PRESIDENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT ON FINAL TEXT ON ALL INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR COUNCIL

The President of the Human Rights Council announced today that agreement had been reached on a final text which encompassed all institutional arrangements for the Council, and invited Member States to take action on it on 19 June.

Ambassador Luis Alfonso de Alba of Mexico, the President of the Council, said he wished to express his apologies with regards to today’s uncertainty. He also thanked all of the delegations who had made it possible to announce that there was agreement on a final text which encompassed all the institutional arrangements for the Council. There was also, he understood, to be agreement on the other texts that would be taken up. He proposed that the text be accepted as a compromise, on the understanding that it also included the Code of Conduct. The text would be circulated and he invited the Council to take action on it on 19 June.

The Council was expected to conclude today its year-long discussion on institution building in the Council, including on the issues of the Universal Periodic Review and on the review of mandates, which includes segments on the Complaints Procedure, the Expert Advice Body and the Special Procedures.

The next meeting of the Council will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 19 June.