A diverse group of human rights and like-minded NGOs agree that the draft resolution to establish a Human Rights Council presented by the President of the General Assembly is a sound basis to strengthen the U.N.'s human rights machinery. They call on all states to join the consensus that has emerged in countries from all regions of the world and to adopt the draft resolution.
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
African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies Hannah Forster, Executive Director
Amnesty International, Irene Khan, Secretary General
Association for the Protection of the Victim (APAV), João Lázaro
ARC International, John Fisher, Co-Director
Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), Anselmo Lee, Executive Director
Association for the Cooperation between Peoples (ACEP), Maria de Fátima Sangreman Proença
Association for Cooperation and Development (SUL), Rui Sá Pinto Correia
Casa Alianza Honduras, José Manuel Capellán, National Director
Center “Demo” (Moscow, Russia), Tanya Lokshina
Center for Democracy (Morocco), Dr. Ahmed Jazouli, President
Center for Development of International Law, Lene Schumacher, Director of Programs
Center for Women’s Global Leadership, Charlotte Bunch
Childline South Africa, Joan van Niekerk, National Coordinator
Citizens for Global Solutions, Don Kraus, Executive Vice President
CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, Vincente Garcia-Delgado, UN Representative
Civil Rights Movement of Sri Lanka, Suriya Wickremasinghe, Secretary
Comissão Teotônio Vilela (Brazil), Gorete Marques, Secretária Executiva
Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, Maja Daruwala, Director
Conectas Direitos Humanos (Brazil), Lucia Nader, International Relations Coordinator
Conference of NGOs (CONGO), Renate Bloem, President
Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, Katherine R. Parisi, CSJP-Associate Justice & Peace Coordinator
Coordinadora Nacional de Derechos Humanos—Peru, Francisco Soberon, Executive Secretary
Democracy Coalition Project, Ted Piccone, Executive Director
Dominicans for Justice and Peace Geneva, Philippe LeBlanc, Director
Earthjustice, Martin Wagner, Managing Attorney, International Program
Latin American Federation of Associations of Relatives of Disappeared Detainees (FEDEFAM), Patricio Rice, Senior Adviser
Fédération Internationale des Ligues des Droits de l’Homme (FIDH), 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
German United Nations Association, Beate Wagner, Secretary General
Global Justice (Justicia Global), Carlos E. Gaio, Internacional Relations Director
Human Rights Center (Kyrgyzstan), Tolekan Ismailova
Human Rights Council of Australia, Patrick Earle, Executive Director
Human Rights Education and Information Centre, Mokube Innocent Ngoe, Director
Human Rights First, Michael Posner, President
Human Rights Institute of South Africa
Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth, Executive Director
Instituto de Desenvolvimento e Direitos Humanos (IDDH) (Brazil), Fernanda Lapa, Director
International Center for Law in Development, Clarence Dias
International Commission of Jurists, Nicholas Howen, Secretary General, O.P.G. Vos, Chairman, Dutch section
International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF), Aaron Rhodes, Executive Director
Intercooperation and Development (INDE), Rosa Tavares
International Movement against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism, Hideki Morihara, Secretary-General
International Service for Human Rights, Chris Sidoti, Director
Legal Aid Society of Uzbekistan, Nozima Kamalova, Chairperson
NGO Coalition on Child Rights (Egypt), Essam Ali, Secretary General
One World Trust, Simon Burall, Director
Open Society Institute and Soros Foundation Network, Morton H. Halperin, Director of US Advocacy and Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress,
Organisation Mondiale Contre la Torture, Eric Sottas, Director
Pax Romana, Budi Tjahjono, UN Representation and Programme Coordinator
Resources Aimed at the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (RAPCAN) (South Africa), Carol Bower, Executive Director
Rights Australia, Howard Glenn, Executive Director
Rights & Democracy (Montreal), Jean Louis Roy, President
Somali Youth for Peace and Democracy (SYPD), Abdinasir Nur, Director
Temple of Understanding, Sr. Joan Kirby, UN Representative, Chair, NGO/DPI Executive Committee Member, NGO Committee on Human Rights
The Carter Centre, Karin D. Ryan, Senior Advisor for Human Rights
Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office, Jim L. Nelson, Executive Director
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 Federalist Movement (Canada), Warren Allmand, President
Youth Resource Center on Human Rights (CODAP—Geneva), David Matthey-Doret, Président
