Country detail - yourHRC.org

Congo

Regional group:

African Group (AG)

Council member:

2006-2007

2007-2008

2008-2009

2009-2010

2010-2011

2011-2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Council Bureau membership:	–
Coordinator of regional group:	–
Voluntary financial contribution to OHCHR (2024) :

Other HRC positions:	Member of Working Group on Situations (2013, 2014)
OHCHR presence:	– No field presence
NHRI accreditation status:	B

National Mechanisms for Implementation, Reporting, and Follow-up (NMIRF): Unknown

Engagement with the HRC

Principal sponsorship of HRC resolutions

Promoting Human Rights through sport and the Olympic ideal.

Voting record

Since it first became a member of the Council in 2011, Congo has (in the absence of consensus) either voted in favour of, or abstained on, resolutions tabled under item 4 (situations that require the Council’s attention). It has voted in favour of some texts on the situation in Belarus and the Syrian Arab Republic. It has abstained on other Belarus and the Syrian Arab Republic texts, as well as on resolutions dealing with the situations in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Congo has voted against item 2 resolutions on the situation in Sri Lanka. During votes on item 7 resolutions (human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories), Congo has voted in favour on every occasion. On item 10 resolutions (capacity-building), Congo has joined consensus on all resolutions except for two that were voted on during the period of its membership: on cooperation with Ukraine (Congo abstained). For thematic resolutions dealing with civil and political rights, Congo has generally joined consensus. Where there has been a vote, it has usually voted in favour. Notwithstanding, it has abstained during votes on: a 2014 resolution on peaceful protests, and a 2014 resolution on sexual orientation. For thematic resolutions dealing with economic, social and cultural rights, Congo either joined consensus on, or has voted in favour of, all adopted texts.

HRC participation

During HRC general discussions, panel debates and interactive dialogues with the Special Procedures, during the past three years, either as an HRC member or not, the State has joined:

262

Regional
group statements

Average of statements for all countries: 78

Subregional
group statements

Average of statements for all countries: 50

Political group
statements

Average of statements for all countries: 109

Cross-regional
group statements

Average of statements for all countries: 96

Other joint
statements

Average of statements for all countries: 5

HRC member empty chair?

Overall, as a HRC member, has participated in more than 10% of panel discussions, general debates and interactive dialogues.

Cooperation with international human rights system

Special Procedures

Standing invitation

Communications responded to / received

Visits requests status

Completed
Invitation sent by the State not (yet) accepted by the SP
Accepted / date set
Visit request by the SP and not (yet) accepted by the State
Postponed / cancelled

Longest visit request not (yet) accepted by the State >
SR on indigenous peoples, 2019

Treaty Bodies

Ratified

Reporting Status

Ratification status
Party Not Party
Individual complaint procedure accepted.
Reporting status

Submitted on time
Submitted late
Not applicable

On schedule
Overdue (outstanding)

CAT

ICCPR

CED

CEDAW

CERD

ICESCR

CRC

CRPD

Most overdue report

ICESRC
33 Years

OP-CAT

Ratified

NPM established

Universal Periodic Review

Reported

(2009, 2013, 2018)

Mid-term report

Level of delegation

Minister

Participation in other reviews
1^st cycle: 16 / 192

2^nd cycle: 50 / 192

Cooperation with the UN, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights

Cited in the Secretary General’s reports on 'alleged reprisals for cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights' (2010-2024)?

Fulfilment of past voluntary pledges & commitments

Specific voluntary pledges: 8

Congo tabled ‘voluntary pledges and commitments’ in support for its candidacy for membership for the period 2015-2017 on 9 September 2014. The document presents Congo’s international level and national level commitments and pledges for its membership term.

A significant part of the document presents Congo’s existing contribution to human rights. Where it does offer pledges and commitments, they are generally vague and stated in broad terms.

Domestically, Congo undertook to: implement UPR and Treaty Body recommendations; adopt a national human rights action plan; start a national dialogue on the abolition of the death penalty; introduce human rights education and training; improve the justice and prison system; combat poverty and equality; expand anti-corruption programmes; and curtail human trafficking and sexual violence.

At international level, Congo pledged to: contribute to enhancing the non-politicization of the Council; consolidate steps to be taken based on recommendations from the Council and its mechanisms; submit regular national reports to Treaty Bodies; and ratify international human rights instruments to which it is not yet a party.

An analysis of steps taken by Congo in fulfilment of its international pledges shows that Congo has a generally low participation rate at the Council, engaging in only 19% of panel discussions, 11% of interactive dialogues and 10% of general debates. Regarding cooperation with Special Procedures, Congo accepted most visit requests, but only responded to one communication received. Congo has 4 Treaty Body reports outstanding (including ICESCR, which is 25 years overdue), but is on schedule for the submission of 2 other reports. Congo also submitted a mid-term UPR report.

Congo

African Group (AG)

Engagement with the HRC

Principal sponsorship of HRC resolutions

Voting record

HRC participation

HRC member empty chair?

Cooperation with international human rights system

Special Procedures

Standing invitation

Communications responded to / received

Visits requests status

Treaty Bodies

Ratified

Reporting Status

Universal Periodic Review

Participation in other reviews 1st cycle: 16 / 192

2nd cycle: 50 / 192

Cooperation with the UN, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights

Fulfilment of past voluntary pledges & commitments

Specific voluntary pledges: 8

Participation in other reviews
1^st cycle: 16 / 192

2^nd cycle: 50 / 192