African States at the UN Human Rights Council in 2017

The report examines the actions of 14 African countries at the UN Human Rights Council in 2017. It finds that the African Group is no longer a unified voting bloc, with significant divergence in how members approach human rights. Botswana, Ghana, and Rwanda are identified as the strongest defenders of international human rights among the group, while Burundi, Egypt, and Nigeria are characterized as the most antagonistic. The analysis highlights a recurring tension between the principle of national sovereignty and the universality of human rights, particularly regarding 'item 4' resolutions that mandate investigations into specific countries without their consent.

• The African Group's historical reputation for voting as a unified bloc is no longer accurate; in 2017, the group voted the same only 12% of the time across the studied votes.
• Botswana, Ghana, and Rwanda are ranked as the African HRC members with the highest commitment to international human rights based on their 2017 voting records.
• Burundi is identified as the most opposed African member to the international advancement of human rights, often seeking membership to shield itself from criticism.
• Egypt and Nigeria are characterized as having records that are highly antagonistic to civil and political rights, frequently supporting attempts to undermine them.
• There is a stark contrast between Rwanda's domestic record, described as one of the most repressive in Africa, and its progressive voting record at the HRC.
• South Africa's international human rights record is described as weak and inconsistent, often failing to defend rights that are central to democratic societies.
• The African Group demonstrates a strong collective hostility toward LGBT rights, specifically through the 'Protection of the family' resolution which denies the diversity of family forms.
• African states frequently prioritize national sovereignty over international scrutiny, particularly by favoring 'item 10' technical assistance resolutions over 'item 4' critical resolutions.
• Togo's voting record is noted as highly unusual for an African state due to its opposition to all five HRC resolutions related to Israel in 2017.

APA

Jordaan, E. (2019). African States at the UN Human Rights Council in 2017. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Special-Report-jordaan_2017.pdf

Chicago

Jordaan, Eduard. African States at the UN Human Rights Council in 2017. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2019. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Special-Report-jordaan_2017.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Jordaan |first1=Eduard |title=African States at the UN Human Rights Council in 2017 |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=August 2019 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Special-Report-jordaan_2017.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{jordaan2019african, author = {Jordaan, Eduard}, title = {{African States at the UN Human Rights Council in 2017}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2019}, month = aug, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Special-Report-jordaan_2017.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }