14 years 2 months ago
SUMMARY OF PRESS CONFERENCE BY ARCHBISHOP DESMOND MPILO TUTU AND PROFESSOR CHRISTINE CHINKIN ON HIGH-LEVEL FACT-FINDING MISSION TO BEIT HANOUN
13 June 2007
Press Conferences
“We have a passionate commitment to see a horrendous situation end,” said Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu at a press conference at the Palais des Nations this afternoon, referring to the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories. “We believe that it is in the interest also of Israel that the situation is resolved.” Archbishop Tutu spoke to the press in his capacity as Leader of the High Level Fact Finding Mission to Beit Hanoun established by the Human Rights Council, following his…
14 years 2 months ago
COUNCIL CONSIDERS REPORT OF EXPERT GROUP ON SITUATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN DARFUR
13 June 2007
Meeting Summaries
Discusses Reports on Right to Truth and Human Rights and Arbitrary Deprivation of Nationality
The Human Rights Council discussed the report of the expert group on the situation of human rights in Darfur in a midday meeting today, before going on to debate reports on the right to truth and human rights and arbitrary deprivation of nationality.
Sima Samar, the Chairperson of the expert group, said the group had reviewed all pre-existing United Nations human rights recommendations and identified priority areas, selecting a number of recommendations for each…
14 years 2 months ago
COUNCIL HEARS STATEMENT BY AFRICAN GROUP ON A CODE OF CONDUCT FOR SPECIAL PROCEDURES MANDATES
13 June 2007
Meeting Summaries
The Council this afternoon heard a presentation by Council President Luis Alfonso de Alba of a Presidential text on institution-building, which aimed to serve as a basis for discussions on finalizing the institution-building of the Council during its fifth session. Algeria also made a statement on behalf of the African Group on a code of conduct for Special Procedures other mandate holders of the Council, and calling on all Members to submit any comments or reactions that could help to reach a consensus on that issue.
As set out in General…
14 years 2 months ago
SUMMARY OF PRESS CONFERENCE BY SIMA SAMAR, CHAIRMAN, AND WALTER KÄLIN OF UN EXPERT GROUP ON SITUATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN DARFUR
13 June 2007
Press Conferences
Sima Samar, Chairman of the United Nations Expert Group mandated at the last session of the Human Rights Council to address the human rights situation in Darfur, presented the Group’s report to the Council this morning. Ms. Samar, who is also Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Sudan, and Walter Kälin, Representative of the Secretary-General on the human rights of internally displaced persons, briefed the press on the report at the Palais des Nations this afternoon. In addition to Ms. Samar and…
14 years 2 months ago
CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT HEARS STATEMENTS FROM PRESIDENT OF CONFERENCE, UNITED STATES AND GERMANY
12 June 2007
Meeting Summaries
The Conference on Disarmament today heard a statement from the President of the Conference on the status of informal discussions on draft decision CD/2007/1, which aims to start substantive work at the Conference, as well as addresses from the United States on efforts it was pursuing to further non-proliferation and from Germany on the non-proliferation statement issued at the G8 meeting in Heiligendamm.
Ambassador Elisabet Borsiin Bonnier of Sweden, President of the Conference, felt that they had not exhausted the consultations on the…
14 years 2 months ago
COUNCIL CONCLUDES DISCUSSION ON RIGHT TO FOOD, TOXIC AND DANGEROUS WASTES, ADEQUATE HOUSING AND EXTREME POVERTY
12 June 2007
Meeting Summaries
The Human Rights Council this morning concluded its interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteurs on the right to food, the adverse effects of the illicit movement and dumping of toxic and dangerous products and wastes on the enjoyment of human rights, and adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and the Independent Expert on the question of human rights and extreme poverty.
In concluding remarks, Jean Ziegler, the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, said 12 billion people could be…
14 years 2 months ago
REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE
12 June 2007
Bi-Weekly Briefing
Elena Ponomareva-Piquier, Chief of the Press and External Relations Section of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing which provided information about the Human Rights Council's fifth session, the Conference on Disarmament, the International Labour Conference, the World Day Against Child Labour (12 June), south-Sudanese refugees in the Central African Republic, and other issues. Spokespersons for the International Labour Organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the UN Refugee Agency and the World Health Organization participated in the briefing.…
14 years 2 months ago
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL TAKES UP SITUATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN BELARUS AND CUBA
12 June 2007
Meeting Summaries
Many Speakers Urge Council to Abolish All Country-Specific Mandates, Others Call on Belarus and Cuba to Cooperate with the Experts
The Human Rights Council took up the situation of human rights in Belarus and Cuba in a midday meeting today, triggering numerous calls for the Council to abolish all country-specific mandates, while others urged the two countries to cooperate with the Council’s Special Procedures.
Adrian Severin, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, said he had encountered for the third consecutive year the refusal of…
14 years 2 months ago
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL TAKES UP SITUATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN CAMBODIA, HAITI AND SOMALIA
12 June 2007
Meeting Summaries
Speakers Call for an End to Country Specific Mandates, Independent Expert on Situation in Haiti Receives Wide Praise
The Human Rights Council took up the situation of human rights in Cambodia, Haiti and Somalia this afternoon, hearing repeated calls for an end to country specific Special Procedures, but also support for the Independent Expert on the situation in Haiti.
Yash Ghai, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for human rights in Cambodia, said that, since the Paris Peace Agreements had ended the strife in Cambodia over 15 years ago…
14 years 2 months ago
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL OPENS FIFTH SESSION
11 June 2007
Meeting Summaries
Hears Address by High Commissioner for Human Rights; Takes up Reports of Experts on Independence of Judges and Lawyers and on Racism
The Human Rights Council this morning opened its fifth session, hearing an address by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and taking up the reports of the Special Rapporteurs on the independence of judges and lawyers, and on racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
In opening remarks, Louise Arbour, High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that today the Council embarked in a last effort to ensure that solid foundations…
