Some progress with resolution creating UN new Human Rights Council

We are pleased to be able to report that the the most extreme demand from the OIC — that would have inhibited all discussion of human rights abuse in Islamic states — has been removed from the resolution. However, the preamble (item PP7) leaves the door open for the OIC to try to prevent NGOs discussing human rights abuse by OIC states on the grounds of “failure to respect” religion. Commenting on the latest developments, IHEU’s President Roy Brown said, “They did this at the Human Rights Commission even without the protection of PP7 and they will certainly do so at the Human Rights Council with this new weapon in their hands.”

The latest documents are available on this web site.

• Draft Resolution — Human Rights Council — 23 February 2006
• The President of the UN General Assembly — Statement on the Human Rights Council
• The Secretary-General of the UN — Statement on the Human Rights Council
• High Commissioner for Human Rights urges support for Human Rights Council — Statement by United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour
• La Haut Commissaire aux Droits de l’Homme exhorte les États Membres à soutenir le Conseil Des Droits de l’Homme — Déclaration de la Haut Commissaire des Nations Unies aux Droits de l’Homme, Louise Arbour