HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL HOLDS ITS THIRTIETH REGULAR SESSION FROM 14 SEPTEMBER TO 2 OCTOBER 2015

The United Nations Human Rights Council will hold its thirtieth regular session from 14 September to 2 October in the Human Rights and Alliance of Civilizations Room at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein will open the session, delivering a statement on the activities of his Office since the last session.

Highlights of the three-week session include an interactive dialogue with the Commission of inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, a panel discussion on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the presentation of a report of the High Commissioner on Sri Lanka and a panel on the impact of the world drug problem. The Intergovernmental Working Group on private military and security companies will present its report to the Council. Panel discussions will also be held on unilateral coercive measures and on good governance in public service. The annual discussion on the integration of the gender perspective will also take place. The Council will hold interactive dialogues with, inter alia, the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, the Working Group on enforced disappearances, the Independent Expert on the Central African Republic and the Independent Expert on Somalia.

Click here for the detailed agenda and further information on the thirtieth session. Reports for the thirtieth session can be found here, and other information can be found on the homepage of the Human Rights Council website.

Week One of the Session

The session will be opened on Monday, 14 September by United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, who will provide an update on the activities undertaken by his Office since June 2015, to be followed by a general debate. The same day, a clustered interactive dialogue will be held with the Working Group on arbitrary detention and the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery. On Tuesday, 15 September, a clustered interactive dialogue will be held with the Special Rapporteur on truth, justice, reparation and non-recurrence and the Working Group on enforced disappearances. In the afternoon, from 3 p.m., the annual discussion on integration of gender perspective will take place. On Wednesday, 16 September, the Council will hold a clustered interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the rights of older persons, the Working Group on the use of mercenaries, the Special Rapporteur on hazardous wastes, the Special Rapporteur on water and sanitation, the Independent Expert on democratic and equitable international order and the Special Rapporteur on unilateral coercive measures. A report of the Intergovernmental Working Group on private military and security companies will be presented on 17 September, followed by the presentation of a series of thematic reports, including on the issues of the death penalty, prison overcrowding and the safety of journalists, among others; a general debate will then be held. Panel on unilateral coercive measures will take place the same day. The general debate is scheduled to continue on Friday, 18 September.

Week Two of the Session

The second week of the session, starting on Monday, 21 September, will commence with an interactive dialogue with the Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, which will be followed with a panel discussion on human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and a general debate. On Tuesday, 22 September, the Council will hold a clustered interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on indigenous peoples and the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, followed by a half-day discussion on the rights of indigenous peoples. In the afternoon on the same day, an interactive dialogue will be held with the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee, while the Intergovernmental Working Group on rights of peasants will present its report. Wednesday, 23 September is a United Nations holiday.

The rest of the second week will be mostly taken up with the consideration of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) outcomes for the following States (in order of review): Belarus, United States of America, Malawi, Mongolia, Panama, Maldives, Andorra, Bulgaria, Honduras, Liberia, Marshall Islands, Croatia, Jamaica and Libya. A panel discussion on good governance in public service will take place on Thursday, 24 September at noon.

Week Three of the Session

A general debate on the human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories is scheduled for the start of the third week, at 9 a.m. on Monday, 28 September to be followed by an interactive dialogue with the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, and then a separate general debate. In the afternoon, , a panel discussion on impact of world drug problem will be held. On Tuesday, 29 September, interactive dialogues will be held on the High Commissioner’s oral update on Ukraine, the High Commissioner’s report on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the High Commissioner’s oral update on Libya. From 3 p.m., an interactive dialogue is scheduled with the Special Rapporteur on Cambodia and the Independent Expert on Sudan.

Wednesday, 30 September, will commence with an interactive dialogue with the Independent Expert on the Central African Republic and the Independent Expert on Somalia. A presentation of the High Commissioner’s report on Sri Lanka will then take place to be followed by a discussion. On Thursday and Friday, 1 and 2 October, the Council will take action on the draft resolutions and decisions tabled during the session and elect four new members of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee. The session will conclude on Friday, 2 October, after the President of the Council has appointed the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, one member of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent and one member of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances.

The Human Rights Council

The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system made up of 47 States which are responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe. The Council was created by the United Nations General Assembly on 15 March 2006 with the main purpose of addressing situations of human rights violations and making recommendations on them.

The composition of the Council at its thirtieth session is of the following 47 countries: Albania; Algeria; Argentina; Bangladesh; Bolivia; Botswana; Brazil; China; Congo; Côte d’Ivoire; Cuba; El Salvador; Estonia; Ethiopia; France; Gabon; Germany; Ghana; India; Indonesia; Ireland; Japan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Latvia; Maldives; Mexico; Montenegro; Morocco; Namibia; Netherlands; Nigeria; Pakistan; Paraguay; Portugal; Qatar; Republic of Korea; Russian Federation; Saudi Arabia; Sierra Leone; South Africa; the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; United States of America; Venezuela; and Viet Nam.

The President of the Human Rights Council is Joachim Rücker, Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations Office at Geneva. The Council’s four Vice Presidents are Filloreta Kodra of Albania, Juan Esteban Aguirre Martinez of Paraguay, Mukhtar Tileuberdi of Kazakhstan and Mothusi Bruce Rabasha Palai of Botswana. Rabasha Palai of Botswana is the Rapporteur of the Council.

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For use of the information media; not an official record

HRC15/105E