HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL ADVISORY COMMITTEE CONCLUDES FOURTH SESSION

The Human Rights Council Advisory Committee today concluded its third session during which it adopted six recommendations and its report to the Human Rights Council. The recommendations included texts on the draft set of principles and guidelines for the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their families; on the Draft United Nations declaration on human rights education and training; on a preliminary study on discrimination in the context of the right to food; the human rights of older persons; missing persons; and the protection of the human rights of civilians in armed conflict. The Committee also adopted its report ad referendum and concluded its fourth substantive session.

Within its recommendations, the Committee requested Mr. Shigeki Sakamoto to take into consideration the views of relevant actors and to submit the revised draft set of principles and guidelines for the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members to the Advisory Committee for consideration at its fifth session; and endorsed the draft declaration on human rights education and training annexed to the recommendation and transmitted the draft declaration to the Human Rights Council for consideration at its thirteenth session.

The Committee also submitted to the Human Rights Council a preliminary study on discrimination in the context of the right to food prepared by the drafting group on the right to food as revised in the plenary discussions of the Advisory Committee and also recommended that the Council consider requesting the Advisory Committee to undertake a study on the rights of peasants, particularly rural women, and other people living in rural areas; and expressed the hope that the Human Rights Council would consider entrusting the Advisory Committee with the preparation of a study on the application to older persons of existing United Nations human rights instruments and on any possible gaps in the current legal framework.

Further, the Committee recommended that the Human Rights Council consider adopting the following decision: "The Human Rights Council takes note of the progress report on best practices in the matter of missing persons submitted by the Advisory Committee and encourages the Committee to finalise the report in the light of the discussions on the subject by the Council and comments received from States and other stakeholders". Finally, the Committee recommended that the Human Rights Council consider authorising Ms. Mona Zulficar, member of the Advisory Committee, to attend the second expert consultation on the issue of protecting the human rights of civilians in armed conflict.

The Advisory Committee will hold its fifth session from 2 to 6 August 2010.

Recommendations

In the recommendation on the draft principles and guidelines for the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their families, the Committee requests Mr. Sakamoto to take into consideration the views of relevant actors and to submit the revised draft set of principles and guidelines for the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members to the Advisory Committee for consideration at its fifth session;

In the recommendation on Draft United Nations declaration on human rights education and training, the Committee endorses the draft declaration on human rights education and training annexed to the recommendation and transmits the draft declaration to the Human Rights Council for consideration at its thirteenth session;

In the recommendation on Preliminary study on discrimination in the context of the right to food, the Committee submits to the Human Rights Council a preliminary study on discrimination in the context of the right to food prepared by the drafting group on the right to food as revised in the plenary discussions of the Advisory Committee and also recommends that the Council consider requesting the Advisory Committee to undertake a study on the rights of peasants, particularly rural women, and other people living in rural areas;

In the recommendation on The human rights of older persons, the Committee expresses the hope that the Human Rights Council will consider entrusting the Advisory Committee with the preparation of a study on the application to older persons of existing United Nations human rights instruments and on any possible gaps in the current legal framework;

In the recommendation on Missing persons, the Committee recommends that the Human Rights Council consider adopting the following decision: "The Human Rights Council takes note of the progress report on best practices in the matter of missing persons submitted by the Advisory Committee and encourages the Committee to finalise the report in the light of the discussions on the subject by the Council and comments received from States and other stakeholders";

In the recommendation on Protection of the human rights of civilians in armed conflict, the Committee recommends that the Human Rights Council consider authorising Ms. Mona Zulficar, member of the Advisory Committee, to attend the second expert consultation on the issue of protecting the human rights of civilians in armed conflict.

Membership

The 18 members of the Advisory Committee were elected on 26 March 2008, at the seventh session of the Human Rights 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).

The Chairperson of the third session was Halima Embarek Warzazi, Vice-Chairpersons were José Antonio Bengoa Cabello, Purificacion V. Quisumbing and Jean Ziegler. The Rapporteur was Latif Huseynov.


For use of the information media; not an official record

AC10/010E