Support for 37th Special Session of UN Human Rights Council on situation in the east of the DRC
Map of the Month 02/2025
At the request of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and with support of 27 Member States as well as 21 Observer States, the UN Human Rights Council convened its 37th Special Session on the human rights situation in the east of the DRC on the 7th of February. The Council adopted a resolution without a vote in which it condemned in the strongest possible terms the human rights violations and abuses being committed in the provinces of North and South Kivu, the unlawful exploitation and looting of natural resources therein as well as the military and logistical support provided by the Rwanda Defence Force to the M23. It decided to urgently establish an international fact-finding mission to investigate and establish the facts, circumstances and root causes of all alleged violations and abuses, collect, consolidate and analyse all evidence, identify persons and entities responsible, make recommendations on accountability and present a first oral update in the 59th Council session in September 2025. It also established an Independent Commission of Inquiry to Continue the work of the Fact-Finding Mission.
Sarah Ultes
February 7, 2025
Map of the Month
Voting behaviour in line with Germany’s and China's positioning in the UN Human Rights Council 2024
Map of the Month 01/2025
The map of the month January illustrates the voting behaviour of the members of the Human Rights Council in line with Germany’s versus China's positioning in the Council in 2024. A total of 91 resolutions were adopted in the UN Human Rights Council last year, 25 of which were put to a vote due to a lack of consensus. In addition to the EU member states, the USA, Montenegro, Japan, Finland and Albania voted most frequently in line with Germany (over 80%); Algeria never did so and Bangladesh, Burundi, Cameroon, China, Eritrea and Sudan only once. Of the Central and South American Council members, Argentina, Paraguay, Costa Rica and Chile voted most frequently in line with Germany (just over 55%); of the African states, Malawi, Ghana and Gambia (just over 35%). By contrast, Eritrea, Cuba and Burundi voted in line with China most frequently, while Albania, Argentina, Bulgaria and the USA never voted with China, and Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Romania hardly ever (4%). China and Germany only voted together once: they supported a text on the Palestinian people's right to self-determination, which the USA rejected.
Sarah Ultes
January 29, 2025
Map of the Month
Contributions of WHO member states to the first WHO Investment Round
Map of the Month 12/2024
The WHO Investment Round, initiated by the "Sustainable Finance Working Group", is a new pillar to secure sustainable, predictable and flexible funding for the WHO, complementing the gradual increase in assessed contributions.
Between May and November 2024, the first-ever Investment Round raised 3.8 billion USD (53% of the 7.1 billion target) from 53 member states and 16 philantrophy, private sector, or multilateral entities. Only member states and the European Union are shown here.
For 2025-2028, the WHO's General Program of Work (GPW) requires 11.1 billion USD in total funding, of which 4 billion USD will come from assessed contributions. This approach aims to address critical health needs while ensuring financial sustainability and accountability.
Dr. Anja Maria Rittner
December 23, 2024
Map of the Month
New composition of UN Human Rights Council as of 2025 and key votes at the 57th session of the Council
Map of the Month 10/2024
On 9 October, the UN General Assembly voted on the new composition of the UN Human Rights Council for the year 2025. Saudi Arabia once again failed to make it onto the Council in the Asia-Pacific Group, obtaining only 117 votes. The country's last failed attempt was in 2021 when it obtained only 90 votes. In the group of Western European and other states, the USA decided not to run for a second term. Trump had already decided to withdraw from the Council during his first term in June 2018, a decision that was reversed under Biden. Germany will be represented on the Council once again in 2025. Key votes during the 57th UN Human Rights Council included an extension of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation as well as for the Fact Finding Mission on Sudan. A resolution tabled by Georgia on technical assistance for its own country also had to be voted on. With regard to the right to development, another resolution was adopted, which focussed in particular on the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for its promotion of the right at the regional level. The resolution was sharply criticised by the USA and the EU, among others. The USA also criticised a text entitled ‘From rhetoric to reality: a global call for concrete action against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance’, which, among other things, described the slave trade as a ‘crime against humanity’ for which 'reparations proportionate to the harms committed' were expected. Criticism from the USA and Germany was primarily directed at anti-Semitism in connection with the associated Durban process and the singling out of a single region in the context of the wider problem of racism.
Sarah Ultes
October 10, 2024
Map of the Month
Vote by UN General Assembly on motion for no action on Russian amendment to the Pact for the Future
Map of the Month 09/2024
On 22 September 2024, the UN General Assembly adopted by consensus the Pact for the Future along with its annexes, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations. Beforehand, however, the Russian Federation criticised the negotiations and the pact and put forward an amendment which stated „that the United Nations and its system shall not intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any State (…)“. Congo on behalf of the African
Group requested a motion for no action which was voted on and supported with 143 states in favour,
7 against (Russia, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Nicaragua, Belarus and Sudan) and 15 abstentions.
28 states did not participate. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called the Pact and its
annexes „landmark agreements“ which were "step-change towards more effective, inclusive, networked multilateralism.“ The Pact includes 56 action steps in areas like sustainable
development, peace and security, digital cooperation, youth and future generations or global governance.
Sarah Ultes
September 23, 2024
Map of the Month
Donor and Recipient countries and progress of appeals Humanitarian aid worldwide until mid-2024
Map of the Month 08/2024
As of 19 August, World Humanitarian Day, only 26.6% of the required funds for 2024 have been received, which are channeled through UN agencies, funds, NGOs and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. With 6.5 billion USD, the USA is by far the largest donor, followed by the European Commission, Japan and Germany. The 10 largest donors have contributed around 80% of the amount until now, with Russia and China together contributing only around 0.07%. With 1.5 billion USD, the biggest amount is currently going to the Palestinian territories, although only 47% of the corresponding appeal has been covered. The other top 10 recipient countries include Ukraine, Sudan, Syria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, South Sudan and Somalia.
Sarah Ultes
August 19, 2024
Map of the Month
Ratification of the Additional Protocols to the Geneva Convention of 12 August 1949
Map of the Month 08/2024
On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, called for the Geneva Conventions to be made a political priority. While they are considered universally ratified with 196 signatory states, their enforcement remains an enormous challenge. Not only the respect and observance of the conventions and their additional protocols by the signatory states, but also the further ratification of the additional protocols are therefore indispensable in view of the increasing conflicts worldwide. While 20 active conflicts were counted in 1999, there are currently more than 120.
Sarah Ultes
August 15, 2024
Map of the Month
Key votes during the 56th UN Human Rights Council
Map of the Month 07/2024
Comparatively few resolutions were adopted during the 56th UN Human Rights Council, which was held in Geneva from June 18 to July 12. Of the 25 texts adopted, only three were put to the vote: the extension of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Eritrea and two long-standing and contentious initiatives on international cooperation and international solidarity. The much-discussed resolution of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on combating religious hatred that incites discrimination, hostility or violence was withdrawn shortly before the end of the session. A total of 30 amendments were tabled against other resolutions, in particular by Russia, for example against texts on HIV/AIDS, the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and girls or on human rights in the context of peaceful protests. However, they were either rejected or withdrawn. Among the texts adopted was a resolution mandating an an open-ended intergovernmental working group with preparing a draft optional protocol on the right to education for the Convention on the Rights of the Child. For the first time, the Council also adopted a resolution introduced by Panama, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Peru on the impact of plastic pollution on the full enjoyment of human rights.
The "Map of the Month", a new series of the Multilateral Dialogue Geneva of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, uses maps to illustrate global trends and the role of Germany and Europe in the world on a monthly basis.
