The Human Rights Council this afternoon discussed the reports of its mandate-holders on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and on the human rights of internally displaced persons. Philip Alston, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said it was a…

Alex Van Meeuwen, the new Permanent Representative of Belgium 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. Van Meeuwen was, from 2001, Director-…

Hears Message from UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, High Commissioner for Human Rights Addresses Meeting The Human Rights Council opened its second session this morning, hearing a message from United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and an address by High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise…

The Committee on the Rights of the Child today reviewed the initial report of Swaziland on how that country is implementing the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Introducing the report, Nomathemba Dlamini, Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, said…

Le Comité des droits de l'enfant a examiné, aujourd'hui, le deuxième rapport du Sénégal sur les mesures prises par ce pays pour se conformer aux dispositions de la Convention relative aux droits de l'enfant. Les observations finales du Comité sur ce rapport seront adoptées à huis clos et rendues…

The Human Rights Council this afternoon discussed the reports of its Special Rapporteurs on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; the human rights of migrants; and the Working Group of Experts on people of African descent. Doudou Diene, the…

International Community to Assesses Progress in Fight to Eliminate Anti-Personnel Mines More than 700 delegates representing over 100 States and dozens of organizations will gather in Geneva from 18 to 22 September for the Seventh Meeting of the States Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition…

The Committee on the Rights of the Child today held a Day of General Discussion on the right of children to be heard. Jacob Egbert Doek, the Chairperson of the Committee, introducing the discussion, said children and young people were the rights holders under the Convention on the Rights of the…

Marie Heuzé, the Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing which was also addressed by Spokespersons for the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Meteorological…

The Conference on Disarmament today held the final meeting of its 2006 session, adopting its report to the General Assembly. Speakers also made statements, in which many lamented that, despite much progress this year in discussions, the Conference still remained without a programme of work, and…