The proposed Human Rights Council will be better equipped than the existing Commission on Human Rights to address urgent, serious and long-running human rights situations wherever they occur. It will hold more frequent meetings throughout the year instead of only one. More competitive election procedures will encourage a membership that is more dedicated to the protection of human rights. Instead of slates being adopted by acclamation, members must be elected individually and a higher threshold of votes applies - at least 96 individual votes out of 191 members. A country’s human rights record will be taken into account by those voting and those committing gross violations of human rights can be suspended from the body. All members must fully cooperate with the Council and they will undergo a review of their human rights record through a new universal review system that will apply to all countries.
This is an historic opportunity to create a better human rights protection system within the United Nations.
We call on all members of the United Nations to ensure that the draft resolution is adopted by consensus in the General Assembly.
No country should call for a vote or propose amendments. To do so will seriously jeopardize this sound and carefully balanced agreement that we have before us.
It is now time to move forward together to ensure that the new Human Rights Council is implemented in the spirit of reform - that governments which are seriously committed to human rights should be elected to this body to make it strong and effective.
ActionAid International, Richard Miller, Director of ActionAid UK
Amnesty International, Irene Khan, Secretary General
ARC International, John Fisher, Co-Director
Carter Centre, Karin D. Ryan, Senior Advisor for Human Rights
Center for American Progress, Morton H Halperin, Senior Fellow
Center for Development of International Law, Lene Schumacher, Director of Programs
Center for Women’s Global Leadership, Charlotte Bunch
Citizens for Global Solutions, Don Kraus, Executive Vice President
CIVICUS: World Alliance for citizen participation, Vincente Garcia-Delgado, UN Representative
Coordinadora Nacional de Derechos Humanos- Peru, Francisco Soberon, Executive Secretary
Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, Katherine R. Parisi, Ph.D, CSJP-Associate Justice & Peace Coordinator
Democracy Coalition Project, Ted Piccone, Executive Director
Dominicans for Justice and Peace Geneva, Philippe LeBlanc, Director
Latin American Federation of Associations of Relatives of Disappeared Detainees (FEDEFAM), Patricio Rice, Senior Adviser
Fédération Internationale des Ligues des Droits de l’Homme, Sidiki Kaba, President
Fédération Internationale de l’Action des Chrétiens pour l’Abolition de la Torture, Sylvie de Pontual, President
Franciscans International, Alessandra Aula, International Advocacy Coordinator
Friends World Committee for Consultation (Quakers), Nancy Irving General Secretary
Human Rights First, Michael Posner, President
Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth, Executive Director
International Center for Law in Development, Clarence Dias
International Commission of Jurists, Nicholas Howen, Secretary General and Maria Lourijsen (Dutch section)
International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF), Aaron Rhodes, Executive Director
International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR), Mr Hideki MORIHARA, Secretary-General
International Service for Human Rights, Chris Sidoti, Director
Open Society Institute and Soros Foundation Network, Morton H Halperin, Director of US Advocacy
Temple of Understanding, Sr. Joan Kirby, UN Representative Chair, NGO/DPI Executive Committee Member, NGO Committee on Human Rights
United Nations Association of the United States of America, William H. Luers, President
United Nations Foundation, Timothy E. Wirth, President
World Federalist Movement, William R. Pace, Executive Director
World Organization Against Torture, Eric Sottas, Director