SUBCOMMISSION ON PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS CONCLUDES FIFTY-FIRST SESSION

HR/SC/99/31
27 August 1999



Adopts Resolutions Calling for an End to Juvenile Executions, Abuses Caused by “Humanitarian Interventions”; Issues Chairman's Statements on Belarus, Togo, Indonesia, Mexico, and Bhutanese and Other Refugees in Nepal


The Subcommission on Promotion and Protection of Human Rights concluded today a month-long session during which it discussed a series of human-rights issues and adopted dozens of resolutions, Chairman's statements, and decisions, including one that contended -- in the face of recommendations by the Bureau of its parent body, the Commission on Human Rights -- that the Subcommission’s current makeup of 26 Experts and current length of session of four weeks should remain intact.

Among the 47 texts approved by the Subcommission was a measure that opposed a Bureau recommendation that the Subcommission’s membership be trimmed, and that its working time be reduced to two weeks. A working group of the Commission on Human Rights is scheduled to begin discussions in the fall on possible reform of the Subcommission.

This year’s session was the panel’s first as the Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights. Created by the Commission on Human Rights in 1947, the panel previously had been called the Subcommission on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities.

At this afternoon’s concluding meeting, the Subcommission adopted Chairman’s statements on the situation of Bhutanese and other refugees in camps in Nepal; and on hostage-taking and kidnapping.

A representative of Bhutan said the Government of Bhutan had undertaken numerous initiatives to find a solution to the refugee problem, and a representative of Nepal said the problems was by its nature international and could only be solved with international assistance and political will.

The Chairman’s statement on kidnapping and hostage taking expressed concern, among other things, at the increasing occurrence of these practices around the world, particularly in Colombia, and urged the guerrilla movements "Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), National Liberation Army (ELN), and Popular Liberation Army (EPL)", the so-called "United Self Defences Forces of Colombia (AUC)”, and various paramilitary groups to immediately abandon these methods and release persons now held.

In its work this month, the Subcommission adopted myriad resolutions that addressed general and specific human-rights issues across the world, and suggested that various actions be taken. On a resolution on the rights of non-citizens, for example, the Subcommission recommended that the rights of such people be addressed during the upcoming World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance.

The Subcommission adopted a resolution in which it decided to hold a three-day "Social Forum" at its 2000 session, which would provide a framework under which the Experts could discuss economic, social and cultural rights and development issues.

The Subcommission recommended that various of its Experts be appointed by the Commission on Human Rights as Special Rapporteurs on the topics of the rights of non-citizens; globalization and its effect on human rights; and reservations to human-rights treaties. It called for working papers from various of its Experts on human-rights problems and protection of the Roma; the adverse consequences of economic sanctions on human rights; human rights in the context of HIV/AIDS; the right to education, in particular education in human rights; and the right to drinking water and sanitation services.

In another resolution, the Subcommission expressed its deepest consternation at serious violations of key provisions of international human rights laws, general international law and humanitarian law around the world. The measure contended that international "humanitarian interventions" -- such as that recently carried out in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia -- that featured threats or the use of force were juridically unfounded under current international law.

And it passed a resolution calling on countries to halt the execution of juvenile offenders. That prompted a heated debate about whether to include in the resolution the names of six countries -- Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United States of America, and Yemen -- that, according to an annex to the measure, had applied the death penalty since 1990 to persons who had committed the crimes for which they were executed when they were under age 18. The debate also featured an argument about whether someone could be considered a juvenile offender if the death sentence were carried out after the person had turned 18.

The Experts, after a lengthy debate and several votes, also adopted a resolution that urged several specific countries to reconsider their decisions to withdraw from several international human rights treaties and covenants.

Reports were presented by Experts on the link between globalization and increased incidents of racial discrimination; the effects of transnational corporations on the human rights of people in developing countries; and human rights as the primary objective of international trade. There was also a preliminary report on terrorism and human rights, following which the members debated what constituted a terrorist or a terrorist act, and if human-rights violations could be committed, under international law, by “non-State actors”.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson addressed the opening of the session, urging Experts to continue in their role as catalysts and originators of some of the more imaginative initiatives undertaken on behalf of fundamental fights and freedoms around the world.

The Subcommission has been credited with spurring current worldwide interest in the promotion and protection of the rights of indigenous peoples, and with leading a widening campaign to end traditional practices such as female genital mutilation. It is the Commission's principal subsidiary organ, and according to its mandate, undertakes studies and makes recommendations to the Commission. Its jobs include keeping abreast of trends in the field of human rights and exploring issues that are considered important and have not received sufficient attention.

In some resolutions, the Subcommission cited specific countries, urging their Governments to foster an atmosphere of greater respect for human rights. In a resolution on the Congo, the Subcommission called on the Congolese Government to immediately cease all violations of human rights and urged it to ratify a series of international human-rights treaties, covenants and agreements. A resolution on human rights and fundamental freedoms in all countries notably mentioned violations of the rights of the various ethnic or national groups in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and in a resolution on women in Afghanistan, the panel condemned actions by the Taliban regime that violated the most fundamental rights of women and girls in the country, in particular the women’s rights to health, employment, freedom of movement and security, as well as education.

A resolution entitled “human rights situation in Iraq” focused on the negative effects of the international economic embargo imposed against the country, charging that the sanctions should be lifted even if the legitimate objectives of the measures had not yet been attained. Such sanctions, it said, should in no way harm innocent civilian populations.

Experts also approved Chairman's statements that lauded progress in respect for human rights in Togo, Belarus, Indonesia and Mexico, but also cited concern over continuing human-rights difficulties in those countries.

As in previous years, the Subcommission considered in closed session confidential human-rights complaints under its "1503" procedure and forwarded cases it considered appropriate to the Commission on Human Rights.

In closing the Subcommission’s 1999 session, Chairman Ribot Hatano said that if the session had been a success, it was thanks to the strong and harmonious cooperation of all participants.

Action on resolutions and decisions

Human rights violations in any country

Regarding violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms in all countries, the Subcommission adopted resolutions in which it:

-- called upon the Congolese Government to immediately cease all violations of human rights in the Congo, and to ratify the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and the draft optional protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights establishing the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights;

-- expressed its deepest consternation at the serious violations of key provisions of international human rights law, general international law and humanitarian law which had occurred and continued to occur in a number of countries and territories, including violations of the rights of the various ethnic or national groups in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia; expressed its firmest conviction that the so-called "duty" and "right" to carry out "humanitarian interventions", in particular by means of the threat or use of force, was juridically totally unfounded under current general international law and consequently could not be considered as a justification for violations of the principles of ius cogens enshrined in Article 2 of the Charter of the United Nations;

-- urged each State to take any measures necessary within its jurisdiction to ensure the effective respect of State obligations in the field of human rights, in accordance with the provisions of various international instruments, and to guarantee to individuals, groups, associations, organizations and organs of society the necessary conditions to exercise fully their activities in favour of the recognition, promotion and defense of human rights; urged each State to take any measures necessary within its own jurisdiction to ensure the security of all persons covered by the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders who were being repressed, harassed or threatened anywhere in the world; and called upon the Governments concerned to ensure that crimes committed against human-rights defenders did not go unpunished;

-- condemned unequivocally the imposition and execution of the death penalty on those aged under 18 at the time of the commission of their offences; and called upon all States that retained the death penalty for juvenile offenders to commit themselves to abolishing the death penalty for those aged under 18 at the time of the commission of the offence;

-- and appealed strongly to all States that had not yet done so to become parties to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as other international and regional human-rights treaties.

Chairman's Statements

The Subcommission also adopted four Chairman's Statements in which it:

-- welcomed the decision taken by the Government of Belarus to take measures to further promote and protect human rights within its borders and to do all within its power to speed the ratification of the European Convention on Human Rights; and welcomed the decision to undertake a series of legislative reforms to improve the protection of human rights and democracy;

-- welcomed the initiative of Government of Togo to set up an international commission of enquiry in compliance with international standards to look into alleged human-rights problems in the country; and welcomed the proposition of the Togolese Government to ask the Secretary-Generals of the United Nations and of the Organisation of African Unity to constitute the commission of enquiry according to international standards;

-- noted human-rights progress but also expressed continuing concern over the human-rights situation in Mexico, including persistent allegations of torture, extrajudicial execution, and disappearances, as well as violations perpetrated against indigenous communities within that country, particularly in the States of Chiapas, Guerrero and Oaxaca; urgently requested the Government of Mexico to take further steps to implement the National Programme for the Defense and Promotion of Human Rights, as well as to investigate all human rights violations, committed by both State and non-State forces, and to take effective and concrete steps to bring the perpetrators to justice in accordance with international human rights standards;

-- cited progress in the field of human rights but expressed continuing concern at persistent reports of human-rights violations, including extrajudicial killings and ill-treatment in Indonesia, as well as continued serious violence and abuses, for example in Aceh and Ambon; and was pleased by continuing efforts to implement the recommendations of the UN Working Groups on Arbitrary Detention and the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women;

-- noted with regret that no progress had so far been made in the resolving the situation of Bhutanese and other refugees in camps in Nepal, but expressed its great satisfaction that dates now had been set, in agreement between the two Governments, for negotiations to be held on the matter; reiterated its hope that an effective and impartial verification process would be set in motion at the earliest possible time; and that the refugee problem could be solved within the next year;

-- and reiterated its strongest condemnation of kidnapping and hostage taking; emphasized that such practices constituted a clear violation of minimum humanitarian norms applicable at all times; expressed its preoccupation concerning the increasing occurrence of these practices around the world, particularly in Colombia, resulting in more than 10,000 victims in the last 10 years, and urged the guerrilla movements "Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), National Liberation Army (ELN), and Popular Liberation Army (EPL)", the so-called "United Self Defences Forces of Colombia”(AUC), and paramilitary groups to immediately abandon these methods and promptly liberate the persons deprived of liberty, especially the most vulnerable.

Elimination of racial discrimination

Regarding the comprehensive examination of thematic issues relating to the elimination of racial discrimination, the Subcommission adopted resolutions and decisions through which it:

-- decided to renew its authorization to the Special Rapporteur on the concept and practice of affirmative action to request the United Nations Secretary-General to send a questionnaire to Governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations, inviting them to provide all relevant national documentation on the subject of affirmative action;

-- recommended to the Preparatory Committee that the upcoming World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance devote considerable attention to the overall themes of equality and diversity in an effort to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; also recommended that the World Conference define a global and system-wide strategy which could lead to concrete results for the populations affected;

-- and recommended that the rights of non-citizens be explicitly addressed during the upcoming World Conference against Racism; requested the Subcommission Chairperson to appoint one of the Subcommission’s members as Special Rapporteur with the task of preparing a comprehensive study on the rights of non-citizens; and recommended a draft decision to that effect to the Commission on Human Rights for adoption.


The realization of economic, social and cultural rights

Regarding the realization of economic, social and cultural rights, the Subcommission adopted measures through which it:

-- decided to request El-Hadji Guisse to supplement his working paper on the right to drinking water and sanitation services, without financial implications, and to submit it to the Subcommission at its 52nd session
in 2000;

-- decided to nominate Joseph Oloka-Onyango and Deepika Udagama as Special Rapporteurs with the task of preparing a study on the issue of globalization and its impact on the full enjoyment of all human rights; and recommended a draft decision to that effect to the Commission on Human Rights;

-- decided to continue its consideration of the question of housing and property restitution in the context of the return of refugees and internally displaced persons at its 52nd session;

-- urged all member States of the United Nations to strengthen international cooperation for promoting the realization of the right to development;

-- decided to hold a Social Forum for three days during the 52nd session of the Subcommission;

-- decided to continue its consideration of the question of the realization of the right to education, including education in human rights, and asked Mustapha Mehedi to produce a final document on the subject;

-- requested all Governments and economic policy forums to take international human rights obligations and principles fully into account in international economic policy formulation in relation to international trade liberalization; and declared that sanctions and negative conditionality were not appropriate ways of promoting the integration of human rights in international economic policy and practice;

-- and endorsed the recommendation to the High Commissioner for Human Rights to ensure, through various measures, a continued follow-up of the evolving process to identify the steps needed to implement the rights of all to adequate food and to be free from hunger; and endorsed her recommendation to States to elaborate national strategies for the realization for everyone within their territory of the rights to adequate food and to be free from hunger.

Human rights with regard to women

Regarding the implementation of human rights with regard to women, the Subcommission adopted decisions and resolutions through which it:

-- appealed to all States concerned to intensify efforts to develop awareness of, and mobilize national public opinion concerning, the harmful effects of female genital mutilation, in particular through education, information and training, in order to achieve its total elimination; requested all non-governmental organizations dealing with women's issues to devote part of their activities to the study of the various harmful traditional practices and ways and means of eradicating them; and appealed to the international community to provide material, technical and financial support to the non-governmental organizations and groups working with dedication to achieve the total elimination of such cultural practices harmful to girl children and women;

-- condemned all forms of discrimination and violation of the most fundamental rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, who were deprived of the enjoyment of civil and political rights and the rights to health, employment, freedom of movement and security; considered it essential that the international community should follow very closely the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan and bring maximum pressure to bear so that all restrictions imposed on women, which constituted flagrant and systematic violations of all the internationally recognized economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights, were removed; considered that it was the duty of the armed groups in Afghanistan to respect the fundamental rights of the individual, and particularly those of women; and considered that any diplomatic recognition and any financial agreement with the Taliban regime would reinforce the discriminatory treatment which the latter was reserving for women, whereas it must be induced to end such treatment;

-- and strongly urged Governments to comply fully with all of their international and regional obligations and commitments concerning women's economic rights; called upon Governments to take all necessary measures in order to amend and/or repeal laws and policies which inhibited women's economic rights and their right to development, and to encourage the transformation of customs and traditions which denied women their right to development.

Contemporary forms of slavery

Regarding contemporary forms of slavery, the Subcommission adopted resolutions and decisions through which it:

-- requested the Secretary-General designate of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights as the focal point for the coordination of activities and the dissemination of information within the United Nations system on the suppression of contemporary forms of slavery;

-- called upon States to make possible respect for their obligations in situations of conflict and to provide effective criminal penalties and compensation for unremedied violations in order to end the cycle of impunity with regard to sexual violence committed during armed conflict;

-- and urged all Governments, non-governmental organizations, other private and public entities and individuals to contribute annually to the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery in order to enable the Fund to fulfil its mandate effectively.

Rights of indigenous peoples

Regarding the human rights of indigenous people, the Subcommission adopted resolutions and decisions through which it:

-- recommended that attention continue to be given to improving the extent of the participation of indigenous peoples in planning and implementing the activities of the International Decade for Indigenous Peoples; strongly recommended that the draft United Nations declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples be adopted as early as possible; recommended that a permanent forum for indigenous peoples within the United Nations system be established as soon as possible; invited the Commission on Human Rights to consider organizing a world conference on indigenous issues during the last year of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People (2004) with a view to evaluating the Decade and considering future international policies and programmes which would contribute to the reconciliation of Governments with indigenous peoples;

-- recommended that the Working Group on Indigenous Populations cooperate as a body of experts in any conceptual clarifications or analysis which might assist the open-ended inter-sessional working group established by the Commission on Human Rights to elaborate further the draft United Nations declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples and that the Working Group continue to address, on a yearly basis, the issue of indigenous peoples' right to their lands and their resources, and to provide a greater opportunity for participation of peoples from these regions and to raise public awareness about indigenous peoples;

-- requested the Secretary-General to transmit as soon as possible the second progress report on the working paper on indigenous peoples and their relationship to land to Governments, indigenous peoples and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations for their comments, data and suggestions;

-- and requested the Special Rapporteur to present formally, in person, to the Commission on Human Rights, at its 56th session, the revised version of his final report on treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements between States and indigenous populations; and requested the Working Group on Indigenous Populations to remain seized of the important issue of indigenous treaties and agreements and the rights deriving therefrom during its annual sessions during the rest of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People.

Prevention of discrimination against and the protection of minorities

Regarding the prevention of discrimination against and the protection of minorities, the Subcommission adopted measures through which it:

-- entrusted Yeung Kam Yeung Sik Yuen with the task of preparing a working paper, without financial implications, on the human rights problems and protection of the Roma, for submission to the Working Group on Minorities at its sixth session and to the Subcommission at its 52nd session, in order to enable the Subcommission to take a decision at that session on the feasibility of a study on the subject;

-- and endorsed the conclusions and recommendations of the Working Group on Minorities on its fifth session as contained in its report on the prevention of discrimination against and the protection of minorities; appealed to all States, specialized agencies, non-governmental organizations and scholars to continue to participate actively in the work of the Working Group; and recommended that the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights be strengthened to enable it to provide adequate services to the Working Group and to undertake relevant studies, evaluation and action.

Administration of justice

Regarding the administration of justice and human rights, the Subcommission adopted a resolution in which it decided to consider the question of the draft international convention on the protection of all persons from enforced disappearances under the same agenda item at its
52nd session.


Review of further developments in fields with which the Subcommission has been or may be concerned

Regarding the review of further developments in fields with which the Subcommission had been or may be concerned, the Subcommission adopted measures through which it:

-- reiterated its commitment to international cooperation in the field of human rights; and endorsed the cooperative approach in search of common understanding and reasonable accommodation of divergent views;

--- reaffirmed, in a resolution on the situation of human rights in Iraq, that measures such as embargoes should be limited in time, should in no way affect innocent civilian populations and, for obvious humanitarian reasons, should be lifted even if the legitimate objectives of the measures had not yet been attained; considered any embargo that condemned an innocent people to hunger, disease, ignorance and even death to be a flagrant violation of the economic, social and cultural rights and the right to life of the people concerned and of international law; decided to appeal again to the international community, and to the Security Council in particular, for the embargo provisions affecting the humanitarian situation of the population of Iraq to be lifted; also decided to urge the international community and all Governments, including that of Iraq, to alleviate the suffering of the Iraqi population;

-- decided to request Marc Bossuyt to prepare, without financial implications, a working paper on the adverse consequences of economic sanctions on human rights and to submit the working paper at its 52nd session under the agenda item entitled "Implications of humanitarian activities for the enjoyment of human rights";

-- requested the Secretary-General to give the Special Rapporteur on terrorism and human rights all the assistance necessary for the preparation of her progress report;

-- encouraged States to ratify human-rights treaties without reservations and those States that had ratified human-rights treaties with reservations to remove them as soon as possible; recommended the Commission adopt a draft decision in which it approved the decision of the Subcommission to appoint Francoise Jane Hampson as Special Rapporteur with the task of preparing a comprehensive study on reservations to human-rights treaties based on her working paper;

-- decided to entrust Alberto Diaz-Uribe with the task of preparing a working paper, without financial implications, on human rights in the context of HIV/AIDS;

-- expressed its gratitude and deep appreciation to the International Committee of the Red Cross on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions;

-- requested V. Kartashkin to continue his work on the observance of human rights by States which are not parties to United Nations human rights conventions;

-- and decided to entrust Joseph Oloka-Onyango with the task of preparing a study on globalization and its impact on the full enjoyment of all human rights which would be presented to the Commission on Human Rights at its fifty-seventh session in 2001.


Methods of work

Regarding its methods of work, the Subcommission adopted measures through which it decided to transmit to the Commission on Human Rights for its information the "Guidelines for the application by the Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights of the rules of procedure of the functional Commissions of the Economic and Social Council and other decisions and practices relating thereto"; and decided to approve the proposed composition of the inter-sessional and pre-sessional working groups of the Sub-Commission.

Membership of the Subcommission

The members and alternates (*) of the Subcommission are Miguel Alfonso Martinez, *Marianela Ferriol Echevarria (Cuba); José Bengoa, *Alejandro Salinas Rivera (Chile); Marc Bossuyt, *Guy Genot (Belgium); Volodymyr Boutkevitch, *Oleg Shamshur (Ukraine); Erica-Irene A. Daes, *Kalliopi Koufa (Greece); Asbjorn Eide, *Jan Helgesen (Norway); Fan Guoxiang, *Zhong Shukong (China); Héctor Fix-Zamudio, *Alfonso Gomez-Robledo Veduzco (Mexico); Clemencia Forero Ucros, *Alberto Diaz Uribe (Colombia); Rajenda Kalidas Wimala Goonesekere, *Deepika Udagama (Sri Lanka); El-Hadji Guissé (Senegal); Francoise Jane Hampson, *Helena Cook (United Kingdom); Ribot Haano, *Yozo Yokota (Japan); Louis Joinet, *Emmanuel Decaux (France); Ahmad Khalifa, *Ahmed Khalil (Egypt); Ioan Maxim, *Antoanella Iulia Motoc (Romania); Mustapha Mehedi (Algeria); Joseph Oloka-Onyango (Uganda); Sang Yong Park, *Myung Chul Hahm (Republic of Korea); Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, *Marilia S. Zelner Goncalves (Brazil); Teimuraz O. Ramishvili, *Vladimir Kartashkin (Ru
ssian Federation); Yeung Kam Yeung Sik Yuen (Mauritius); Soli Jehangir Sorabjee (India); Halima Embarek Warzazi (Morocco); David Weissbrodt, *Gay J. McDougall (United States of America); and Fisseha Yimer (Ethiopia).

Chairperson of the fifty-first session of the Subcommission was Mr. Hatano. Vice-Chairpersons were Mr. Bossuyt, Mr. Mehedi, and Mr. Ramishvili. Mr. Pinheiro served as Rapporteur.

Working Groups and their Chairpersons

Working Group on Indigenous Populations Erica-Irene A. Daes

Working Group on Minorities Asbjorn Eide

Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery Halima Warzazi

Working Group on Communications Fisseha Yimir


Subcommission Special Rapporteurs

Special Rapporteur on indigenous peoples and Erica-Irene A. Daes
their relation to their lands

Special Rapporteur on Treaties, agreements, Miguel Alfonso Martinez
and other constructive arrangements between
States and indigenous populations

Special Rapporteur on the evolution of the Halima Warzazi
situation concerning elimination of
traditional practices affecting the health
of women and girl children.


Special Rapporteur on terrorism and human rights Kalliopi K. Koufa

Special Rapporteur on affirmative action Marc Bossuyt
on elimination of racial discrimination

Expert entrusted with completion of report on Gay J. McDougall
systematic rape, sexual slavery and
slavery-like practices during armed conflict

Subcommission Members Asked to Prepare Studies

Working paper on the methods of work of the Ribot Hatano
Subcommission

Working paper assessing the utility, scope and Clemencia Forero
structure of a study on weapons of mass Ucros
destruction or with indiscriminate effect,
or of a nature to cause superfluous injury
or unnecessary suffering

Working paper on the right to education, Mustapha Mehedi
particularly human rights education

Updated study on the right to food Asbjorn Eide

Working paper on the right to drinking water El-Hadji Guisse
and sanitation services

New mandates proposed in 1999 by the Subcommission to the Commission on Human Rights

Special Rapporteurs on globalization and its Joseph Oloka-Onyango
effect on human rights and Deepika Udagama

Special Rapporteur on reservations to Francoise Jane
human-rights treaties Hampson

Special Rapporteur on the rights To be named
of non-citizens

Other proposals from 1999 session

“Social Forum” to be held for three days during 2000 session, to consider issues related to economic, social and cultural rights

Working paper human-rights problems Yeung Kam Yeung Sik
and protection of the Roma Yuen

Working paper on the adverse consequences of Marc Bossuyt
economic sanctions on human rights

Working paper on human rights in the context Alberto Diaz-Uribe
of HIV/AIDS

Working paper on the distinctions between and Erica-Irene A. Daes
the rights of indigenous peoples and minorities Asbjorn Eide

Other mandates

Permanent mandate to exchange information with all Erica-Irene A. Daes
elements of the United Nations system having
activities touching on the patrimony of
indigenous peoples, with the aim of improving
cooperation and coordination and promoting
the full participation of all such indigenous
peoples in these efforts.