Human Council 6th Session, Adoption of Resolutions and Draft decision

Friday 28th September
(in red: Resolutions co-sponsored by Timor Leste)

Item 1, 5 and 6
A/HRC/6/L.24 Organizational and Procedural Matters Human Right Bodies and Mechanism Universal Periodic Review: draft submitted by the President: Adopted on consensus

Item 3: Promotion and Protection of all Human Right, Civil, Political, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Including the Right to Development

A/HRC/6/L.1 Protection of Cultural Rights and Property in Situations of Armed Conflict, Submitted by Azerbaijan: Adopted on consensus
A/HRC/6/L.5/Rev .1 Mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Right to Food, Submitted by Cuba: Adopted on consensus

A/HRC/6/L.6 Human Right and International Solidarity, Submitted by Cuba:
Adopted with Vote: EU member States of the Council don’t support the mandate and vote against: YES: 34, NO: 12, Abst: 1.

A/HRC/6/L.7 Human Rights and Unilateral Coercive Measures, Submitted by Cuba (NAM): Adopted with Vote: Canada’s Request: YES: 34, NO: 11, Abst: 2

A/HRC/6/L.13/Rev1 Human Rights and Equitable access to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation, Submitted by Germany and Spain: Adopted on consensus

A/HRC/6/L.14 Prevention of Genocide, Submitted by Armenia: Adopted on consensus

A/HRC/6/L.15 Elimination of all Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination based on Religion or Belief, Submitted by Portugal: deferred for the next Session

A/HRC/6/L.22 The 20ieth Anniversary of the Entry Into Force of the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Submitted by the President: Adopted on consensus

A/HRC/6/L.25 Development of Public Information Activities in the Field of Human Right, Including the World Public Information Campaign on Human Rights, Submitted by Italy: Adopted on consensus

A/HRC/6/L.26 Human Rights and Indigenous Peoples: Mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of Indigenous People, Submitted by Guatemala: Adopted on consensus

A/HRC/6/L.30 Arbitrary Detention, Submitted by France: postponed


A/HRC/6/L.31/Rev1 United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Educations and Training, Submitted by Switzerland and Morocco: Adopted on consensus

A/HRC/6/L.33 Protection of Cultural Heritage as an Important Component of the Promotion and Protection of Cultural Rights, Submitted by Armenia: Adopted on consensus

A/HRC/6/L.36 Creation of a Working Group to Elaborate a Set of Human Rights Voluntary Goals to be Launched on the Occasion of the Celebration of the Sixtieth Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Submitted by Brazil: Deferred at the request of all the co-sponsors to the resume session of December


Item 5: Human Rights Bodies Mechanisms

A/HRC/6/L.17/Rev.1 The Social Forum, Submitted by Cuba: Adopted on consensus

A/HRC/6/L.23 Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, Submitted by UK: Adopted on consensus

A/HRC/6/L.34 Forum on Minority Issues, Submitted by Austria: Adopted on consensus

A/HRC/6/L.35 Informal Meeting to Discuss the Most Appropriate Mechanisms to Continue the Work of the Working Group on Indigenous People, Submitted by Bolivia: Adopted on consensus


Item 6: Universal Periodic Review

A/HRC/6/L.12/Rev.1 Establishment of Funds for the Universal Periodic Review Mechanism of the Human Rights Council, Submitted by Egypt (African Group): Adopted on consensus


Item 7: Human Rights Situation in Palestine and Other Occupied Arab Territories,

A/HRC/6/L.2 Human Rights Situation in Palestine and Other Occupied Arab Territories: Follow-up to Human Rights Council Resolutions S-1/1 and S-3/1, Submitted by Palestine: Adopted on consensus

A/HRC/6/L.4 Religious and Cultural Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Including East Jerusalem, Submitted by Palestine: Adopted with Vote Submitted by Canada: YES: 31, NO: 1, Abst: 15


Item 8: Follow-Up to the Implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action
A/HRC/6/L.18 Regional Arrangements for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, Submitted by Belgium, Armenia, Mexico, Senegal: Adopted on consensus

A/HRC/6/L.32 Integrating the Human Rights of Women and a Gender Perspective Throughout the United Nations System, Submitted by Chile: To be Considered at the Session of December


Item 9: Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Forms of Intolerance: Follow-Up to and Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action

P/C 18 Report of the Preparatory Committee, Adopted on consensus

A/HRC/6/L.8/Rev.1 Elaboration of International Complementary Standards to the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination, Submitted by Egypt (African Group): Adopted with Vote requested by EU: YES: 32, NO: 10, Abst: 4

A/HRC/6/L.9/Rev1 From Rhetoric to Reality: A Global Call For Concrete Action Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, Submitted by Egypt (African Group): Adopted with Vote requested by EU: YES: 28, NO: 13, Abst: 5

A/HRC/6/L.27 Preparations for the Durban Review Conference, Submitted by Egypt (African Group): Adopted with Vote requested by EU: YES: 33, NO: 10, Abst: 3


Item 10: Technical Assistance and Capacity-Building

A/HRC/6/L.16 World Programme for Human Rights Education, Submitted by Costa Rica: Adopted on consensus

A/HRC/6/L.21 Regional Cooperation for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the Asia-Pacific Region, Submitted by Indonesia, Adopted on consensus


Ismaila Pedro FAYE

Human Rights Council, 6th Session

13th September 2007

The programme of the day was dealing with the 3rd item of the 6th session of the Human Right Council: reports of SP and ID. The special rapporteurs where Mrs Asma Jahangir for Freedom of Religion or Belief and Mr. Mohamed R. Rizki for Human Rights and International Solidarity.

The special rapporteurs opened the session by summerasing briefly their annual reports. Each person present was given a copy of the speeches.

Then several country took the floor to give their comments. They all thanked the special rapporteurs for their work and added some comments. As for the report on freedom of religion and belief, they all agree on the fact that the states should eradicate intolerance and discrimination based upon religions and believes.

- India agreed with the general lines of the report of Mrs. Jahangir. The representative added that the implementation of legislatives acts against intolerance towards minority religious groups remains far from been done in some parts of the world. One think he deplores about the report is the link between the freedom of religion and belief and the freedom of expression.
- Pakistan talking on behalf of the OIC added that freedom of religion and belief should be taken entirely as a right and thus be putted at the same level as the other Human Rights.
- Indonesia asked for clarification about that link made by the special rapporteur not denying the good quality of the report.
- Azerbaijan agreed with the general lines of the report and appreciated the Pakistanis statement. The representative insisted on the fact that states should ensure the protection of the victim but also ensure that they prosecute the authors of intolerance towards religious minority groups.

One can realise that this link between freedom of religion and freedom of expression stated in paragraph 38 of the report had been pointed out only by Muslim countries.

- On the contrary Norway thinks they can’t be freedom of religion without freedom of expression and “vis vers ça” .The representative was ok with the link between freedom of belief and religion and other Human Rights.
- Portugal speaking on behalf of the European Union congratulated the Rapporteur for her work and asked several questions such as: What kind of measures that the states should take to avoid intolerance towards religion and belief? What can be done to protect the victims? How do states might better honour the positive obligations toward these victims?
- Belgium speaker aligned his self to the speech of Portugal, and asked how should the states emphasize the need for dialogue between believers and none believers?
- The Canadian speaker asked how his country could help in the national and international improvement of the tolerance on religion and belief.
- In this regard, Netherlands and Bangladesh asked the special rapporteur to indicate a country that has adopted a legislation to be taken as an example.
- Philippines say they fully endorse the statement of the paragraph 52 of the report talking about “Inter-religious and intra-religious dialogue” “which” is vital for the prevention of conflicts”. And added that there is much more to be done. They are joined by Australia and Bangladesh.
- Spain speaker expressed his self saying he totally agrees with paragraph 29 stating that prison authorities should allow prisoners to practice their religion…
- Russian Federation aligned her self with that statement and reminded that extremist groups give a different interpretation of religion and that some create pseudo religions.
- Association of World Education NGO pointed out the fact that nor the report neither any legal instrument defines “defamation of religion”.

Mrs. Asma Jahangir special rapporteur for the freedom of religion and belief responded quickly to the several representatives and thanked them for their appreciations. In response to Portugal she added that each victim group is different from another (women, refugees, immigrants, prisoners…) so one should have different ways of protection.

The report on Human Rights and International Solidarity didn’t received that many comments even thought the work of special rapporteur, Mr. Rizki had been fully welcomed and appreciated.

- Indonesia commented that International solidarity will serve to sustain globalisation on developing country.
- Bangladesh fully agreed with the special rapporteur who stated that International Solidarity was not an option but an obligation and added that the countries should be transparent on the international founding and economic issues.
- Tunisia took the floor to say he totally agree with paragraph 12 (States parties has the obligation…) of the report and asked how the states should ensure that recommendation.


Ismaila Pedro FAYE