Country detail - yourHRC.org

France

Regional group:

Western European & Others Group

Council member:

2006-2007

2007-2008

2008-2009

2009-2010

2010-2011

2011-2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

Council Bureau membership:	–
Coordinator of regional group:	–
Voluntary financial contribution to OHCHR (2022) :

Other HRC positions:	Member of Consultative Group (2016-2017) Member of Working Group on Situations (2015)
OHCHR presence:	– No field presence
NHRI accreditation status:	A

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

Engagement with the HRC

Principal sponsorship of HRC resolutions

Arbitrary detention; Enforced or involuntary disappearances; Extreme poverty and human rights; Human rights and preventing and countering violent extremism; Human rights situation in the Syrian Arab Republic; International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance; Open-ended Working Group on an optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child to provide a communications procedure; Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence; The human rights situation in Iraq in the light of abuses committed by the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and associated groups; The question of the death penalty; The safety of journalists; Youth and human rights; Situation of human rights in Eritrea.

Voting record

Since it first became a member of the Council in 2006, France has either voted in favour of or has joined consensus on every resolution tabled under item 4 (situations that require the Council’s attention), and country-specific resolution under item 2 (reports by the High Commissioner). For item 7 resolutions (human rights in the OPT), France generally either votes in favour or abstains (almost equally). Notwithstanding, it voted against two item 7 texts in 2008 and 2010, on human rights in the OPT. On item 10 resolutions (capacity-building), France has joined consensus on all resolutions except: three dealing with cooperation with Ukraine (with France voting in favour) and one dealing with technical cooperation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2009, France abstained). For thematic resolutions dealing with civil and political rights, France has mainly either voted in favour or joined consensus. Resolutions that it usually (or always) votes against include resolutions on: right to peace, effects of terrorism on human rights and drones. France abstained on the 2014 resolution on the integrity of the judicial system, the 2015 resolution on the regulation of firearms and the 2008 text on the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression. For thematic resolutions dealing with economic, social, and cultural rights, where there have been votes on such texts, France has tended to abstain or vote against. Exceptions include France votes in favour of resolutions on the right to development and the right to water and sanitation. gin.

View full voting record

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:

Regional
group statements

Average of statements for all countries: 98

Subregional
group statements

Average of statements for all countries: 46

270

Political group
statements

Average of statements for all countries: 109

Cross-regional
group statements

Average of statements for all countries: 61

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 african descent, 2013

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
-1.77 Years

OP-CAT

Ratified

NPM established

Universal Periodic Review

Reported

(2008, 2012, 2018)

Mid-term report

1st & 2nd cycles

Level of delegation

Ambassador

Participation in other reviews
1^st cycle: 184 / 192

2^nd cycle: 192 / 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' (2010-2022)?

Fulfilment of past voluntary pledges & commitments

Specific voluntary pledges: 4

France tabled voluntary pledges and commitments in support for its candidacy for membership for the period 2014-2016 on 28 October 2013.

France made a number of concrete pledges and commitments at both international and national levels.

At international level, France pledged to encourage States to oppose arbitrary detention, torture and enforced disappearances. It also undertook to end impunity and promote the right to truth and justice, particularly through support for international criminal justice. France also committed to support the rights to education, health, food, water and sanitation, and the promotion of human rights in the context of extreme poverty. In terms of engagement with the Council and human rights mechanisms, France pledged to cooperate with all human rights organs and mechanisms, including Special Procedures, Treaty Bodies, and fact-finding missions.

At domestic level, France pledged to promote freedom of opinion and expression, particularly in the context of peaceful demonstrations.

An analysis of steps taken by France in fulfilment of its international level pledges shows that France participated in around half of the panel discussions and general debates. Regarding Special Procedures, France accepted 64% of the visit requests and responded to 68% of communications received. France is Party to all the core conventions and has accepted all communications procedures. France is an extremely active participant in the UPR process. It spoke at the reviews of 184 States during the first cycle and all 192 States during the second cycle. It also submitted a mid-term report on the implementation of the recommendations received during its own review. France leads Council initiatives on many of the issues mentioned in its voluntary pledges and commitments, including on enforced disappearances, the right to truth, and human rights and extreme poverty. France has also demonstrated a strong commitment towards women’s rights, the rights of journalists, and ending arbitrary detention and the death penalty, by consistently supporting and leading on initiatives to promote and protect these rights.

France

Western European & Others Group

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: 184 / 192

2nd cycle: 192 / 192

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

Fulfilment of past voluntary pledges & commitments

Specific voluntary pledges: 4

Participation in other reviews
1^st cycle: 184 / 192

2^nd cycle: 192 / 192