Country detail - yourHRC.org

Germany

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

Council Bureau membership:	President (2015) Vice-president (2018)
Coordinator of regional group:	1 (2014)
Voluntary financial contribution to OHCHR (2019) :

Other HRC positions:	Member of Working Group on Situations (2013, 2014, 2016)
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

Adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living; high-level panel on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Human Rights Council; human rights and access to safe drinking water and sanitation; human rights and the environment; human rights situation in the Syrian Arab Republic; the right to privacy in the digital age; trafficking in persons, especially women and children; situation of human rights in Eritrea; equal pay; promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka; moratorium on the use of the death penalty; national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights; mandate of the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children; and the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a communications procedure.

Voting record

Since it first became a member of the Council in 2006, Germany has either voted in favour of or has joined consensus on every resolution tabled under item 4 (situations that require the Council’s attention), as well as country-specific resolutions under item 2 (except for a 2017 resolution on Burundi, which Germany voted against). For item 7 resolutions (human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories), Germany generally either votes in favour or abstains, though it voted against 2008 and 2009 texts on human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and a 2018 text on the Occupied Syrian Golan. On item 10 resolutions (capacity-building), Germany has joined consensus on all resolutions except for the texts dealing with cooperation with Ukraine and Georgia (with Germany voting in favour), and the texts dealing with technical cooperation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Germany abstained once and voted in favour once). For thematic resolutions dealing with civil and political rights, Germany usually joins consensus or, where a vote is called, votes in favour. Resolutions that it has voted against include those on: defamation of religion, the right to peace, complementary standards to ICERD, and the effects of terrorism on human rights. Germany abstained during voting on resolutions on the integrity of the judicial system, and on drones. For thematic resolutions dealing with economic, social and cultural rights, Germany has joined consensus on a majority of texts. Where there have been votes, Germany has voted in favour of resolutions on the right to development, and against texts on international solidarity, unilateral coercive measures, globalisation and its impact on human right, and the effects of economic reform policies and foreign debt. Germany has abstained on a number of resolutions including on the non-repatriation of funds of illicit origin, and on access to medicine.

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: 42

Subregional
group statements

Average of statements for all countries: 50

327

Political group
statements

Average of statements for all countries: 109

Cross-regional
group statements

Average of statements for all countries: 58

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 Eritrea, 2012

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

CERD
1 Year

OP-CAT

Ratified

NPM established

Received Sub-Committee visit

Universal Periodic Review

Reported

(2008, 2013)

Mid-term report

Level of delegation

Commissioner

Participation in other reviews
1^st cycle: 140 / 192

2^nd cycle: 177 / 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' (2010-2019)?

Fulfilment of past voluntary pledges & commitments

Specific voluntary pledges: 18

Germany presented voluntary pledges and commitments in support of its candidature for membership for the period 2016-2018 in July 2015.

Key pledges includes: continue to implement Germany’s obligations under the core human rights conventions; cooperate with the Treaty Bodies, including by fulfilling reporting obligations and by following-up on implementation; continue the country’s close cooperation with, and continue to provide support for, OHCHR; promote the participation of NHRIs and civil society in the work of the Council; maintain a standing invitation to Special Procedures and engage fully with the UPR; implement the National Action Plan to realise the provisions of CRPD; develop a national action plan on business and human rights; and fully implement the Federal Government’s Plan of Action for Human Rights 2014-2016.

An analysis of steps taken by Germany in fulfilment of its international level pledges shows that it continues to make substantial voluntary contributions to OHCHR (of around US$5 million per year). Germany has ratified all core human rights conventions. In terms of its periodic reports, Germany has three overdue period reports (under CERD, CRC and CRPD) – although each is overdue by less than a year. In terms of cooperation with Special Procedures, Germany maintains a standing invitation, has facilitated over 90% of all visit requests, and has responded to 86% of communications. In terms of support for the work of the Council, Germany (individually) participates in around 40% of the Council’s panel discussions, interactive dialogues and general debates.

Germany

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: 140 / 192

2nd cycle: 177 / 192

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

Fulfilment of past voluntary pledges & commitments

Specific voluntary pledges: 18

Participation in other reviews
1^st cycle: 140 / 192

2^nd cycle: 177 / 192