Human Rights Council adopts Swiss resolution on peaceful protests

At the 56th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, a Swiss-led resolution to protect human rights during peaceful demonstrations was accepted. The resolution focuses on the tools used by law enforcement in the context of peaceful protests, the Swiss foreign ministry said in a press release on Friday. Via the resolution, Switzerland – jointly with Costa Rica – has continued its decade-long commitment in this area, the ministry added. According to the ministry, the aim is to help authorities better fulfill their obligations in this area, such as “facilitating demonstrations and ensuring they proceed safely”. The Human Rights Council in Geneva adopted the resolution by consensus, which the foreign ministry considers a success for Switzerland. In its response to the presentation by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, Switzerland meanwhile focused on several other human rights issues around the world: a draft law in Gambia to abolish a ban on female ...