HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL TO HOLD SEVENTH REGULAR SESSION FROM 3 TO 28 MARCH

Human Rights Council
BACKGROUND RELEASE

28 February 2008

The Human Rights Council will hold its seventh regular session from 3 to 28 March at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. The session will be opened by the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon. This shall be followed, from 3 to 5 March, by a high-level segment when dozens of senior dignitaries will address the Council on their countries’ efforts to promote and protect human rights. Particular focus will be paid to the celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Following the high-level segment, the Council will consider the report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, on the activities of her Office, as well as reports presented by mandate holders on extreme poverty, migrants, arbitrary detention, the effect of economic reforms, toxic waste, freedom of expression, violence against women, mercenaries, torture, the right to adequate housing, enforced disappearances, sale of children, human rights defenders, minority issues and the right to health. Moreover, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the prevention of genocide will address the Council. Mandate holders on the situation of human rights in Sudan, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Myanmar, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cambodia, Somalia and Liberia will also present their reports. After the presentation of each report, an interactive dialogue will be held with the participation of Member States of the Council, observer States and non-governmental organizations.

The Council will also continue with its review, rationalization and improvement of mandates process. This session it will consider the Special Procedures dealing with the sale of children, the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, human rights defenders, freedom of expression, minority issues, the effect of economic reform, the situation of human rights in Myanmar, violence against women, forced disappearances, mercenaries, international solidarity, contemporary forms of racism, the situation of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the situation of human rights in Somalia.

General debates will also be held relating to contemporary forms of racism, people of African descent, follow-up to the Durban Conference and complementary standards.

Other issues which the Council will take up during the session include a panel on voluntary human rights goals, follow-up to the Council’s Special Sessions, and a panel on intercultural dialogue on human rights.

Also during the session, the Council will discuss in private the report of the Working Group on Situations of its Complaint Procedure, appoint new Special Procedure mandate holders, and elect the members of the Council’s Advisory Committee which should meet for the first time this summer.

For more detailed information about the work of the Council at this session, including with regards to documentation, please refer to the annotated agenda of the session A/HRC/7/1/Add.2 as well as the website of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights http://www.ohchr.org

Composition of the Human Rights Council

The composition of the Council at its seventh session is as follows: The term of membership of each State expires in the year indicated in parenthesis. Angola (2010); Azerbaijan (2009); Bangladesh (2009); Bolivia (2010); Bosnia and Herzegovina (2010); Brazil (2008); Cameroon (2009); Canada (2009); China (2009); Cuba (2009); Djibouti (2009); Egypt (2010); France (2008); Gabon (2008); Germany (2009); Ghana (2008); Guatemala (2008); India (2010); Indonesia (2010); Italy (2010); Japan (2008); Jordan (2009); Madagascar (2010); Malaysia (2009); Mali (2008); Mauritius (2009); Mexico (2009); Netherlands (2010); Nicaragua (2010); Nigeria (2009); Pakistan (2008); Peru (2008); Philippines (2010); Qatar (2010); Republic of Korea (2008); Romania (2008); Russian Federation (2009); Saudi Arabia (2009); Senegal (2009); Slovenia (2010); South Africa (2010); Sri Lanka (2008); Switzerland (2009); Ukraine (2008); United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (2008); Uruguay (2009); Zambia (2008).

Composition of the Bureau of the Council

The President of the Council is Doru Romulus Costea (Romania). The Vice Presidents are Mohamed-Siad Doualeh (Djibouti), Boudewijn Van Eenennaam (Netherlands), and Dayan Jayathilleka (Sri Lanka). Alejandro Artucio (Uruguay) is Vice President and Rapporteur.

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For use of the information media; not an official record