This topic analyses Italy's behaviour at the Human Rights Council in 2023, with a particular focus on Italy’s diplomatic efforts in the negotiation and presentation of resolutions.

In 2023, three sessions were held - 52nd session from 27.03 - 04.04, 53rd from 19.06 - 14.07 and the 54th from 11.09 - 13.10. Italy participated in the ordinary sessions of the Human Rights Council as an Observer State (hence, without the right to vote). Previously Italy was part of the Human Rights Council in the three year period from 2019-2021.

Over the course of 2023, the Human Rights Council adopted 109 resolutions (12 resolutions more than in 2022): 43 resolutions during the 52th session; 30 during the 53th session; and 36 during 54th session. Of these resolutions 74 were adopted without a vote of Member States, whereas a majority vote by council members was necessary for 35 of them, showing a slightly lower percentage of disagreement than in the previous year, when majority voting was required for 34% of the resolutions adopted.

53 % of the resolutions adopted by the Council were negotiated with direct participation (sponsoring) or with diplomatic support (co-sponsoring) from Italy. Indeed, of the 109 resolutions adopted, Italy sponsored 4 and co-sponsored 54. 2 of the 4 resolutions sponsored by Italy refer to the situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic. The third resolution is thematic and refers to child rights and early, forced marriage. The last one regards the Word Programme for Human Rights Education.

The table below summarises the resolutions approved by the Council in 2023 and shows that, of the resolutions that Italy either sponsored or co-sponsored, 68 % were adopted without a vote by the Council, whereas 32 % were adopted by majority vote.