[WCUSP] WILPF Intl: Latest Human Rights Council Update - Palestine / Upcoming Events

Mon Feb 4 11:43:30 CST 2008

I think the below information will be useful for both the WCUSP campaign and
the Advancing Human Rights Committee.

best,
C.J.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Kirsty McKay <kirsty at wilpf.ch>
Date: Feb 4, 2008 4:01 AM
Subject: Latest Human Rights Council Update - Palestine / Upcoming Events
To: HRNews at wilpf.ch, wilpf-news at wilpf.ch

WILPF International News List
WILPF Human Rights News
HRC Special Session on Palestine / Upcoming Events
February Update

Warmest greetings to all WILPF sections! I am Kirsty Mckay, WILPF's annual
Human Rights intern for 2008. I aim to facilitate contact between WILPF
sections and the United Nations in Geneva. I will be sending out regular
updates on upcoming events, reporting on meetings and special sessions and
serving as a link between WILPF's membership and Human Rights mechanisms in
Geneva. Please let me know if you have an interest in any particular issue
so that I may better keep you informed.

You can read this update complete with links to more detailed information at
http://www.wilpf.int.ch/humanrights/HRCupdate.html

In this update:
Report on the 6th Special Session of the Human Rights Council on Palestine
Launch of the High Commissioner's Strategic Management plan for 2008-09
Upcoming: the 7th Session of the Human Rights Council
Upcoming: the Human Rights Council's new Universal Periodic Review

6th Special Session of the Human Rights Council on Palestine

The Sixth Special Session of the Human Rights Council on human rights
violations emanating from Israeli military incursions in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including the recent ones in occupied Gaza and West
Bank town of Nablus, took place on 23-24 January and concluded with the
adoption of a resolution calling for urgent international action to put an
immediate end to the violations committed by Israel in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory. The resolution passed with 30 votes for, 1 vote
against (Canada) and 15 abstentions. While many states acknowledged Israel's
right to self defense and deplored the firing of rockets by militant
Palestinian groups, they condemned Israel's ongoing violation of Human
Rights Law and International Humanitarian law, including the Fourth Geneva
Convention. Read WILPF's report at
http://www.wilpf.int.ch/humanrights/HRUN/specialsessions6.htm

Launch of the High Commissioner's Strategic Management Plan (SMP)

The High Commissioner for Human Rights and her Secretariat launched the SMP
for 2008 - 2009 at a meeting for NGOs organized by the Civil Society Unit of
the OHCHR on January 28. NGOs had the opportunity to address questions on
the plan to the High Commissioner. Questions concerning the mainstreaming of
the rights of women, children and minority groups across all branches of the
UN system, the further integration of NGOs into OHCHR work and OHCHR field
work were raised. Read WILPF's report at
http://www.wilpf.int.ch/humanrights/2008/Launch_HRC_Strategic_Plan.html.

Upcoming: the 7th Session of the Human Rights Council

The 7th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC) will be held from 3 - 28
March, 2008. The OHCHR is expected to release the first version of the draft
timetable soon, and discuss it at the February 18th organisational meeting
of the HRC. The timetable will be drawn from the HRC annual programme of
work, (available at
http://www.wilpf.int.ch/PDF/humanrights/HRC_PoW.pdf)and<http://www.wilpf.int.ch/PDF/humanrights/HRC_PoW.pdf%29and>is
likely to include the human rights situation in Palestine, the DRC and
Myanmar, and the reports of Special Rapporteurs on violence against women,
trafficking and toxic wastes. The deadline for the submission of written
statements to the HRC Secretariat is Wednesday, 20 February. If you wish to
contribute to a statement, please do so before Monday 11 February. For those
who would like to watch live, the plenary session will be online at
http://www.un.org/webcast/unhrc/

Upcoming: the HRC Universal Periodic Review

>From April 2008, the Human Rights Council will begin reviewing the
fulfillment of human rights obligations of each State, along with the
participation of NGOs and national human rights institutions. States (with
WILPF sections) to be reviewed in 2008 are, 1st session:  India,
Philippines, Argentina, Netherlands, Finland, United Kingdom  (scheduled
from 7 - 18 April); 2nd session:  Japan, Sri Lanka, Peru, France and
Switzerland (scheduled from 5 - 16 May 2008) and 3rd session:  Burundi,
Colombia and Israel (scheduled from 1 - 12 December 2008). We urge sections
to contribute to and follow the reviews of their countries. Full details on
how to do this may be found at
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/upr/noteNGO_041007.htm All
NGO submissions are collated into one brief document, so collaboration with
other national NGOs will produce a stronger document. The deadline for
submissions by NGOs for the second UPR session (scheduled from 5 to 16 May
2008) has been extended until Friday, 8 February 2008. The deadline for the
third UPR session is not yet available but I will keep you updated.

Happy New Year to you all.
I look forward to working with you.
Kirsty Mckay
Human Rights
Geneva Office

Kirsty Mckay

Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
1, rue de Varembe
Case Postal 28
1121 Geneva 20
Switzerland
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-- 
------------
C.J. Minster
Program Chair, US Section
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
railing against the military industrial complex since WWI
http://www.wilpf.org

~Social Upheaval~
political analysis from a feminist, activist perspective
http://www.socialupheaval.com

~angelheaded hipster~
cotton candy for the brain
http://www.angelheadedhipster.com
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