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…

Hears from Chairperson of Meeting of Special Procedures, Announces Preparatory Committee for Durban Review Conference to be Postponed The Human Rights Council today held an organizational meeting during which it discussed its modalities of work, heard from the Chairperson of the meeting of…

Concludes Discussion on President’s Text on Institution Building in the Council The Human Rights Council this morning adopted by consensus three resolutions on follow-up to the report of the Commission of Inquiry on Lebanon, follow-up to Human Rights Council resolutions S-1/1 and S-3/1 on the…

Council Adopts Report of Fifth Session United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour told the Human Rights Council this afternoon that she wished to extend her appreciation to all those who had contributed to launching the Council on a consensual basis. Despite the potentially…

Elects New President and Bureau Members The Human Rights Council this afternoon elected the new President and officers of the Bureau of the Council for its second cycle and then heard both praise and criticism from speakers about the President’s text on the institution building of the Council…

The Human Rights Council concluded its fifth session at midnight on 18 June after adopting a Presidential text on the institution building of the Council. In remarks to journalists at the end of the meeting, Ambassador Luis Alfonso de Alba of Mexico, the President of the Council, said Member…

Patricia Espinosa, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, today encouraged the Human Rights Council to crown the year’s intense work by reaching an agreement that would give satisfaction to all. Speaking on the last day of the first year of the Council, Ms. Espinosa said she was conscious…

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…

The Human Rights Council this morning took up its agenda item on follow-up to decisions of the Human Rights Council and discussed the urgent high-level fact-finding missions to the occupied Palestinian territories, including Beit Hanoun, and the updated report by the High Commissioner for Human…

Discusses Reports on Right to Truth and Human Rights and Arbitrary Deprivation of Nationality The Human Rights Council discussed the report of the expert group on the situation of human rights in Darfur in a midday meeting today, before going on to debate reports on the right to truth and human…