Council Extends Mandates on Drinking Water, Freedom of Opinion, Human Rights Defenders, Minority Issues and Violence against Women The Human Rights Council this morning adopted nine resolutions, in which it created a Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, and extended the…

The Conference on Disarmament held a plenary meeting this morning in which it discussed agenda items 1 and 2, the cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament and the prevention of nuclear war, including all related matters. The Conference also discussed the way forward on a…

Adopts Texts on Human Rights and Environment, Freedom of Religion, Rights of the Child, Persons with Disabilities, Occupied Syrian Golan, Tunisia and Others The Human Rights Council this afternoon adopted 10 resolutions, in which it extended the mandates of the Independent Expert of the effects…

Agustín Santos Maraver, the new Permanent Representative of Spain to the United Nations Office at Geneva, today presented his credentials to Sergei Ordzhonikidze, the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva. Prior to his appointment to Geneva, Mr. Santos Maraver served as the…

Hears from Minister of State of Somalia The Human Rights Council this morning took up its agenda item on technical assistance and capacity building, holding an interactive dialogue on the third joint report of seven United Nations experts on the situation of human rights in the Democratic…

Concludes General Debate on Technical Assistance and Capacity Building The Human Rights Council this afternoon adopted the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training and recommended its adoption by the General Assembly. The Council appointed a Special Rapporteur on the…

The Human Rights Council this morning held a general debate on follow-up and implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. Speaking in the general debate, speakers said that the Vienna Declaration was clear in that the international community should protect and promote human…

China assumes presidency of the Conference The Conference on Disarmament held a plenary meeting this morning in which it held a general debate on the way forward in the work of the Conference. In his first address as president of the Conference on Disarmament, Wang Qun, said that in preparation…

Corinne Momal-Vanian, the Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing, which was also attended by spokespersons and representatives of the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund, the International Organization…

Hears Presentation of Report by Chairman of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action The Human Rights Council at a midday meeting today listened to the presentation of a report by the Chairman of the Intergovernmental…