HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL CONCLUDES SIXTH SESSION

The Human Rights Council today concluded its resumed sixth session, after having, among other things, extended the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on human rights in Sudan and the Independent Expert on human rights in Liberia, requested the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar to conduct a follow-up visit to that country, and created a new expert mechanism on the human rights of indigenous peoples.

The Council also adopted resolutions on extending the mandates of the following Special Procedures: the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living; the Special Rapporteur on the protection and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism; the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; the Representative of the Secretary-General on the human rights of internally displaced persons; and the Special Rapporteur on the protection, promotion and universal implementation of the right to freedom of religion or belief.

Other resolutions adopted by the Council concerned integrating the human rights of women throughout the United Nations system and the Group of Experts on Darfur.

During the session, the Council continued with its process of review, rationalization and improvement of the mandates of Special Procedures. It also heard reports by and presentations on rectifying the legal status of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to put in on a par with other treaty monitoring bodies; the Open-Ended Working Group on an Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; the Group of Experts on Darfur; the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar; the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people; and the Special Rapporteur on the protection and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism.

Addressing the Council early in the session to update it on her activities since the last session, Louise Arbour, High Commissioner for Human Rights, spoke of her visits to Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Ireland, and Brazil. She said the situations in Sudan and in Somalia remained of deep concern.

The results of the first part of the Council's sixth session (10-28 September), in which the process of the review, rationalization and improvement of mandates was begun, were published in a separate round-up document (HRC/07/74) which is available on the UNOG website at: www.unog.ch

The seventh session of the Council will be from 3 to 28 March 2008.


Resolutions and Decisions Adopted by the Council

In a resolution on elaboration of human rights voluntary goals to be launched on the occasion of the celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Council decides to initiate an open-ended intergovernmental process in order to elaborate, on a consensual basis, a set of human rights voluntary goals, to promote the realization and implementation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

In a decision on the Alliance of Civilizations, the Council invites the High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations to address the Council at the High-level Segment of its seventh session on the ongoing activities within the framework of the Alliance.

In a resolution on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, the Council decides to extend for a period of three years the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context.

In a resolution on protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism: mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, the Council decides to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism for a period of three years.

In a resolution on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, the Council decides to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health for a further period of three years.

In a resolution on integrating the human rights of women throughout the United Nations system, the Council calls upon all relevant actors to implement General Assembly resolution 59/164 of 20 December 2004 on improvement of the status of women in the United Nations system, in order to realize significant progress towards the goal of fifty/fifty gender distribution in the very near future and to guarantee the full participation of women in higher levels of decision-making in the Organization.

In a resolution on advisory services and technical assistance for Liberia, the Council decides to extend by one year the mandate of the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Liberia.

In a resolution on the mandate of the Representative of the Secretary-General on the human rights of internally displaced persons, the Council decides to extend the mandate of the Representative of the Secretary-General on the human rights of internally displaced persons for a period of three years.

In a resolution on follow-up to the report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, the Council requests the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar to conduct a follow-up mission to Myanmar before its seventh session in order to assess in greater detail the human rights violations that have occurred and are occurring as a result of the continued violent repression of recent peaceful demonstrations in Myanmar.

In a resolution on the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Sudan, the Council decides to extend for one year the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Sudan.

In a resolution on the Human Rights Council Group of Experts on the situation of human rights in Darfur, the Council urges the Government to continue and to intensify its efforts to implement the recommendations identified by the Group of Experts in accordance with the specified time frames and indicators.

In a resolution on an expert mechanism on the rights of indigenous peoples, Council decides to establish a mechanism to provide the Council with thematic expertise on the human rights of indigenous peoples.

In a resolution on elimination of all forms of intolerance and of discrimination based on religion or belief, the Council decides to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the protection, promotion and universal implementation of the right to freedom of religion or belief for a further period of three years.



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HRC07091E