A window onto cooperation, dialogue, leadership and policymaking at the UN Human Rights Council
Former Member States
African Group (AG)
Asia – Pacific Group (APG)
Eastern European Group (EEG)
Latin American & Caribbean Group
Western European & Others Group
Current Member States
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Regional group:
Council member:
Council Bureau membership:
Vice-president (2014)
Coordinator of regional group:
Voluntary financial contribution to OHCHR (2018) :
Other HRC positions:
Member of Consultative Group (2019)
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
Cultural rights and the protection of cultural heritage; World Programme for Human Rights Education; Assistance to Somalia in the field of human rights; Contribution of parliaments to the work of the Human Rights Council and its universal periodic review; Development of public information activities in the field of human rights, including the World Public Information Campaign on Human Rights; Human rights education and training; Human rights situation in the Syrian Arab Republic; National policies and human rights; Strengthening efforts to prevent and eliminate child, early and forced marriage; Youth and human rights; Child, early and forced marriage in humanitarian settings; The deteriorating situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic, and the recent situation in Aleppo (special session).
Since it first became a member of the Council in 2007, Italy 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 resolutions under item 2. For item 7 resolutions (human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories), Italy tends to vote in favour, or to abstain (e.g. resolutions on human rights in the occupied Syrian Golan). Between 2008 and 2010, Italy voted against four item 7 resolutions. On item 10 resolutions (capacity-building), Italy has joined consensus on all resolutions except for the two that have been voted on during its time as member: one dealing with cooperation with Ukraine (with Italy voting in favour), and one dealing with cooperation with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Italy abstained). For thematic resolutions dealing with civil and political rights, Italy has mainly either voted in favour or joined consensus. Resolutions that it usually (or always) votes against include: OIC resolutions on defamation of religions; Cuba's resolutions on right to peace; some African Group resolutions on racism and the Durban Review Conference; and an African Group resolution on complementary standards to ICERD. Italy has abstained on a number of resolutions including the Russian Federation's 2014 resolution on the integrity of the judicial system and Pakistan's 2014 resolution on drones. For thematic resolutions dealing with economic, social and cultural rights, Italy has joined consensus on a majority of texts. Where there have been votes on such texts, Italy has voted in favour of (NAM) resolutions on the right to development, and against texts on: the effects of foreign debt (Cuba); and international solidarity (Cuba). Italy 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 or subregional
group statements
Average of statements for all countries: 20
Cross-regional
Other joint
Average of statements for all countries: 2
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
Standing invitation
Communications responded to / received
Visits requests status
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 water and sanitation, 2015; SR on toxic waste, 2015
Ratified
Reporting Status
Ratification status
Party Not Party
Individual complaint procedure accepted.
Submitted on time
Submitted late
Overdue (outstanding)
ICCPR
CEDAW
ICESCR
Most overdue report
None overdue
OP-CAT
NPM established
Received Sub-Committee visit
(2009, 2014)
Mid-term report
2nd cycle
Level of delegation
Participation in other reviews
1st cycle: 127 / 192
2nd cycle: 158 / 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' (2010-2018)?
Fulfilment of past voluntary pledges & commitments
Specific voluntary pledges: 25
Italy presented its voluntary pledges for election for the term 2019-2021 in 26 February 2018. In the document, Italy pledges to, inter alia:
Continue to promote an open and inclusive approach to human rights, focusing on ownership by local actors and on cooperation with civil society organisations; Mainstream human rights promotion and protection into conflict prevention, resolution and settlement; Work to further improve the effectiveness
of the UPR; Support and cooperate with the Special Procedures; Prevent, combat and secure accountability for international crimes; Support prompt responses to human rights emergencies; Further promote human rights education and awareness; Enhance the role of civil society in the formulation and implementation of human rights policies and programmes; and support NGO participation in the Council.
Further work on the following key thematic areas: fight against all forms of discrimination, including by combatting hate speech, the participation of women at all levels; women's rights, rights of the child, capital punishment, freedom of religion, persons with disabilities, cultural rights and human rights defenders.
An analysis of steps taken by Italy in fulfilment of its international pledges shows that Italy participates in around half of interactive dialogues at the Council; it has a good record of facilitating Special Procedures visits to Italy (71%) but is yet to respond to 58% of communications. It engages closely with the UPR, participating in the reviews of 127 states during the first cycle and 158 during the second cycle and has ratified all human rights core conventions. Italy has supported all resolutions on the thematic areas it pledged to work on.
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