A/HRC/RES/40/2
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
4 April 2019
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Fortieth session
25 February–22 March 2019
Agenda item 2
Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council
on 21 March 2019
40/2.
Promotion and protection of human rights in Nicaragua
The Human Rights Council,
Guided by the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, the International Covenants on Human Rights and other relevant international
human rights instruments,
Reaffirming the primary responsibility of States to respect, protect and fulfil all
human rights and fundamental freedoms and to fulfil their obligations under the human
rights treaties and agreements to which they are parties,
Reaffirming also that States have the primary responsibility for the promotion and
protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the context of assemblies such as
peaceful protests, and to ensure that national legislation, policies and practices, including
the national framework for the exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, of
association and of expression, are in compliance with international human rights law,
Welcoming the report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights entitled “Human rights violations and abuses in the context of protests in
Nicaragua: 18 April–18 August 2018”, published in August 2018,
Recalling in particular that the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights has the mandate to, inter alia, play an active role in removing the current obstacles
and meeting the challenges to the full realization of all human rights and in preventing the
continuation of human rights violations throughout the world,
Bearing in mind the events in Nicaragua, beginning in April 2018, that have led to a
serious political and human rights crisis, as documented in the report of the Office of the
High Commissioner,
1.
Expresses grave concern at reports of serious human rights violations and
abuses, beginning in April 2018 with the disproportionate use of force by the police to
repress social protests, and acts of violence by armed paramilitary groups, as well as reports
of ongoing unlawful arrests and arbitrary detentions, harassment, and torture and sexual and
gender-based violence in detention;
2.
Expresses concern over the increasing restrictions on civic space and
expressions of dissent in Nicaragua, including the closure of independent media outlets and
the cancellation of the legal registration, and seizure of assets and goods, of a number of
GE.19-05675(E)