The Closing and Final Session of the 58th Session of UN Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights

By Budi Tjahjono

Pax Romana would like to share with you our observation of the 58th Session of the United Nations Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights  (Sub-Commission) which took place in Palais des Nations, on August 7-25 August 2006. The 58th Session was supposed to be the final session.

The Session was presided by the Sub-Commission’s Social Forum and the Working Group on Indigenous Populations. Due to the establishment of the UN Human Rights Council, the nature of this session is different from the previous sessions. The agenda being discussed by the 26 experts of the Sub-Commission was based on the traditional agenda plus the agenda of the follow up of the Implementation of the Human Rights Council Decision 1/102 (Extension by Human Rights Council of all mandates mechanisms, functions and responsibilities of the Commission on Human Rights). In this regard, the Sub-Commission adopted a decision in which it recommended that a Human Rights Consultative Committee could be instrumental in enabling the Human Rights Council to gain the legitimacy that in recent times was claimed to be lacking the performance of the former Commission on Human Rights. At the end of its session, the Sub-Commission adopted 22 resolutions and 11 decisions and 5 decisions with procedural nature. There was also a chairperson statement’s expressing the deep grief and outrage at the massive denial and violation of human rights in Lebanon, extended its condolences and sympathy to the victims of the war and their families, and voiced the hope the Security Council, acting in discharge of its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, would bring about cessation of the war without further delay and promote an urgent settlement of the conflict in the conformity with the principles of justice and international law.

Pax Romana has attended all the session of the Sub-Commission and its Working Groups. In collaboration with Korean Centre for United Nations Human Rights Policies, Pax Romana had 8 interns who attended the first two weeks of the Sub-Commission Session. Pax Romana involvement has been focused on the Agenda Item 2 (Question of the violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including policies of racial discrimination and segregation, in all countries, with particular reference to colonial and other dependent countries and territories), Agenda Item 5 (Prevention of Discrimination) and Agenda Item 7 (Implementation of Human Rights Council decision 1/102 and other related issues). Besides, Pax Romana also involved in the interactive dialogue during the working groups discussion.

Please find in the attachments the following documents:

1. The concluding article form NGO Liaison Office of the OHCHR.
2. Final Draft Decision of the 58th Session of the Sub-Commission
3. Draft timetable of the 2nd Session of Human Rights Council
4. List of Resolutions and Decisions
5. Intervention of Pax Romana (Agenda Item 2,5 and 7)

Agenda:

The following are the UN agenda on different human rights meetings and consultation:

• September 1st, Informal Consultation with the President of Human Rights Council to prepare the 2nd Session of HRC
• September 6th, Second Informal Consultation with the President of Human Rights Council to prepare the 2nd Session of HRC
• September 7-8, Human Right Council Working Group on Universal Periodic Review and Working Group on Review of Mandate
• September 18 – October 6, Second Session of Human Rights Council

For further contact:

Budi Tjahjono
Programme Coordinator
Pax Romana ICMICA/MIIC
15 rue du Grand Bureau, CP 374
1211 Geneva 4, SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 823 0707 Fax: +41 22 823 0708
budi@paxromana.int.ch