Child Rights and the new Human Rights Council - 11

30 August 2006 - Child Rights and the new Human Rights Council - 11

 

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- Information update on the 2nd session of the Human Rights Council [news]

- Reports of special procedures pertaining to children's rights [reports]

- Human Rights Council Condemns Violations in Lebanon [news]

- Special Rapporteur’s Questionnaire on Sale of Children's Organs and Rapid Responses Programmes in Cases of Abductions or Disappearances of Children [call for information]

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Information update on the 2nd session of the Human Rights Council [news]

The second session of the Human Rights Council will take place from 18 September to 6 October 2006 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. Informal open-ended consultations on preparations for the second session of the Human Rights Council will be convened by the President of the Council on Friday, 1 September 2006, from 10am to 1pm in conference room XVIII of the Palais des Nations. The meeting, to which NGOs are invited, should offer an opportunity to raise and clarify issues pertaining to the organisation of work for the second session of the HRC, including NGO participation.

On 7 and 8 September 2006, the Human Rights Council will hold a further round of informal consultations towards the establishment of inter-sessional open-ended Working Groups on the Universal Periodic Review and the Review of mandates and mechanisms. In view of the informal consultations, the Secretariat has been asked to prepare a compilation of contributions of all stakeholders on the UPR. Also, efforts are underway to invite a number of organisations to give presentations and share experiences on existing review mechanisms. The foreseen schedule for the informal consultations is:
Review of mandates and mechanisms: 10am – 1pm, room XVIII (7 and 8 September)
UPR: 3–6pm, Room XVIII (7 and 8 September)

The provisional agenda for the 2nd session of the Human Rights Council as proposed by the President of the Council has now been circulated. It will shortly be issued as a document of the second session of the Council.  

Also available is the draft framework for the programme of work of the Council at its second session as contained in Council’s decision 1/105 of 30 June 2006, which falls in its entirety under provisional agenda item 2. At this stage, the detailed time-table for the HRC second session is still being considered by the HRC Bureau.

According to the draft framework for a programme of work of the Council for the first year, no High-level Segment is foreseen for the 2nd session of the HRC. Moreover, all reports pending from CHR 62 (see item below) are expected to be considered during the session. However, at this stage, it is yet not known in what order the reports of the Special Procedures will be considered and how much time will be dedicated to each of them. Note that no new documentation is expected for submission to the Human Rights Council at its 2nd session, with the exception for example of the report mandated by the HRC 1st Special session, and that updates by Special Procedure mandate-holders will be done orally.

With regard to NGO written statements, pursuant to HRC decision 1/102 of 30 June 2006 the totality of the NGO written statements submitted to the 62nd session of the former Commission on Human Rights (251 NGO written statements) will be part of the overall documentation referred by the Commission on Human Rights to the Human Rights Council. All of them continue to be available electronically on OHCHR website, as well as on paper at the UN Documentation Distribution Desk at Door 40 (Palais des Nations).

With regard to accreditation, as under arrangements and practices observed by the HRC in its first session, and by the former Commission on Human Rights, NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC wishing to accredit representatives to the second session of the Human Rights Council are invited – as of 1 September - to send their request(s) to the Secretariat of the Council, for the attention of Ms. Kate Hardie (until 15 September at: Tel: +41 (0)22 917 92 56; Fax: +41 (0)22 917 90 11). Contact details as of 18 September will be communicated further.

As under the arrangements and practices observed by the HRC in its first session, and by the Commission on Human Rights, NGOs duly accredited to the second session of the HRC will be able to organise parallel events of relevance to the work of the Human Rights Council, taking into account availability of conference rooms. The relevant room booking form will be available under the link “room reservation” on the webpage for the second session of the HRC. It is anticipated that room requests will be received as of 1 September 2006 and should be sent to the attention of Ms. Luciana Castanon by fax to + 41 (0) 22 917 9011. While – as stated earlier - the detailed session time-table has not been determined as yet, it should be expected that on the days when interactive dialogues are held with the Special Procedures, priority in terms of room booking will be given to Special Procedure mandate-holders.

For more information, contact:
Laura Dolci-Kanaan
OHCHR NGO Liaison Officer
Email: [email protected]

Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=10013

Further information

  • Provisional agenda
  • Draft framework for a programme of work
  • Child rights NGO written statements
  • General documentation
  • Accreditation
  • Webpage on OHCHR
  • CRIN's HRC news page

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    Reports of special procedures pertaining to children's rights [reports]

    Reports of special procedures pertaining to children's rights, and submitted for the 62nd session of the Commission on Human Rights are available on the CRIN website:

     

    • Report of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation of the abduction of children in Africa - Advanced edited version E/CN.4/2006/65
    • Status of the Convention on the Rights of the Child - Report of the Secretary-General, submitted for the 62nd session of the Commission on Human Rights, in accordance with paragraph 40 (b) of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2005/44. E/CN.4/2006/64 
    • Report from J-M Petit, Special Rapporteur on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography on child pornography E/CN.4/2006/67
    • Annual report of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict (Ms. Karin Sham-Poo), E/CN.4/2006/66 
    • Progress report by the Secretary-General on the question of violence against children - E/CN.4/2006/63 / Addendum
    • Annual report of the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children (Ms. Sigma Huda) - E/CN.4/2006/62
    • Report of the Special Rapporteur on Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Mr. Manfred Nowak - E/CN.4/2006/6
    • Report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the right to development - E/CN.4/2006/24

    All documentation is available at the following link and will be updated as reports are made available.

    Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=10015

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    Human Rights Council Condemns Violations in Lebanon [news]

    The second special session of the Human Rights Council, held on 11 August, strongly condemned the grave Israeli violations of human rights and breaches of international humanitarian law in Lebanon and decided to urgently establish and immediately dispatch a high-level inquiry commission to the region.

    In a Resolution, adopted after a roll-call vote of 27 in favour, 11 against, and 8 abstentions, the Council said the high-level commission should comprise of eminent experts of human rights law and international humanitarian law who should, among other things: investigate the systematic targeting and killings of civilians by Israel; examine the types of weapons used by Israel and their conformity with international law; and assess the extent and deadly impact of Israeli attacks on human life, property, critical infrastructure and environment. The Council requested the commission to report back to it no later than 1 September 2006 on progress towards the fulfilment of its mandate.

    The Council urged all concerned parties to respect the rules of international humanitarian law, to refrain from violence against the civilian population and to treat under all circumstances all detained combatants and civilians in accordance with the Geneva Conventions. It also called on the international community to provide urgently the Lebanese Government with humanitarian and financial assistance to enable it to deal with the worsening humanitarian disaster, rehabilitation of victims, return of displaced persons, and restoration of the essential infrastructure.

    At the beginning of the one-day special session, Louise Arbour, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the accumulated and increasing toll of civilian deaths and injuries in Lebanon and Israel, the massive displacement of populations and the destruction of civilian infrastructure in Lebanon required the intervention of the Council to impress upon the parties to the conflict the urgent need to comply with their obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law.

    Ms. Arbour said there had been pressing calls for a comprehensive, high-level inquiry into reports of serious violations of human rights law and international humanitarian law in Israel and Lebanon to be led by internationally renowned experts. Within a human rights framework, the inquiry should be primarily concerned with the plight of the victims. It should address all violations by all parties, and lay the foundation for possible measures of reparation and accountability. The Council's commitment to exposing all human rights violations and to addressing the calls of all victims for reparation and justice would help those affected by the conflict to start rebuilding their shattered lives.

    Lebanon told the meeting that the Government of Lebanon did it endorse the operations carried out by Hezbollah. What was being faced by Lebanon went beyond the issue of prisoners and captured soldiers: it was a whole nation whose people's rights, security and land were being trampled under a questionable pretext. Lebanese were being collectively slaughtered and punished by Israel.

    Israel told the special session that after a month of pain and suffering on both sides of the border between Israel and Lebanon, the Arab States and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference had asked to convene the special session of the Council to deal exclusively with the suffering on only one side of the divide. But the suffering knew no boundaries. And the peoples of Lebanon and Israel together were paying the price of the vicious campaign of terror waged by Hezbollah.

    Speakers addressing the meeting said that the death and displacement in Lebanon as a result of the Israeli bombardment was appalling. The massive Israeli air strikes that had resulted in massacres of innocent civilians and the destruction of houses, properties and infrastructure were strongly condemned, and there were repeated calls for a ceasefire and a rapid resolution of the conflict.

    Many speakers urged the Council to establish an inquiry commission with the mandate to investigate the extent and adverse impact of the breaches of human rights and international humanitarian law. There were also calls for unhindered access to be provided to humanitarian and medical convoys and for the establishment of humanitarian corridors. Some speakers condemned civilian casualties in Israel as a result of Hezbollah-launched rockets and accused the Council of targeting Israel.

    Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=9755

    Further information

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    Special Rapporteur’s Questionnaire on Sale of Children's Organs and Rapid Responses Programmes in Cases of Abductions or Disappearances of Children [call for information]

    This Special Rapporteur on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography is circulating a questionnaire to ask for contributions from child rights NGOs, in preparation for his report to the Human Rights Council in 2007.

    The report will focus on the sale of organs (country legislative framework and factual context) and rapid response programmes for disappeared or abducted children (country legislative framework and factual context).

    Deadline for submitting information: 31 October 2006

    Information should be sent to Thierry Del Prado: [email protected]

    Further information

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    This update has been produced by CRIN, in collaboration with the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Subgroup for the Human Rights Council. To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives, visit http://www.crin.org/email.

    Further information about the Human Rights Council is available on the CRIN website at: www.crin.org/chr. To submit information, contact Isabelle Guitard on [email protected]. CRIN, c/o Save the Children, 1, St John's Lane, London EC1M 4AR, UK.

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