A/HRC/RES/20/16
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
17 July 2012
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Twentieth session
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
20/16.
Arbitrary detention
The Human Rights Council,
Reaffirming articles 3, 9, 10 and 29, as well as other relevant provisions, of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
Recalling articles 9 to 11 and 14 to 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights,
Recalling also Commission on Human Rights resolutions 1991/42 of 5 March 1991
and 1997/50 of 15 April 1997, as well as Human Rights Council resolutions 6/4 of 28
September 2007, 10/9 of 26 March 2009, and 15/18 of 30 September 2010, in the latter of
which the Council extended the mandate of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention for
a further period of three years,
1.
Detention;
Stresses the importance of the work of the Working Group on Arbitrary
2.
Takes note with interest of the two latest reports of the Working Group, 1
including the recommendations contained therein;
3.
Requests the States concerned to take account of the Working Group’s views
and, where necessary, to take appropriate steps to remedy the situation of persons arbitrarily
deprived of their liberty, and to inform the Working Group of the steps they have taken;
4.
Welcomes the commemorative event organized to celebrate the twentieth
anniversary of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention;
1
GE.12-15390
The resolutions and decisions adopted by the Human Rights Council will be contained in the report of
the Council on its twentieth session (A/HRC/20/2), chap. I.
A/HRC/16/47, A/HRC/19/57.