&Lang=F

Prière de nous envoyer vos contributions écrites en format Word à l’adresse suivante: civilsociety@ohchr.org. Merci d’inclure dans le sujet du courriel "Civil Society Space Report - Input" ou "Rapport sur le champ d'action de la société civile". Les contributions écrites ne devraient pas dépasser 10 pages et devront être reçues au plus tard le 1 mai 2017. Les contributions écrites ne seront pas traduites et doivent donc être soumises en anglais ou en français.

Merci de télécharger également le nouveau guide pratique sur “Le champ d’action de la Société Civile et le Système des Droits de l’Homme des Nations Unies”, disponible en:

Arabic:

Chinoise:

Anglais:

Français:

Russe:

Espagnol:


Le Haut-Commissariat aux droits de l'homme tient à remercier à l'avance les institutions nationales des droits de l'homme, de la société civile et d'autres intervenants pour leur coopération à cet égard.

1 novembre 2016