Summary:

The International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) is seeking views from non-government organisations on how a new Human Rights Council replacing the Commission on Human Rights should work.

www.crin.org/docs/resources/publications/ISHR_CHR_Reform_QuestionnaireEN.doc

Heads of State and Government of the members of the United Nations (UN) met in New York on 14 to 16 September 2005 for the World Summit. One of the most important decisions of the Summit was to create a Human Rights Council. It is well accepted that this new body will replace the Commission on Human Rights. The Outcome Document adopted at the Summit provides that the Council will have a mandate to address violations of human rights, including gross and systematic violations. However, most of the details about the mandate, size, and composition of the Council were left to be decided by the General Assembly during its 60th session. The negotiations on these issues have begun in New York and are at present expected to take place at least until mid-December 2005.

The International Service for Human Rights believes there is momentum for the establishment of a body better equipped to protect and promote human rights world-wide, and want to contribute the views of locally based NGOs to the debate. The ISHR therefore needs help in providing a better understanding of what NGOs need and want from a Human Rights Council.

The ISHR invites concerned NGOs to complete a questionnaire (available in Arabic, English, French, Spanish and Portuguese) and return it by email or fax preferably by 15 November 2005. On the basis of answers received, the ISHR will do an initial collation and analysis of the information. However, they will continue to receive answers to the questionnaire until 30 November 2005 and a full analysis will be done subsequently and will be available on their website: http://www.ishr.ch.

Background information in English
Questionnaire in English

Background information in French
Questionnaire in French

Background information in Spanish
Questionnaire in Spanish

Background information in Portuguese 
Questionnaire in Portuguese

Background information in Arabic
Questionnaire in Arabic

Previous CHR News items

• 02/11/2005: NATIONS UNIES: Programme en 10 points pour la création d’un Conseil des droits de l’homme efficace et faisant autorité
• 29/07/2005: Réforme des Nations unies: commentaires et recommandations sur le deuxième projet de Document final destiné au projet de septembre (28 July 2005)
• 28/07/2005: Promising Progress toward UN Human Rights Council in New Draft for UN Reform Summit (28 July 2005)
• 26/07/2005: General Overview of Civil Society Responses to the Reform Proposals (26 July 2005)
• 12/07/2005: New IHF Website Feature on Reforming the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (12 July 2005)

Organisation Contact Details:

International Service for Human Rights
Rue de Varembé 1, P.O. Box 16, CH-
1211 Geneva
Tel: + 41 22 733 51 23
Email: gtc@ishr-sidh.ch
Website: www.ishr.ch

Last updated 17/11/2005 07:34:24

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