March 20, 2006

Human Rights Commission Suspends Session for a further week

Commission on Human Rights
20 March 2006

The Commission on Human Rights this morning resumed its sixty-second session and then decided by consensus to suspend its work for a further week until Monday, 27 March in the afternoon.

Ambassador Manuel Rodriguez Cuadros of Peru, the Chairman of the sixty-second session of the Commission, said that since they met a week ago to open the work of this session, an event of great significance had occurred for the United Nations human rights system: the General Assembly had adopted the resolution creating the Human Rights Council. The establishment of the Council marked the consolidation of a system that should improve the capacity of the United Nations to protect human rights. In that connection, the Council had a number of instruments and mechanisms that should allow for the effectiveness and legitimacy of the system to be channelled towards greater promotion and protection of human rights.

When the Council was established, all parties would be keen to see any void in protection filled and, he noted, General Assembly resolution A/60/251 contained the necessary provisions to do that from the point of view of victims. In particular, the Commission was awaiting a resolution from the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on General Assembly resolution 60/251. ECOSOC would be convened in that connection in New York, and he said they hoped that that resolution, which would contain substantive elements for the form of the Commission's work, would be adopted as soon as possible. Consultations in the expanded Bureau and negotiations had established the broad consensus that the Commission should adjourn the present meeting to await the adoption of the ECOSOC resolution in New York and to continue consultations on the agenda for this session.

The Commission endorsed the proposal of the expanded Bureau and the session was suspended until Monday, 27 March at 3 p.m.
* *** *

For use of the information media; not an official record

No comments: