BACKGROUND RELEASE

7 August 2014

The Human Rights Council Advisory Committee will hold its thirteenth session at the Palais des Nations in Geneva from 11 to 15 August 2014.

During the session, the Committee, a body of 18 independent experts serving as a think-tank to the United Nations Human Rights Council, will work on requests addressed to it by the Council, including on the promotion and protection of human rights in post-disaster and post-conflict situations, the negative impact of corruption on the enjoyment of human rights, promoting human rights through sport and the Olympic ideal, local government and human rights, human rights and unilateral coercive measures, and technical cooperation for the prevention of attacks against persons with albinism.

The Advisory Committee will also discuss its standing items concerning, inter alia integration of a gender perspective and integration of the perspective of persons with disabilities, in addition to updates on new developments and follow-up to reports submitted to the Human Rights Council.

On Monday, 11 August at 11 a.m., the Advisory Committee will publicly open its session and adopt its agenda and programme of work. The Committee will then discuss human rights in post-disaster and post-conflict situations for the rest of the morning and during the afternoon meeting. The Committee will submit the final report to the Human Rights Council at its twenty-eighth session in March 2015.

In the morning of Tuesday, 12 August, the Advisory Committee will consider the draft report (A/HRC/AC/12/CRP.3) on the negative impact of corruption on the enjoyment of human rights, starting at 10 a.m. The Committee will submit the final report to the Human Rights Council at its twenty-eighth session. In the afternoon, it will take up the progress report on promoting human rights through sport and the Olympic ideal.

Local government and human rights will be the topic of discussion on Wednesday, 13 August as of noon and in the afternoon . At the end of the afternoon on Wednesday, the Advisory Committee will discuss the draft report (A/HRC/AC/13/CRP.2) on human rights and unilateral coercive measures. The Committee will submit the final report to the Human Rights Council at its twenty-eighth session.

The Advisory Committee will take up the draft report (A/HRC/AC/13/CRP.1) on technical cooperation for the prevention of attacks against persons with albinism on Thursday, 14 August at noon and in the afternoon, before submitting the final report to the Human Rights Council at its twenty-eighth session. It will also discuss follow-up to reports submitted to the Council, updates on new developments, review of its methods of work, and its agenda and annual programme of work, including new priorities, in the afternoon on Thursday.

On Friday, 15 August, the Advisory Committee will start its public meeting at 11 a.m. in which it will adopt its report for the session, including action taking by the Committee, then conclude the session in the afternoon.
Documentation relating to the thirteenth session, including the agenda and draft programme of work, can be found on the Advisory Committee’s webpage.

Background

The Advisory Committee is a body of 18 independent experts who support the work of the Human Rights Council. It was established in 2008, pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 5/1, to provide studies and research-based advice, as requested by the Council, and meets twice annually. The Committee’s work is implementation-oriented and follows thematic issues linked to the mandate of the Council, namely, the promotion and protection of all human rights. It interacts with States, national human rights institutions, non-governmental organizations and other civil society bodies.

Membership

The membership of the Advisory Committee conforms to 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.

Following is the list of members of the Advisory Committee and expiration dates for their respective terms of office:

Saeed Mohamed Al Faihani (Bahrain, 2015); Laurence Boisson de Chazournes (France, 2014); Mario L. Coriolano (Argentina, 2015); Hoda Elsadda (Egypt, 2016); Karla Hanania de Varela (El Salvador, 2016); Latif Hüseynov (Azerbaijan, 2014); Mikhail Lebedev (Russian Federation, 2016); Alfred Ntunduguru Karokora (Uganda, 2016); Kaoru Obata (Japan, 2016); Obiora Chinedu Okafor (Nigeria, 2014); Katharina Pabel (Austria, 2015); Anantonia Reyes Prado (Guatemala, 2014); Cecilia Rachel V. Quisumbing (Philippines, 2014); Ahmer Bilal Soofi (Pakistan, 2014); Imeru Tamrat Yigezu (Ethiopia, 2015); Yishan Zhang (China, 2016) and Jean Ziegler (Switzerland, 2016).


Programme of Work


Monday, 11 August

11 a.m. Opening of session, adoption of agenda, organizational and other
matters.

Discussion on human rights in post-disaster and post-conflict situations

3 p.m. Discussion on human rights in post-disaster and post-conflict situations

Tuesday, 12 August

10 a.m. Discussion on the negative impact of corruption on the enjoyment of
human rights.

3 p.m. Discussion on ways of promoting human rights through sport and the
Olympic ideal

Wednesday, 13 August

12 a.m. Discussion on local government and human rights

3 p.m. Discussion on local government and human rights
Discussion on human rights and unilateral coercive measures


Thursday, 14 August

10 a.m. Meeting with NGOs (room XXV - private)

12 a.m. Discussion on technical cooperation for the prevention of attacks against persons with albinism

3 p.m. Discussion on technical cooperation for the prevention of attacks against persons with albinism, follow-up to reports
submitted to the Human Rights Council, update on new developments consideration of annual programme of work
and new priorities.

Friday, 15 August

11 a.m. Action taking by the Advisory Committee and adoption of the report

3 p.m. Action taking by the Advisory Committee and adoption of the report

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For use of the information media; not an official record