Country detail - yourHRC.org

Iceland

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

2023

2024

Council Bureau membership:	Vice-president (2019)
Coordinator of regional group:	1 (2020)
Voluntary financial contribution to OHCHR (2023) :

Other HRC positions:	–
OHCHR presence:	– No field presence
NHRI accreditation status:	–

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

Engagement with the HRC

Principal sponsorship of HRC resolutions

Equal pay; Promotion and protection of human rights in the Philippines; Situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran; The right to social security.

Voting record

Since it became a member of the Council in June 2019, Iceland has broadly voted along the same lines as other WEOG members.

Iceland has either joined consensus on or voted in favour of all texts tabled under item 4 (situations that require the Council’s attention). This included resolutions on the situations in the Syrian Arab Republic, Iran, Myanmar, Belarus, and Burundi. Concerning the voting on item 7 resolutions (Occupied Palestinian Territories), Iceland voted against the resolution on the Occupied Syrian Golan, but in favour of the other three item 7 resolutions adopted during HRC41. During 2018, Iceland joined consensus during the voting on all item 7 resolutions.

Turning to thematic resolutions, Iceland abstained on the resolution on the rights of peasants; voted against resolutions on the use of mercenaries and democratic and equitable international order; and voted in favour of the resolution on the right to water and sanitation. The only case in which Iceland’s vote differed from the position of the other WEOG members was its abstention during the vote on the right to development text.

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

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 development, 2017

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
4.15 Years

OP-CAT

Ratified

NPM established

Universal Periodic Review

Reported

(2011, 2016)

Mid-term report

2nd cycle

Level of delegation

Minister

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

2^nd cycle: 39 / 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' (2010-2023)?

Fulfilment of past voluntary pledges & commitments

Specific voluntary pledges:

Iceland tabled pledges and commitments in support of its candidacy for membership for the period 2019-2020 (in replacement of the United States) on 2 July 2018. The majority of the document describes Iceland’s existing commitment to human rights and its engagement with the UN human rights system.

Some of the specific pledges include: Promote the realization of all human rights — civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights — on the basis of international human rights law; Work towards a more efficient and effective Human Rights Council with the primary objective of allowing the Council to fulfil its mandate to strengthen the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe and to address situations of human rights violations; Safeguard the effective functioning of the universal periodic review process and support efforts to strengthen national implementation and follow-up to its recommendations; Enhance the engagement between the human rights treaty body system and the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms; Continue engaging with and promoting the work of national human rights institutions, civil society organizations and other stakeholders, including in the work of the Human Rights Council; Support and strengthen the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights as an independent voice for those left voiceless; Promote understanding of the interdependence of development, peace and security, and human rights, including through the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

Iceland

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: 1 / 192

2nd cycle: 39 / 192

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

Fulfilment of past voluntary pledges & commitments

Specific voluntary pledges:

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

2^nd cycle: 39 / 192