The Human Rights Council will hold its fourth special session on Tuesday, 12 December on the situation of human rights in Darfur. The special session is being convened following a request by the Ambassador of Finland and has been signed by 33 Member States. The request for the special session…

The Human Rights Council this morning discussed the progress report of the Working Group on the review of mandates. Following a presentation of the report by the facilitator, Tomas Husak, delegates raised such issues as the methods of appointment of mandate-holders, accountability of mandate-…

Elena Ponomareva-Piquier, Chief of the Press and External Relations Section, chaired the briefing which also heard from Spokespersons for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Health Organization, the United Nations…

The Human Rights Council this afternoon concluded its discussion on the review of mandates, hearing from a number of delegations and non-governmental organizations, as well as concluding comments from the facilitator for the Working Group on the review of mandates.Reacting to a number of comments…

The Human Rights Council this morning discussed a progress report of the Working Group that is developing the modalities of the Universal Periodic Review mechanism. Mohammed Loulichki, facilitator of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review mechanism, said the Working Group had concluded…

The Human Rights Council this afternoon concluded its discussion on the Universal Periodic Review mechanism, hearing from nine non-governmental organizations, as well as concluding comments from the facilitator for the Working Group set up to look into establishing the new mechanism. Reacting to a…

Marie Heuzé, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing which also heard from Spokespersons for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Meteorological Organization, the Office for the…

Debates Follow-up to its Decisions Concerning Missions to the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples The Human Rights Council this morning took up the issue of follow-up to its decisions, discussing the report of the Commission of Inquiry on…

Concludes Debate on Follow-Up to its Decisions The Human Rights Council this afternoon concluded its discussion of follow-up to decisions by the Council, and took up “other issues” related to the protection and promotion of human rights, under which is discussed the situation of children involved…

The Sixth Review Conference of the States Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction this morning heard a presentation on the report of the Committee of the Whole, which…