14 years 11 months ago
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL DISCUSSES REPORTS ON SUMMARY EXECUTIONS AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS
19 September 2006
Meeting Summaries
The Human Rights Council this afternoon discussed the reports of its mandate-holders on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and on the human rights of internally displaced persons.
Philip Alston, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said it was a universally agreed upon principle of human rights law that States had an obligation to investigate, prosecute, and punish violations of the right to life promptly thoroughly and effectively through independent and impartial bodies. Many States, however,…
14 years 11 months ago
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL OPENS SECOND SESSION
18 September 2006
Meeting Summaries
Hears Message from UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, High Commissioner for Human Rights Addresses Meeting
The Human Rights Council opened its second session this morning, hearing a message from United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and an address by High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour as well as a series of statements which addressed the situation of human rights in a number of countries.
High Commissioner Louise Arbour, reading out the message of Secretary-General Kofi Annan, said the Council was established by a resolution of the General Assembly, but Member States…
14 years 11 months ago
COMMITTEE ON RIGHTS OF CHILD EXAMINES REPORT OF SWAZILAND
18 September 2006
Meeting Summaries
The Committee on the Rights of the Child today reviewed the initial report of Swaziland on how that country is implementing the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Introducing the report, Nomathemba Dlamini, Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, said the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the country had had a devastating effect on children, and the poverty level stood at an alarming rate of 69 per cent. Notwithstanding those challenges, the Government had fully committed itself to implementing the Convention. In 2002, priority was given to…
14 years 11 months ago
COMMITTEE ON RIGHTS OF CHILD EXAMINES SECOND PERIODIC REPORT OF SENEGAL (French only)
18 September 2006
Meeting Summaries
Le Comité des droits de l'enfant a examiné, aujourd'hui, le deuxième rapport du Sénégal sur les mesures prises par ce pays pour se conformer aux dispositions de la Convention relative aux droits de l'enfant. Les observations finales du Comité sur ce rapport seront adoptées à huis clos et rendues publiques à la fin de la session, le vendredi 29 septembre prochain.
M. Kamel Filali, rapporteur du Comité pour l'examen du rapport du Sénégal, a notamment déclaré que le Sénégal demeure un pays phare en Afrique car des résultats très positifs ont été…
14 years 11 months ago
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL DISCUSSES RACISM AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, HUMAN RIGHTS OF PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT AND MIGRANTS
18 September 2006
Meeting Summaries
The Human Rights Council this afternoon discussed the reports of its Special Rapporteurs on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; the human rights of migrants; and the Working Group of Experts on people of African descent.
Doudou Diene, the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, said the recrudescence of phenomena of xenophobia, racism, and related intolerance were the greatest threat to modern…
14 years 11 months ago
NEW PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF BELGIUM PRESENTS CREDENTIALS TO DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF UNOG
18 September 2006
Presentation of Credentials
Alex Van Meeuwen, the new Permanent Representative of Belgium to the United Nations Office at Geneva, today presented his credentials to Sergei Ordzhonikidze, the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva.
Prior to his appointment to Geneva, Mr. Van Meeuwen was, from 2001, Director-General of Policy at the Foreign Ministry of Belgium. From 1999 to 2001, he was Deputy Chef de Cabinet of the Vice-Prime Minister, prior to which, from 1997, he was Councillor with the Permanent Mission of Belgium to the European Union in Brussels…
14 years 11 months ago
SEVENTH MEETING OF STATES PARTIES TO OTTAWA CONVENTION TO MEET IN GENEVA FROM 18 TO 22 SEPTEMBER
15 September 2006
Press Release
International Community to Assesses Progress in Fight to Eliminate Anti-Personnel Mines
More than 700 delegates representing over 100 States and dozens of organizations will gather in Geneva from 18 to 22 September for the Seventh Meeting of the States Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction (Ottawa Convention).
The meeting will see States developing solutions to key challenges faced in implementing the Convention, including challenges…
14 years 11 months ago
COMMITTEE ON RIGHTS OF CHILD HOLDS DAY OF GENERAL DISCUSSION ON THE RIGHT FOR CHILDREN TO BE HEARD
15 September 2006
Meeting Summaries
The Committee on the Rights of the Child today held a Day of General Discussion on the right of children to be heard.
Jacob Egbert Doek, the Chairperson of the Committee, introducing the discussion, said children and young people were the rights holders under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. All articles of the Convention were important for them, but article 12 was of special importance, as it should be an integral part of the implementation of other articles of the Convention. For instance, the implementation of the right to…
14 years 11 months ago
REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE
15 September 2006
Bi-Weekly Briefing
Marie Heuzé, the Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing which was also addressed by Spokespersons for the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Meteorological Organization, the Economic Commission for Europe, the United Nations Conference for Trade and Development, the International Labour Organization, the UN Refugee Agency and the International Organization for Migration.Geneva Activities
Ms. Heuzé said that the Committee on the Rights of the Child…
14 years 11 months ago
CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT ADOPTS REPORT FOR 2006
15 September 2006
Meeting Summaries
The Conference on Disarmament today held the final meeting of its 2006 session, adopting its report to the General Assembly. Speakers also made statements, in which many lamented that, despite much progress this year in discussions, the Conference still remained without a programme of work, and many pointed out that it had failed to adopt a substantive report.
In final remarks to the Conference, Ambassador Anton Pinter of Slovakia, the President of the Conference, said he supposed this year would be remembered as the year of the P6 (Presidents of 2006 session). Slovakia’s mandate as…
