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Agenda of the second session of the Human Rights Council The second session of the Human Rights Council opened in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday 18th September and will close on Friday 6th October. This session will include: On Monday morning, Council members and observers heard a message from United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and an address by High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour as well as an address by Ambassador Luis Alfonso de Alba of Mexico, President of the Human Rights Council. Louise Arbour's address (see below for more information) focused on the human rights situation in Sudan, Iraq and Sri Lanka. She expressed her concern about the increase of human rights violations in these countries and denounced the reigning impunity, the restrictions on humanitarian access and the failure to protect civilian populations. Reports from special procedures followed on Monday afternoon. Starting with thematic mandates, special rapporteurs are reporting in groups of three, every morning and afternoon session. Reports from country mandates will start next Tuesday, 26th September. According to this session's procedures, NGOs are allowed to make statements on thematic mandates only, they are barred from taking the floor on country mandates. So far, the Council heard presentations on reports from: the Special Rapporteur on racism, the Working Group on people of African descent, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, the Working Group on Enforced Disappearances, the Independent Expert on minority issues, the Special Rapporteur on indigenous People, the Representative on internally displaced persons, the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. For details of when aother reports will be presented, please consult the timetable. Louise Arbour's address [full speech] In her opening address, Louise Arbour welcomed the forthcoming adoption of the draft Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. She said the Convention represented a "proper framework to address the often neglected rights of an estimated ten percent of the world's population". She also talked about migration issues, which were discussed last week at the UN General Assembly in New York. She said that more attention should be given to the vulnerability of migrants to abuse, and that Council members that had not yet ratified the Convention on the Protection of the Rights of Migrant Workers should ratify it. Ms Arbour then focused on human rights abuses in conflict countries. In Darfur, she said, the human rights situation has steadily deteriorated despite the peace agreements signed in May 2006: forced displacement, restrictions humanitarian access, sexual violence continue with impunity. She denounced the Sudanese Government's failure to protect the people of Darfur, and its unwillingness to allow UN assistance. She finally urged Council members to put more pressure on Sudan to comply with its obligations towards the International Criminal Court (ICC) in order to end impunity. In Iraq, Louise Arbour added, the human rights situation is also worsening: "daily attacks, extra-judicial killings, kidnappings, arbitrary detentions, disappearances, and torture" persist and human rights violations are rarely investigated and remain unpunished, because of the security situation and a lack of adequate resources. "Increased efforts need to be undertaken to address, as a priority, the security of all civilians", she concluded. Ms Arbour mentioned the similar predicament of the civilian population in Sri Lanka, where "scores of extrajudicial and political killings, allegedly committed by Government security forces, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and other armed elements, continue". Displacement, disappearances and the recruitment of child soldiers by the LTTE are also on the increase. In Sri Lanka also, the government is failing to protect its population and investigate crimes. On a more positive note, the High Commissioner for Human Rights welcomed the installation of a new Government in Nepal. "The declaration of a mutual ceasefire by the parties to the conflict, and the start of a peace process bring hope to all people in Nepal that a decade of conflict may be ending". However, she urged members to monitor the human rights situation and peace process closely. Louise Arbour then mentioned the current talks on the modalities of the Universal Periodic Review, which should achieve universality of coverage and equal treatment of all UN member States. "But ultimately, she warned, it will be the willingness of countries under review to be open to genuine scrutiny that will shape the UPR and its effectiveness". In this matter, she urged the Council to make use of the resources produced by the Treaty Bodies and the Special Procedures. "The heart of the matter is how to create synergy rather than overlap between these mechanisms and the UPR". Further information