United Nations
General Assembly
A/HRC/RES/24/21
Distr.: General
9 October 2013
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Twenty-fourth 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
24/21.
Civil society space: creating and maintaining, in law and in practice, a
safe and enabling environment
The Human Rights Council,
Guided by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Vienna Declaration and
Programme of Action, the International Covenants on Human Rights, and all other relevant
instruments,
Recalling the Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups
and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and
Fundamental Freedoms,
Recalling also all Human Rights Council resolutions relevant to civil society space,
inter alia, resolutions 12/2 of 1 October 2009, on cooperation with the United Nations, its
representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights, 12/16 of 2 October 2009, on
freedom of opinion and expression, 21/16 of 27 September 2012, on the rights to freedom
of peaceful assembly and of association, 22/6 of 21 March 2013, on protecting human
rights defenders, and 22/10 of 21 March 2013, on the promotion and protection of human
rights in the context of peaceful protests,
Recognizing the important role of civil society at the local, national, regional and
international levels, and that civil society facilitates the achievement of the purposes and
principles of the United Nations,
Reaffirming that special emphasis should be given to measures to assist in the
strengthening of a pluralistic civil society, including through the strengthening of the rule of
law, social and economic development, the promotion of freedom of expression, the right
The resolutions and decisions adopted by the Human Rights Council will be contained in the report of
the Council on its twenty-fourth session (A/HRC/24/2), Part One.
GE.13-17957