A/HRC/RES/34/40
1.
Welcomes the efforts of the Voluntary Technical Assistance Trust Fund to
Support the Participation of Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States
in the Work of the Human Rights Council to meet fully its mandate;
2.
Recognizes the continued achievements of the Trust Fund since its
operationalization in 2014, and in particular its contribution to the following:
(a)
The commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the Human Rights Council at
its thirty-second session in June 2016, at which there was universal representation of States
Members of the United Nations for the first time;
(b)
The creation and provision of an e-learning tool, in the working languages of
the secretariat of the Trust Fund, providing initial training and information on the rules,
functioning and customary practices of the Council and its mechanisms;
(c)
The participation of 70 delegates, namely 39 women and 31 men, from 51
least developed countries and small island developing States, in the work of the Council;
(d)
The participation of eight delegates from least developed countries and small
island developing States in its fellowship programme to support their delegations in the
work of the Council;
(e)
Induction training prior to the sessions of the Council;
3.
Encourages the secretariat of the Trust Fund to continue its training and
capacity-building activities and briefings regarding the conduct and management of the
Trust Fund;
4.
Expresses appreciation for the efforts made by the secretariat of the Trust
Fund to conduct its work in different working languages of the United Nations;
5.
Recognizes the broadest application of the terms “least developed countries”
and “small island developing States” used by United Nations programmes and entities
when considering applications to the Trust Fund;
6.
Encourages the Trust Fund to support the conduct of at least one briefing on
the outcomes of the regular and special sessions of the Human Rights Council each year in
New York, prior to the commencement of each session of the General Assembly, for least
developed countries and small island developing States, with a view to supporting the
engagement of these delegations in the work of the Third Committee;
7.
Also encourages the Trust Fund to support the conduct of a workshop in
Africa, in Asia and the Pacific, and in the Caribbean, before the tenth anniversary of the
Trust Fund, reflecting on its achievements, identifying where further improvements might
be made and assessing the value of its activities in fulfilling its training and capacitybuilding mandate in support of the engagement of least developed countries and small
island developing States in the work of the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms;
8.
Requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights to prepare a report, in consultation with the beneficiaries of the Trust Fund, in which
the Office evaluates the activities of the Trust Fund in meeting its training and capacitybuilding mandate, and to present the report to the Human Rights Council at its forty-ninth
session, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Trust Fund;
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