UNITED NATIONS Press Release xxxxxxxxxx HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL ADOPTS 13 xxxxxxxxxx RESOLUTIONS, APPOINTS 13 NEW MANDATE HOLDERS AND EXTENDS EIGHT MANDATES Human Rights Council AFTERNOON 18 June 2008 The Human Rights Council this afternoon adopted 13 resolutions on a range of issues, including the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, the promotion on the right of peoples to peace, and elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy. It appointed 13 new mandate holders on freedom of expression, health, racial discrimination, trafficking in persons, people of African descent, arbitrary detention, Haiti, indigenous peoples and minority issues, and extended the mandates of eight Special Procedures on extrajudicial executions, education, independence of judges, transnational corporations, torture, migrants, extreme poverty and trafficking in persons. The Council also adopted a resolution on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. The Council appointed 13 new mandate holders, including the Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression; the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination xenophobia and related intolerance; and the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children. It also appointed five members of the Expert Mechanism on the rights of indigenous peoples, a member of the Working Group on people of African descent, a member of the Working Group on arbitrary detention, the Chairperson of the Forum on minority issues and the Independent Expert appointed by the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights in Haiti. The Council extended for three years the mandates of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, the Special Rapporteur on the right to education, the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, the Independent Expert on human rights and extreme poverty, and the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children. The Council adopted the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights and recommended that the General Assembly adopts and opens for signature, ratification and accession the Optional Protocol at a signing ceremony in Geneva in March 2009. On the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, the Council stressed the importance of preserving the rich and diverse nature of the international community of nations and peoples, and urged all actors on the international scene to build an international order based on inclusion, justice, peace, equality and equity, human dignity, mutual understanding and promotion of and respect for cultural diversity and universal human rights, and to reject all doctrines of exclusion based on racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. Concerning the promotion on the right of peoples to peace, the Council stressed that peace was a vital requirement for the promotion and protection of all human rights for all, and requested the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to convene, before April 2009, a three-day workshop on the right of peoples to peace, with the participation of two experts from countries of each of the five regional groups, in order to further clarify the content and scope of this right. On the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members, the Council called upon Governments to take effective measures to eliminate any type of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members, including awareness-raising. On the situation of human rights in Myanmar, the Council condemned the ongoing systematic violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms of the people of Myanmar and strongly urged the Government of Myanmar to desist from further politically motivated arrests and to release all political prisoners without delay and without conditions. Speaking as a concerned country was Myanmar. Speaking to introduce the resolutions, or in a general comment, or in an explanation of the vote before the vote, or in an explanation of the vote after the vote were Canada, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sweden, Egypt, Portugal, Cuba, Slovenia, Hungary, Norway, India, South Africa, Jordan, Denmark, Mexico, France, Germany, Japan, Ghana, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, the Russian Federation, Malaysia and China. Speaking as observer States were Algeria, Sudan, Denmark, Turkey, Australia, Thailand, Syria and Morocco. Speaking after the appointment of mandate holders were Uruguay, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, Guatemala and Portugal. The following non-governmental organizations also took the floor: Amnesty International, International Organization of Indigenous Resource Development, Indian Council of South America, and Indian Movement Tupaj Amaru. The ninth regular session of the Human Rights Council will be held from 8 to 26 September 2008. Action on Resolutions on the Promotion and Protection of All Human Rights, Civil, Political, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Including the Right to Development Action on Resolution on Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Change In a resolution (A/HRC/8/L.2/Rev.1/Corr.1) on an Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, adopted without a vote, the Council adopts the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights annexed to the present resolution; recommends that the General Assembly adopts and opens for signature, ratification and accession the Optional Protocol, at a signing ceremony in Geneva in March 2009. [The annexed Optional Protocol provides that "a State Party to the Covenant that becomes a Party to the present Protocol recognizes the competence of the Committee to receive and consider communications as provided for by the provisions of the present Protocol. Communications may be submitted by or on behalf of individuals or groups of individuals, under the jurisdiction of a State Party, claiming to be victims of a violation of any of the rights set forth in the Covenant by that State Party."] JOHN VON KAUFMANN (Canada), in a general comment, said that as a State party to both of the basic Covenants, Canada was committed to the full protection of civil, political, and economic, social and cultural rights. All rights were seen as equal. Some of the rights in the International Covenant on Economical, Social and Cultural Rights were set out in such broad and vague terms that they could not be sought out in legal terms. The text that emerged made it difficult for Canada to become a State party to the Optional Protocol. An a la carte approach would have made things easier. Canada would however join the consensus in order to permit the adoption of the Optional Protocol. MASOOD KHAN (Pakistan), in a general comment, wanted to correct two fallacies heard earlier today: (a) that the text of the Optional Protocol was agreed on April 4, 2008; and (b) that restricted consultations were held to resolve differences. The fact was that the text was 'open' when it was referred to the Council; and open-ended consultations were held to address the remaining issues. The initial draft of the text of Article 2 of the Optional Protocol presented to the Council had a legal lacuna. It had now been removed. Their preference would have been a generic reference to all rights and obligation set forth in the Covenant. Pakistan thanked Portugal and the co-sponsors of the draft resolution and all other delegations who understood Pakistan's rational and helped facilitate a compromise. Pakistan's recognition for agreement on the inclusion of "any of the economic, social and cultural rights" in Articles 2 and 11 was based on the following: the right of self-determination was jus cogens- a peremptory norm of international law. The obligation to implement this right was integrated with other provisions of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and international law; realization of the right to self- determination was an essential condition for the effective guarantee and observance of individual human rights. For this reason, this right was enshrined as a principle in Article 1 (2) and Article 55 of the United Nations Charter and written as a right in Article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Economic, social and cultural rights in the Covenant were an integral part of the right to self-determination; it was thus not just a political right, but also an economic, social and cultural right; the Optional Protocol was a Protocol to the entire International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and not to any part, as it was evident from the title of the Optional Protocol. Restrictive references to the specific parts of the Covenant, if any, did not derogate other rights set forth in the Covenant; or the right to invoke