At the upcoming Human Rights Council session (HRC58), the European Union will present the following resolutions:

• A resolution on Belarus to renew both the investigative mandate of the Group of Independent Experts and the mandate the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Belarus. The EU remains deeply concerned about the dire human rights situation in Belarus, with continuing repression of independent and dissenting voices, arbitrary detentions, widespread torture and other ill-treatment, the denial of due process and the right to a fair trial, and systematic impunity. As previously documented by the UN, some of the violations may amount to crimes against humanity.
• Presented together with Australia, the resolution on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will continue to draw attention to the dire human rights and humanitarian situation in the DPRK and will express continued support for the work on accountability and the need to address the findings of the Commission of Inquiry from 2014. Furthermore, the resolution will renew for one year the mandate of the Special Rapporteur and for two years the capacity of the OHCHR, including its field-based structure in Seoul. We hope to be able to count on your support in view of adopting this resolution by consensus as it was the case in the past.
• The resolution on Myanmar will address the deeply concerning and continuously deteriorating human rights situation in the country. It will seek to renew the mandate of the special rapporteur and express continued support for accountability processes, including the independent investigative mechanism on Myanmar.
• The EU will also present again a resolution on Freedom of Religion or Belief, in order to underline this Council’s firm commitment to the promotion and protection of the right to Freedom of Religion or Belief. All human beings, wherever they live, should be guaranteed the right to have, not to have, to choose, change or leave, to practice and to manifest a religion or belief, without fear of violence, persecution, or discrimination.