HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL HOLDS SPECIAL SESSION ON THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

The Human Rights Council will hold a Special Session on Monday, 20 January on the human rights situation in the Central African Republic.

The request for the Special Session was submitted in a letter today by the Permanent Representative of Ethiopia on behalf of the African Group. It was signed by 38 Member States of the Council and 65 Observer States. The Member States were Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Benin, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Chile, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Czech Republic, Estonia, Ethiopia, France, Gabon, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Maldives, Mexico, Montenegro, Morocco, Namibia, Peru, Republic of Korea, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States.

The Observer States were Albania, Andorra, Angola, Armenia, Australia, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Cape Verde, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Egypt, Finland, Georgia, Greece, Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Jordan, Latvia, Lesotho, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Monaco, Mozambique, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, New Zealand, Niger, Poland, Portugal, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Senegal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Sudan, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Uruguay and Zimbabwe.

In order for a Special Session to be convened, the support of one-third of the membership of the Council (16 members or more) is required.

The Special Session will start at 10 a.m. on Monday, 20 January in Salle XX of the Palais des Nations.