Meeting of 23.3.2007, afternoon

HRC
23.3.2007, afternoon 15-18h

report by Benedikt Kaelin, mission of timor leste in geneva

Report of the independent expert on Liberia, Ms. Charlotte Abaka

Ms.Abaka:

Different institutions are working fort he improvements of the HR situation. Involved in the process of deleting the death penalty from the draft. Different countries support Liberia through the UNDP. (depth cancellation)

Concerned country

- Liberia: not in the room

Other countries:

- Ghana: express the appreciation for the report.
- Germany: great value of the report. Concern about the HR situation, still far from satisfactory. Further convictions since the report was published? EU would welcome information on any progress.
- US: thanks to Liberian government. Question: sense of the current mood? How can HRC play a more supportive role?
- Canada: high incidence of gender based violence. Immediate priorities. More comprehensive measures are seeken to implement.

Replies of Ms.Abaka:

Thanks for the interest that countries have demonstrated. Thanks to all governments that have relieved the depths.

ONGs:

- Beckett fund of religious liberty: concern about religious liberty in Myanmar. Clear violations of the convention of the rights of the child (Myanmar is a state party).
- Human Rights Watch: how can the HRC help to improve the situation of people in Myanmar?


Discussion, related debate:

During the intervention of Canada, the delegation of China interrupts in order to ask what “related debate” exactly means. The president De Alba clarifies that this term refers to any topic, not only to the ones presented the same day.

Rights of reply:

- DPRK: accusations against DPRK show the conspiracy of US, EU and Japan
- Iran: ironical that Canadian delegation points at HR violations in Iran, regarding their violation of indigenous people’s rights. Who sits in the glass house should not throw stones.
- Sudan: jewish representative should be very careful about his expressions.



2 draft resolutions ready to take action:


Draft decision of Switzerland A/HRC/2/L.36 on “Transitional Justice”

- 8 additional co-sponsors to the resolution.

General comments: none
Draft has been adopted without a vote.

Draft decision of Portugal A/HRC/4/L.9 on the “Question of the realization in all countries of economic, social and cultural rights”

Timor Leste is co-sponsor to this draft! Portugal thanks all the delegations for constructive debates.

- 7 additional co-sponsors.

General comments:
- Senegal: traditional support for the resolution. Wanted to joined the list of co-sponsors. Ask for adding the “right of food”. Co-sponsors did not want to take up this right. Hope that this right will be added in future resolutions.

Draft has been adopted without a vote.



Call to co-sponsors of other resolutions: intensify consultations. Final date for presentations: 6 p.m.

Monday: continuation as originally planned. Closed meeting on reports of 1503 procedure. Tuesday: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. straight through!! Draft decisions are considered maybe already in the middle of the week.