15 August 2008 - Child Rights at the Human Rights Council 46
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Children Have Rights Too!
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Human Rights Council Session 9 [event]
The 9th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC) will be held from 8 until 24 September 2008 (to be confirmed) at the Palais des Nations in Geneva,in Room XVII.
*Note the deadline for written statements is Monday 25 August. Visit here for more information
CRIN's news page on the Human Rights Council
Our information page on the Human Rights Council
Information about previous sessions
Current members of the HRC
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Child Rights at the Human Rights Council 45
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NGO participation
Guidelines for submitting written statements
Information note for NGOs (8 August 2008)
Draft programme of work & timetable:
The draft timetable of the session is expected to be discussed at the organisational meeting of the Human Rights Council to be held on August 22nd. It will be drawn from the annual programme of work, already available on the HRC Extranet.
Documents for the Human Rights Council’s 9th Session will shortly be available on the relevant OHCHR webpage.
The Secretariat strongly encourages NGOs to consult the Extranet, as well as the OHCHR website on a regular basis, as they will soon be updated with information relating to the organisation of the 9th session of the Human Rights Council.
NGO written statements:
NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC may submit written statements relevant to the work of the Human Rights Council (in accordance with paragraphs 36 and 37 of ECOSOC resolution 1996/31).
The HRC Secretariat wishes to draw the attention of NGOs to ECOSOC resolution 1996/31, which authorises written statements of: a) 2,000 words for NGOs in general consultative status; and b) 1,500 words for NGOs in special consultative status and on the roster.
NGO written statements are to be submitted in accordance with the guidelines for the submission of NGO written statements:
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/guidelines.htm
NGOs may submit their written statements to the Council Secretariat electronically to hrcngo@ohchr.org.
The deadline for the submission of written statements is Monday 25 of August. The Secretariat will not be able to ensure the timely circulation of written statements late in submission.
Accreditation:
NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC wishing to accredit representatives to the 9th session of the Human Rights Council are invited to send their letter of accreditation request/s to the Secretariat of the Council as of 25 August by fax, to the attention of the accreditation officer, who can be reached at:
Until 5 September:
Fax: +41 (0)22 917 90 11
Contact information (phone, fax, room number) of the accreditation officer in place during the session will be communicated at a later stage.
The letter requesting accreditation should contain the following elements:
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It should be submitted on the official letterhead of the organisation;
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It should clearly state the title and duration of the session the organisation wishes to attend, e.g. “Name of NGO, in consultative status with ECOSOC, wishes to send the following members to attend the 9th session of the HRC"
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It should also indicate the name/s (first name and family name) of the person/s who will represent the organisation at the HRC session:
o Names of persons must appear exactly as they appear in the ID document,
o Family Name(s) have to be capitalised.
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Only for NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC Ensure that the name(s) of those representative(s) of the NGO already in possession of a valid identity badge issued by the United Nations Office in Geneva (UNOG) Security and Safety Section, and who plan to attend the 2008 Social Forum, are also included in the accreditation request, with an indication that the person(s) holds an annual badge.
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(e) Be signed by the President or the main representative(s) of the organisation.
Once in Geneva, participants may then proceed to the accreditation office at the “Pregny Gate” security entrance (8-14 avenue de la Paix). Upon presentation of personal identification and a copy of the accreditation request from the concerned NGO, the accreditation officer will issue a photo-badge granting access to the Palais des Nations. This badge will remain valid for the duration of the session, and will permit the badge-holder unrestricted access to the conference rooms.
The accreditation office of the Human Rights Council will be open from Monday to Friday from 8.00 a.m-5.00 p.m. throughout the session.
NGO parallel events:
As under the arrangements and practices observed by the HRC in its former sessions, NGOs duly accredited to the 9th 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 rooms.
Room booking requests must be received by 25 August 2008 by the Secretariat, and will be processed on a first come first serve basis, subject to availability of rooms. All requests should be sent by fax to:
Until 5 September:
Fax: + 41 (0) 22 917 90 11
Tel: + 41 (0) 22 917 96 41
Contact information (phone, fax, room number) in place during the session will be communicated at a later stage.
NOTE: Also be advised that NGOs wishing to co-sponsor an NGO parallel event should fill the relevant ‘Co-sponsorship Form’ which is also attached to the email. The Secretariat will rely only on the information contained in the co-sponsorship forms for the preparation of the relevant Bulletin of Informal Meetings annexed to the Order of the Day.
The NGO in charge of organising the parallel event may invite guests not accredited to the HRC session to be present at their meeting. The concerned NGO is requested to provide the HRC Secretariat, with a complete list of its guests at least 48 hours prior to the day of the meeting. Accordingly, "Parallel Event" photo-badges will be issued on the day of the scheduled event, at the "Pregny Gate" security entrance, upon presentation of a valid identification paper.
Please be advised that the Secretariat does not provide interpretation for NGOs' parallel events. NGOs may bring their own interpreters, if they so wish, and inform the HRC Secretariat accordingly ahead of time. It is reminded that the use of cameras/videos during parallel events is not encouraged. Only journalists and camerapeople accredited on a yearly basis with UNOG are allowed to use camera and video equipment.
NGO Liaison Office:
During the upcoming 9th session of the Human Rights Council and the lead-up to it, OHCHR's NGO Liaison Officer, Ms. Laura Dolci-Kanaan, will be in charge of facilitating the participation of NGO representatives in the work of the Council. Note the following contact details
· Ms. Laura Dolci-Kanaan, e-mail: ldolci-kanaan@ohchr.org, Tel: +41 (0)22 917 9656 (until 5 September)
· Ms. Nathalie De Nul (intern), e-mail: erbintern@ohchr.org, civilsocietyunit@ohchr.org, Tel: +41 (0)22 917 9754 (until 5 September)
Contact information, as well as the NGO liaison office location accessible during the session will be communicated at a later stage.
A further update NGO information note will follow.
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Special Procedures
Read the full list of the new Special Procedures mandate holders here
Find out more about Special Procedures
Special Procedures: Facts and Figures 2007
Summary of the 2008 Special Procedures Country Visits
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Sources of information
CRIN - sign up to the special HRC CRINMAIL.
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights - Press releases are issued by the HRC on a daily basis during HRC sessions and are available on the OHCHR website. In addition, relevant documents are posted on the Human Rights Council extranet (sign up).
Relevant and updated information on the 5th session of the HRC will be regularly posted on the HRC Extranet. Username: hrc extranet - Password: 1session.
A live Webcast service will be available under the Council’s webpage, covering the plenary session online, and will be accessible through this link.
Civil society news and perspectives are available on the CONGO website (Conference of NGOs in consultative relationship with the UN) and the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) - ISHR: Human Rights Council daily updates
UN - FAQs about the Human Rights Council
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Working Group for the HRC
The Working group for the Human Rights Council, of the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child, brings together NGOs willing to promote the rights of the child at the United Nations Human Rights Council.
The WG’s aim so far has been to ensure that the Human Rights Council addresses the specific rights and situations of children worldwide in its regular work and sessions on human rights. By advocating for the inclusion of its concerns into the Council's Resolutions, the NGO community has ensured better support and coherence between international politics and local realities affecting the realisation of children's rights.
The WG was active during the negotiations on the creation of the Human Rights Council and during consultations on the first session of the Council.
It produced a call for action in May 2006, calling on the Human Rights Council to act on four specific child rights issues: violence against children - sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography - children affected by armed conflict and displacement - children in conflict with the law. The Call for Action was updated last November.
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Universal Periodic Review (what is this?)
The first session of the Working Group on UPR was held from 7 to 18 April 2008 in Geneva, at Palais des Nations. The second session will be held from 5 to 19 May. A special webpage has been launched on the OHCHR website (internet): http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/UPRMain.aspx
CRIN has produced a special information page on the UPR: http://www.crin.org/HRC/UPR.asp and you can find a toolkit produced by the Working Group here
We have also produced reports on child rights in the submissions for the first and second session.
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Useful contacts
For more information about the Working Group for the Human Rights Council, contact:
Cecile Trochu, co-Convenor
OMCT
Email: ct@omct.org
Visit: http://www.crin.org/docs/resources/publications/NGOCRC/subgroup-CHR.asp
or Jennifer Grant, co-Convenor
Save the Children UK
Email: J.Grant@savethechildren.org.uk
Visit: http://www.crin.org/docs/resources/publications/NGOCRC/subgroup-CHR.asp
Any other enquiries:
Child Rights Information Network (CRIN)
c/o Save the Children, 1 St. John's Lane, London EC1M 4AR, UK
Tel: + 44 (0)20 7012 6866; Fax: + 44 (0)20 7012 6963
Email: info@crin.org
Website: http://www.crin.org/HRC
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=18092
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UPR: New deadlines for submissions [news]
Submissions in relation to the 16 countries scheduled to be reviewed at the fourth session of the Working Group on the UPR (2 - 13 February 2009) should be sent to the above-indicated address by:
1 September 2008 for submissions on Cameroon, Djibouti, Mauritius, Nigeria, Senegal, Bangladesh, China and Jordan; and
8 September 2008 for submissions on Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Cuba, Mexico, Canada, Germany, Russian Federation and Azerbaijan.
Submissions in relation to the 16 countries scheduled to be reviewed at the fifth session of the Working Group on the UPR (4 - 15 May 2009) should be sent to the above-indicated address by:
3 November 2008 for submissions on Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Vanuatu, Viet Nam, Yemen and Afghanistan; and
10 November 2008 for submissions on Uruguay, Belize, Chile, Malta, Monaco, New Zealand, Slovakia and The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
Submissions in relation to the 16 countries scheduled to be reviewed at the sixth session of the Working Group on the UPR (30 November - 11 December 2009) should be sent to the above-indicated address by:
13 April 2009 for submissions on Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam and Cambodia; and
20 April 2009 for submissions on Cyprus, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Norway, Portugal and Albania.
Stakeholders’ submissions should be sent to uprsubmissions@ohchr.org.
Further information
For more information, contact:
UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
OHCHR-UNOG
8-14 Avenue de la Paix, 1211 Geneva 10
Tel: + 41-22 917-9000
Website: www.unhchr.ch
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UPR: Child rights extracts from the reports of the Working Groups [publication]
This is compilation of extracts featuring child-rights issues from all the reports of the Working Groups on the Universal Periodic Review. There are extracts from the 'Summary of the State under Review', the 'Interactive Dialogue and Responses by the State under Review' and the 'Conclusions and/or Recommendations' for each country. You can download the whole document here, or simply click on your chosen country below.
Bahrain | Ecuador | Tunisia | Morocco | Indonesia | Finland | United Kingdom | India | Brazil | Philippines | Algeria | Poland | Netherlands | South Africa | Czech Republic | Argentina | Gabon | Ghana | Peru | Guatemala | Benin | Republic of Korea | Switzerland | Pakistan | Zambia | Japan | Ukraine | Sri Lanka | France | Tonga | Romania Mali
Further information
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=17656&flag=report
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Think tank set up to advise Council [news]
[8 August 2008] -The Human Rights Council passed a significant milestone when its think tank, called the Advisory Committee, held its first session in Geneva on 4 August.
The 18-member Committee, established to provide expert advice to the Council, will conduct studies and research on a wide range of human rights issues. It replaces the former Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.
Addressing the opening session of the Committee, Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights Kyung-wha Kang said the panel members had the demanding task of making sure the committee works effectively as the 'brains' of the Council.
Noting that one of the strengths of the Sub-Commission that preceded the Committee was its ability to contribute to the development of international human rights law, the Acting High Commissioner said it was encouraging that the Committee would continue to perform this important function.
She pointed out that the Committee had already been tasked by the Council to prepare a draft declaration on human rights education and training, and to formulate a set of principles and guidelines for the elimination of discrimination against people affected by leprosy.
Another important strength of the Sub-Commission, the Acting High Commissioner said, was its “unique characteristic as a forum for the voice of civil society organisations.” This was recognised by the Council, she added, when it urged the Committee to establish ties with a broad range of stakeholders.
By building strong relationships with all national and international actors working on human rights issues around the world, the Acting High Commissioner said, the Committee would “generate and sustain its dynamism and relevance.”
Following informal consultations, the Advisory Committee elected Miguel Alfonso Martinez (Cuba) as chairperson. Mona Zulficar (Egypt), Vladimir Kartashkin (Russian Federation) and Chung Chinsung (Republic of Korea) were elected as vice-chairpersons. Emmanuel Decaux (France) was elected rapporteur.
The Committee will convene up to two sessions per year, for a maximum of 10 working days.
Further information
For more information, contact:
UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
OHCHR-UNOG
8-14 Avenue de la Paix, 1211 Geneva 10
Tel: 00 41-22 917-9000; Fax: 00 41-22 917-9016
Website: www.unhchr.ch
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=18083
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Analytical Overview of the Universal Periodic Review [publication]
This report incorporates the first two sessions of the UPR in April and May 2008 and the adoption of reports by the Council in June 2008.
The Overview also includes developments related to the adoption of the report of the Council up to 28 July 2008. This constitutes ISHR's most comprehensive analysis of the UPR to date.
For more information, contact:
International Service for Human Rights
Rue de Varembé 1, P.O. Box 16, CH-1211 Geneva
Tel: + 41 22 733 51 23
Email: gtc@ishr-sidh.ch
Website: www.ishr.ch
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=18154
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SA judge nominated as human rights chief [news]
[28 July 2008] - One of South Africa's leading female jurists, who won acclaim defending apartheid opponents, has been nominated to serve as the next United Nations high commissioner for human rights.
Child rights advocates are hoping the new Commissioner will give children a better hearing than Louise Arbour, who stepped down from the post at the end of June.
Although praised in some quarters for continuing to question the human rights records of States in the face of strong criticism, Ms Arbour consistently failed to address the exclusions faced by children in her reports and briefings.
US support
Zalmay Khalilzad, US ambassador to the UN, said his country looked forward to working with Navanethem Pillay.
The US initially raised objections to the appointment, including Ms Pillay's support for abortion, diplomats said.
Diplomats say UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has chosen someone in his own cautious image, the BBC's Laura Trevelyan reports from New York.
Human rights activists have questioned whether Ms Pillay would be sufficiently outspoken
South Africa's UN ambassador Dumsani Kumalo dismissed concerns that she would be too close to the South African government, calling Ms Pillay "independent".
"Outstanding credentials"
Navanethem Pillay was formally put forward for the job by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who cited her "outstanding credentials in human rights and justice." Pillay, who holds a Harvard Law School degree, serves as an appeals chamber judge with the Dutch-based International Criminal Court, where she has been since 2003. Pillay, who is in her mid-60s, is of Tamil descent.
Her selection now goes to the General Assembly for consideration where she is likely to be approved at a plenary meeting this week, U.N. officials and diplomats said. The world body previously elected Pillay as a judge to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in 1995. She became that court's president in 1999.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. ambassador, said Pillay will occupy a very important position.
"She has to be the voice for human rights, focus on the violations of human rights, speak clearly and focus world attention on the egregious violations of human rights that unfortunately still take place in many places around the world," he said. "We look forward to working with her."
In 1967, Pillay became the first woman to establish a law practice in South Africa's Natal Province, where she defended apartheid opponents. She also became the first woman of color to serve on her country's High Court, whose divisions hear both civil and criminal cases.
She also co-founded Equality Now, a New York-based international women's rights organisation.
During the selection process some nations, including the United States, had expressed reservations about Pillay, including her support for women's access to abortion, contraception and other reproductive freedoms, and how she might handle next year's follow up to the 2001 U.N. World Conference on Racism in Durban, South Africa, which drew controversy due to anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli stands.
If confirmed to the job, Pillay will take over the fast-growing U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, based in Geneva, Switzerland. During the coming year, the office will have almost 1,000 employees and budget approaching $120 million.
She would succeed Louise Arbour, a former Supreme Court judge in Canada, who stepped down at the end of June. Pillay won out over two other finalists for the job, Pakistani lawyer and human rights activist Hila Jilani and Argentine human rights lawyer Juan Mendez.
The influence of the High Commissioner is said to have faltered since the departure of former Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who appointed Arbour in 2004.
[Sources: BBC; Associated Press]
Further information
For more information, contact:
Child Rights Information Network
1 St John's Lane, London EC1M 4AR
Tel: + 44 20 7012 6866 or 67; Fax: + 44 020 7012 6899
Email: info@crin.org
Website: www.crin.org
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=17952
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This update has been produced by CRIN, in collaboration with the Working Group on the Human Rights Council. To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives, visit http://www.crin.org/email.
Further information about child rights at the Human Rights Council is available on the CRIN website at: www.crin.org/hrc. To submit information, contact us on info@crin.org. CRIN, c/o Save the Children, 1, St John's Lane, London EC1M 4AR, UK.
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