HIGH COMMISSIONER APPOINTS GAY MCDOUGALL AS INDEPENDENT EXPERT ON MINORITY ISSUES

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour today announced the appointment of Gay McDougall as the Independent expert on minority issues. The United Nations Commission for Human Rights requested the creation of this mandate in its resolution 2005/79, approved by the Economic and Social Council on 25 July 2005.

The mandate includes promoting the implementation of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities and identifying best practices and possibilities for technical cooperation by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights at the request of Governments. The Independent Expert is requested to submit annual reports on her activities to the Commission, including recommendations for effective strategies for the better implementation of the rights of persons belonging to minorities.

Ms. McDougall was elected in 1998 to serve as an independent expert on the United Nations treaty body that oversees the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD). At its 1996 session, the Commission on Human Rights elected her to serve a four year term as a member (alternate) of the Sub-Commission on Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.

In that capacity, Ms. McDougall also served as Special Rapporteur on the issue of systematic rape, sexual slavery, and slavery-like practices in armed conflict. She presented a groundbreaking study to the Sub-Commission that called for international legal standards for prosecuting acts of systematic rape and sexual slavery committed during armed conflict.