Easier Said Than Done (ESTD) Report Based on The 42nd Session Of The Un Human Rights Council

The 'Easier Said Than Done' (ESTD) report is a part of the flagship series produced by CHRI's International Advocacy and Programming (IAP) Unit. The reports review and monitor the statements, voting patterns and performance of the Commonwealth Member States at the United National Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva vis-à-vis their pledges and commitments and their human rights situation domestically. It aims at seeking accountability from and highlighting the opportunities for the Commonwealth Member States to prioritise their focal areas, follow through with their commitments and improve their human rights record. CHRI has consistently tracked the performance and progress of the Commonwealth States at the UNHRC with the launch of the first ESTD report in 2007.     

This edition of the report analyses the performance of 11 Commonwealth Member States at the HRC's 42nd regular session that took place in September 2019. They include: Australia, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Fiji, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, South Africa and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 

Most of these countries have made specific pledges for the advancement of human rights both domestically and internationally while submitting their candidature for the UNHRC's membership. The report factually analyses the compliance of Member States with these pledges by viewing them in light of their voting pattern at the UNHRC on various issues and their domestic human rights records. It thus underlines the disparities and disjunction between human rights promises made by these States and the extent of their fulfilment at the national level.

The ESTD report also contributes towards enabling and strengthening stakeholders’ access to the HRC. It is an information-sharing tool which aims at reaching a wider audience. Target groups include civil society, national human rights institutions, media as well as researchers, who are otherwise unable to access the HRC. The report, thus, seeks to attain its objectives and further efforts for human rights protection in the Commonwealth through dialogue and data-driven advocacy.