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UN ESCAP Workshop on Women and
Disability: Promoting Full Participation of Women with Disabilities in the Process of
Elaboration on an International Convention to Promote and Protect the Rights and Dignity
of Persons with Disabilities |
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UN ESCAP Workshop on Women and
Disability: Promoting Full Participation of Women with Disabilities in the Process of
Elaboration on an International Convention to Promote and Protect the Rights and Dignity
of Persons with Disabilities |
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Materials : Resource Persons' Documents : Rights-Based Approach (lecture materials) :What is the Commission on Human Rights?The United Nations Commission on Human Rights, the principal human rights organ of the UN, holds its annual six week session in March/April in Geneva. Over 3,000 delegates from member and observer States and from non-governmental organizations participate. During its regular annual session, the Commission adopts about a hundred resolutions, decisions and Chairperson's statements on a wide range of human rights themes and countries What does the Commission do?The Commission on Human Rights can discuss any human rights issue in the world and is where NGOs and governments often highlight particularly serious situations. The Commission drafts new standards, passes resolutions on themes and countries, appoints fact-finders to investigate and carries out studies. At this year's Commission resolutions and Chairperson's statements were made on five countries from Asia Pacific: Afghanistan, Cambodia, Myanmar, North Korea and Timor Leste. After a 'high level segment' featuring speeches by high Government officials the Commission such issues as: the right to self-determination; racism; the right to development; the question of the violation of human rights in the occupied Arab territories, including Palestine; the question of the violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms in any part of the world; economic, social and cultural rights; civil and political rights, including the questions of torture and detention, disappearances and summary executions, freedom of expression, the independence of the judiciary, impunity and religious intolerance; the human rights of women, children, migrant workers, minorities and displaced persons; indigenous issues; the promotion and protection of human rights, including the work of the Sub-Commission, treaty bodies and national institutions; and advisory services and technical cooperation in the field of human rights. Who are the members of the 60th session (2004) of Commission from Asia-Pacific?The Commission is made up of 53 member states. Next year's Commission has ten members from the Asia-Pacific region; Australia (2005), Bhutan (2006), China (2005), Indonesia (2006), India (2006), Japan (2005), Nepal (2006), Pakistan (2004), Republic of Korea (2004), Sri Lanka (2005). The officers of the 59th Commission (2003) were the Chairperson Najat Al-Hajjaji (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya), the Vice Chairpersons Mike Smith (Australia), Prasad Kariyawasam (Sri Lanka), Jorje Voto-Bernalies (Peru) and the Rapporteur Brank Socanac (Croatia). Who are the experts of the Commission?The Commission has appointed 54 individuals to act as part-time experts on particular human rights themes or on the human rights situation in particular countries. These experts cover 27 themes and 10 individual countries and are usually appointed for between one and three years. The mandates are often renewed. The experts are appointed in their personal capacity and do not represent governments or non-governmental organisations. This year the Commission heard the first report from the newest mandate created, the Special Rapporteur on the right to everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. In carrying out their mandates, experts research issues of concern, visit the countries involved, interact with governmental and non-governmental representatives, and receive and consider complaints from victims of human rights violations. They may also intervene with governments on behalf of such victims. They then report their findings, conclusions and recommendations to the Commission or the United Nations General Assembly. The experts' role also includes discussing their findings with the governments or parties involved with the aim of instigating change. Are there any experts from Asia-Pacific?Of the 54 experts appointed by the Commission nine are from the Asia-Pacific region. These are:
What is the Sub-Commission?The UN Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights is the main subsidiary body of the Commission on Human Rights. It is comprised of 26 experts who are elected by the Commission to act in their personal capacity for a period of 4 years. The Sub-Commission holds its regular session every year in July/August for three weeks in Geneva. The Sub-Commission assist the work of the Commission by undertaking studies on human rights issues and making recommendations to the Commission concerning the prevention of discrimination of any kind relating to human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Sub-Commission is described as the 'think-tank' for the Commission. Some issues currently under consideration in the Sub-Commission include: administration of justice; economic, social and cultural rights; and prevention of discrimination. New issues are identified regularly. The work of the Sub-Commission is assisted by the experts of the Commission and by 'international civil servants' employed by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Sub-Commission usually breaks down into smaller working groups who work on specific issues. |
