Country detail - yourHRC.org

United Arab Emirates

Regional group:

Asia – Pacific Group (APG)

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:	–
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

Assistance to Somalia in the field of human rights; Realizing the equal enjoyment of the right to education by every girl; Technical assistance and capacity-building for Yemen in the field of human rights; Situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic.

Voting record

Since it first became a member of the Council in 2013, the United Arab Emirates has (in the absence of consensus) either voted in favour of or joined consensus on most resolutions tabled under item 4 (situations that require the Council’s attention). Notwithstanding, UAE has abstained during votes on resolutions on the situations in Belarus and the Islamic Republic of Iran. UAE voted against country-specific item 2 resolutions on Sri Lanka (2013, 2014), but joined consensus on an item 2 resolution on the situation of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar. For item 7 resolutions (human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories), UAE has always voted in favour. On item 10 resolutions (capacity-building), UAE has joined consensus on all resolutions except for two that were voted on during the period of its membership: on cooperation with Ukraine (UAE abstained). For thematic resolutions dealing with civil and political rights, the United Arab Emirates has generally joined consensus. Where there has been a vote, it has generally voted in favour. Notwithstanding, UAE has voted against resolutions on the question of the death penalty, and on sexual orientation. For thematic resolutions dealing with economic, social and cultural rights, the United Arab Emirates has 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:

Regional
group statements

Average of statements for all countries: 78

251

Subregional
group statements

Average of statements for all countries: 50

167

Political group
statements

Average of statements for all countries: 109

127

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 slavery, 2008

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

CRC
3 Years

OP-CAT

Ratified

NPM established

Universal Periodic Review

Reported

(2008, 2013, 2018)

Mid-term report

Level of delegation

Special Committee

Participation in other reviews
1^st cycle: 22 / 192

2^nd cycle: 69 / 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)?

YES

Response to allegations from government concerned?
YES

Fulfilment of past voluntary pledges & commitments

Specific voluntary pledges: 15

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) tabled voluntary pledges and commitments in support for its candidacy for membership for the period 2016-2018 on 18 September 2015.

Internationally, the United Arab Emirates pledged, inter alia, to: continue to support initiatives to promote religious tolerance; continue to support OHCHR and explore the possibility of entering into a memorandum of understanding on technical cooperation; continue to follow-up on the recommendations it accepted during its second UPR; continue to promote human rights through international and regional organisations; and continue to work with partner countries and international organisations to meet international development targets through its foreign aid programme, in areas such as health, education, food security, and economic and social development.

Domestically, the United Arab Emirates committed, inter alia, to: adopt a law on the protection of children; establish a national task force on the empowerment of women; continue to take measures to promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities, in coordination with relevant ministries, national institutions and civil society; continue to take measures to strengthen protections for workers; continue its efforts to combat human trafficking; develop a national human rights action plan to set out its priority initiatives for the period 2015-2020; and establish a NHRI in conformity with the Paris Principles.

An analysis of steps taken by the United Arab Emirates in fulfilment of its international level pledges shows that it did not in fact continue to make contributions to OHCHR. It did, however, continue to support initiatives to combat religious intolerance. The United Arab Emirates is yet to establish a GANHRI accredited NHRI.

United Arab Emirates

Asia – Pacific Group (APG)

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: 22 / 192

2nd cycle: 69 / 192

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

Fulfilment of past voluntary pledges & commitments

Specific voluntary pledges: 15

Participation in other reviews
1^st cycle: 22 / 192

2^nd cycle: 69 / 192