HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL HOLDS SIXTH SESSION ON 10 SEPTEMBER

The Human Rights Council will hold the first part of its sixth session from 10 to 28 September at the Palais des Nations to discuss issues relating to the promotion and protection of human rights around the world. The Council will also continue with its institution-building process, including choosing the first group of countries to undergo the Universal Periodic Review and assessing mandates of Special Procedures. The second part of the session will be held from 10 to 14 December.

At the beginning of the session, the Council will take up organizational, procedural and other matters in open-ended informal consultations before starting its substantive work.

The Council is expected to hear presentations of the report of the open-ended Working Group on an Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (A/HRC/6/8); the report the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief Asma Jahangir on the elimination of all forms of intolerance and of discrimination based on religion and belief (A/HRC/6/5); the report of the Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity Rudi Muhammad Rizki on the interrelation of human rights and human rights thematic issues (A/HRC/4/8); the report of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related forms of intolerance Doudou Diène on all manifestations of defamation of religions and in particular on the serious implications of Islamophobia on the enjoyment of all rights (A/HRC/6/6); and the report of the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Titinga Frederic Pacere (A/HRC/4/7).

An important part of the work of the Council during this session will be assessing the mandates of its Special Procedures. The Council is scheduled to discuss the mandates of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion and belief, the Working Group on arbitrary detention, the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Sudan and the Independent Experts on the situation of human rights in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Haiti. This assessment process will continue in the second part of the session.

The Council is also scheduled to discuss guidelines for the Universal Periodic Review and select the countries to be evaluated by the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review in 2008. It will follow-up on human rights situations that require its attention, including by hearing an update from the Group of Experts on the situation of human rights in Darfur and an update from the President of the Council and the High Commissioner for Human Rights on human rights violations and implications of the Israeli occupation of Palestine and other occupied Arab territories. An oral presentation shall be made by the Chairperson of the Preparatory Committee for the Durban Review Conference.

In resolution 60/251 which created the Council, the General Assembly decided that the Council should undertake a Universal Periodic Review, based on objective and reliable information, of the fulfilment by each State of its human rights obligations and commitments in a manner which ensured universality of coverage and equal treatment with respect to all States. The resolution said the review should be a cooperative mechanism, based on an interactive dialogue, with the full involvement of the country concerned and with consideration given to its capacity-building needs.

In resolution 60/251, the General Assembly also decided that the Council should assume, review and, where necessary, improve and rationalize all mandates, mechanisms, functions and responsibilities of the Commission on Human Rights in order to maintain a system of Special Procedures, Expert Advice and a Complaints Procedure. The Special Procedures include the Special Rapporteurs, Independent Experts, Working Groups and other bodies.

Composition of the Human Rights Council

The composition of the Council at the sixth session is the following. The term of membership of each State expires in the year indicated in brackets: Angola (2010); Azerbaijan (2009); Bangladesh (2009); Bolivia (2010); Bosnia and Herzegovina (2010); Brazil (2008); Cameroon (2009); Canada (2009); China (2009); Cuba (2009); Djibouti (2009); Egypt (2010); France (2008); Gabon (2008); Germany (2009); Ghana (2008); Guatemala (2008); India (2010); Indonesia (2010); Italy (2010); Japan (2008); Jordan (2009); Madagascar (2010); Malaysia (2009); Mali (2008); Mauritius (2009); Mexico (2009); Netherlands (2010); Nicaragua (2010); Nigeria (2009); Pakistan (2008); Peru (2008); Philippines (2010); Qatar (2010); Republic of Korea (2008); Romania (2008); Russian Federation (2009); Saudi Arabia (2009); Senegal (2009); Slovenia (2010); South Africa (2010); Sri Lanka (2008); Switzerland (2009); Ukraine (2008); United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (2008); Uruguay (2009); Zambia (2008).