UN expert calls for declaration on the right to international solidarity

NEW YORK (23 October 2023) – International solidarity is a foundational principle in the promotion and protection of human rights across the world, a UN expert said today during his final presentation to the General Assembly.

“Embracing international solidarity demands concrete actions and genuine commitment from all of us,” said Obiora C. Okafor, the Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity.

In his report to the General Assembly, Okafor presented an overview of the issues he covered and the activities he carried out during his term as an independent expert including the revised draft Declaration on the right to international solidarity which he presented to the Human Rights Council in June 2023.

“The main reason for revising the existing draft Declaration is to update it to respond to important developments that have occurred since its preparation,” the expert said.

He noted that the adoption of a Declaration on international solidarity would be a significant step towards creating an additional and highly significant resource for those working for a more just, equitable and compassionate world. It will also provide a framework for States and all stakeholders to strengthen collective action and cooperation for the protection of human rights.

Okafor called for the support of the members of the General Assembly for the adoption, through an intergovernmental process, of the revised draft declaration on the right of individuals and peoples to international solidarity.

ENDS

Mr Obiora C. Okafor was appointed by the Human Rights Council as the Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity in June 2017. He is the Edward B. Burling Chair in International Law and Institutions at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies, Washington DC, USA. He is also a former Chairperson of the UN Human Rights Council Advisory Committee.

Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent of any government or organisation and serve in their individual capacity.