HUMAN RIGHTS ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO HOLD SECOND SESSION IN GENEVA FROM 26 TO 30 JANUARY 2009

The second session of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee will be held from 26 to 30 January 2009 in Room XVII of the Palais des Nations in Geneva. During the session, the Committee will consider requests addressed to it stemming from Human Rights Council resolutions and is expected to continue discussions on its methods of work and procedures.

The Committee, which is composed of 18 independent experts who serve as a “think tank” to the Human Rights Council”, has before it a number of issues for its consideration which stem from previously adopted Human Rights Council resolutions. These issues include a draft declaration on human rights education and training, possible further measures to enhance the realization of the right to food, a set of draft guidelines on methods to operationalize gender mainstreaming, promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, missing persons, the human rights of persons with disabilities, and a draft set of principles and guidelines to eliminate discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members.

At its sixth session, in its resolution 6/10 on the United Nations declaration on human rights education and training, the Council requested the Advisory Committee to prepare a draft declaration on human rights education and training. At its first session, the Advisory Committee constituted a drafting group of the Advisory Committee on human rights education and training, which will present further elements to the Committee at the second session.

In its resolution 7/14 on the right to food, the Council requested the Advisory Committee to consider potential recommendations for approval by the Council on possible further measures to enhance the realization of the right to food, bearing in mind the priority importance of promoting the implementation of existing standards. At its first session, the Advisory Committee established a drafting group, which should present further work on the draft report at the second session.

At its sixth session, in its resolution 6/30 on integrating the human rights of women throughout the United Nations system, the Council requested the Advisory Committee to regularly and systematically integrate a gender perspective into the implementation of its mandate, including when examining the intersection of multiple forms of discrimination against women. At its first session, the Advisory Committee adopted recommendation 1/4 on integrating the human rights of women throughout the United Nations system, in which it requested four Committee Members to prepare for the next session a set of draft guidelines on methods to operationalize gender mainstreaming, including action-oriented mechanisms that would facilitate the implementation of the Committee’s mandates.

In its resolution 8/5 on promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, the Council requested the human rights treaty bodies, OHCHR and the mechanisms of the Council and the Advisory Committee to pay due attention, within their respective mandates, to the resolution and to make contributions towards its implementation. Deliberations on this matter are scheduled to continue during the session.

In its resolution 7/28 on missing persons, the Council decided to hold a panel discussion on the question of missing persons at its ninth session, and requested the High Commissioner to prepare a summary of the panel’s deliberations with a view to subsequently charging the Advisory Committee with the preparation of a study on best practices in the matter. At its first session, the Advisory Committee adopted recommendation 1/3 on missing persons. The Committee will have before it the summary of the panel’s deliberations held during the ninth session of the Council on 22 September, as prepared by the High Commissioner for Human Rights (A/HRC/10/10) pursuant to Council resolution 7/28 and decision 9/101.

In its resolution 7/9 on human rights of persons with disabilities, the Council encouraged the Advisory Committee and other mechanisms of the Council to integrate the perspective of persons with disabilities, as appropriate, in carrying out their work and in their recommendations so as to facilitate the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the work of the Council. At its first session, the Advisory Committee held a discussion on the human rights of persons with disabilities.

In its resolution 8/13 on the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members, the Council requested OHCHR to collect information on the measures that Governments had taken to eliminate discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members. The Council also requested the Advisory Committee to examine the report and to formulate a draft set of principles and guidelines to eliminate discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members, and to submit it to the Council for its consideration by September 2009. At its first session, the Advisory Committee adopted recommendation 1/5 on the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members, and designated a Committee Member to formulate the above-mentioned draft set of principles and guidelines, and the Committee will be briefed on progress at the present session.

Background

Pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 5/1, the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee, composed of 18 independent experts, was established to provide expertise in the manner and form requested by the Council, focusing mainly on studies and research-based advice.

The scope of the Advisory Committee’s advice is limited to thematic issues pertaining to the mandate of the Council, namely, the promotion and protection of all human rights. The Committee should be implementation-oriented and is also urged to establish interaction with States, national human rights institutions, non-governmental organizations and other civil society entities. The Committee is not mandated to adopt resolutions or decisions, but may propose to the Council, within the scope of its work as set out by the Council, suggestions for further enhancing its procedural efficiency, as well as further research proposals within the scope of the work set out by the Council.

Documentation and updated information on the Advisory Committee, including an annotated agenda and timetable for the consideration of agenda items at its first session, will be posted on the Advisory Committee’s webpage as this information becomes available
(see http://ww2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/advisorycommittee.htm).


Membership

The 18 members of the Advisory Committee were elected on 26 March 2008, at the seventh session of the Council. The membership of the Advisory Committee has to conform with the following geographical distribution guidelines set out in its establishing resolution: five members each from African and Asian States; three each from Latin American and Caribbean States, and Western European and other States; and two members from Eastern European States.

Members serve for a period of three years and are eligible for re-election once. In accordance with resolution 5/1, the staggering of terms of membership of the Advisory Committee members was determined by drawing lots immediately after the election. Hence, in the first term, one-third of the experts will serve for one year and another third for two years. Following is the list of members of the Advisory Committee and their respective terms of office: Mr. José Antonio Bengoa Cabello (Chile - 2010), Mr. Ansar Ahmed Burney(Pakistan - 2011), Mr. Shiqiu Chen (China - 2009), Ms. Chinsung Chung (Republic of Korea - 2010), Mr. Emmanuel Decaux (France - 2011), Mr. Hector Felipe Fix Fierro (Mexico - 2011), Mr. Wolfgang Stefan Heinz (Germany - 2010), Mr. Latif Huseynov (Azerbaidjan - 2011), Mr. Baba Kura Kaigama (Nigeria - 2011), Mr. Vladimir Kartashkin (Russian Federation - 2010), Mr. Miguel Alfonso Martinez (Cuba - 2009), Mr. Bernards Andrews Nyamwaya Mudho (Kenya - 2010), Ms. Purificacion V. Quisumbing (Philippines - 2011), Mr. Shigeki Sakamoto (Japan - 2010), Mr. Dheerujlall Seetulsingh (Mauritius - 2011), Ms. Halima Embarek Warzazi (Morocco - 2009), Mr. Jean Ziegler (Switzerland - 2009), Ms. Mona Zulficar (Egypt - 2010).


For use of the information media; not an official record

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