Country detail - yourHRC.org

South Africa

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

2026

Council Bureau membership:	–
Coordinator of regional group:	–
Voluntary financial contribution to OHCHR (2025) :

Other HRC positions:	Member of Working Group on Situations (2017, 2018)
OHCHR presence:	– No field presence
NHRI accreditation status:	A

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

Engagement with the HRC

Principal sponsorship of HRC resolutions

South Africa has been in the core group of the following resolutions: access to medicines, vaccines and other health products in the context of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; the impact of anti-personnel mines on the full enjoyment of human rights; the role of good governance in the protection and promotion of human rights; education as a tool to prevent racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; combating discrimination, violence and harmful practices against intersex persons; Working Group on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas; promoting and protecting economic, social and cultural rights within the context of addressing inequalities; eliminating inequality within and among States for the realization of human rights; the right to social security; equal pay; elimination of discrimination against women in sport; and human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity.

Voting record

Since it first became a member of the Council in 2006, South Africa has (in the absence of consensus) almost always abstained from all resolutions tabled under item 4 (situations that require the Council’s attention). The exceptions include a vote in favour of a resolution on the situation of human rights in Belarus (2023) and votes against resolutions on Burundi (2017) and the Islamic Republic of Iran (2016). For country-specific item 2 resolutions, South Africa has either voted in favour or abstained. South Africa has usually voted in favour of item 7 resolutions (human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory), with the exception of two texts it voted against in 2009. On item 10 resolutions (technical assistance and capacity-building), South Africa has joined consensus on all resolutions except for the following texts that were voted on during its time as a member: two occasions on the situation and capacity-building in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (voted in favour twice), on technical cooperation with Colombia (voted in favour), cooperation with Ukraine (abstained seven times), and on cooperation with Georgia (abstained four times). For thematic resolutions dealing with civil and political rights, South Africa has generally joined consensus. Where there has been a vote, it has voted in favour of resolutions on, inter alia: unilateral coercive measures; racism; the question of the death penalty; mercenaries; the right to peace; defamation of religions; sexual orientation; arms transfers; drones; firearms; and torture. South Africa has voted against resolutions on: terrorism; civil society; extremism; peaceful protests; and discrimination based on religion and belief. For thematic resolutions dealing with economic, social, and cultural rights, South Africa has joined consensus or voted in favour of the majority of texts - it voted against a resolution on protection of the family in 2015.

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

114

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 environment, 2014

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
2 Years

OP-CAT

Ratified

NPM established

Received Sub-Committee visit

Universal Periodic Review

Reported

(2008, 2012, 2017)

Mid-term report

Level of delegation

Inter-ministerial

Participation in other reviews
1^st cycle: 72 / 192

2^nd cycle: 100 / 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' (2010-2025)?

Fulfilment of past voluntary pledges & commitments

Specific voluntary pledges: 16

South Africa had not published voluntary pledges and commitments in support of its candidacy for membership for the period 2026-2028.

South Africa tabled voluntary pledges and commitments in support of its candidacy for membership for the period 2023-2025, on 24 August 2022. In the document, only one of seven sections is dedicated specifically to setting out South Africa’s pledges for its term on the Human Rights Council. The remainder of the document provides background on South Africa’s legal and policy framework for the promotion and protection of human rights, as well as its active role on the multilateral stage. Where it did offer concrete commitments, South Africa pledged, inter alia, to: continue receiving Special Procedures and Human Rights Council mechanisms wishing to undertake country visits; support the OHCHR’s programmes and its office in Pretoria; submit on-time country reports to human rights treaty monitoring bodies; continue advocating for a sustainable development programme within the human rights framework and Human Rights Council agenda; work towards updating the ICESCR and ICCPR through an amended protocol, placing the right to development on par with all other rights enumerated in those instruments; and to submit on-time country reports to human rights treaty monitoring bodies. An analysis of steps taken by South Africa in fulfilment of its international level pledges shows that it tends to be late in its reporting to the Treaty Bodies (three reports were late and one overdue). It ratified the CED in May 2024, but has yet to ratify the OP-ICESCR. In terms of cooperation with the Special Procedures, South Africa maintains a Standing Invitation, completing 44 per cent of its visit and responding to only 25 per cent of the communications it received.

South Africa

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: 72 / 192

2nd cycle: 100 / 192

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

Fulfilment of past voluntary pledges & commitments

Specific voluntary pledges: 16

Participation in other reviews
1^st cycle: 72 / 192

2^nd cycle: 100 / 192