The UN Commission on Human Rights concluded its annual session for 2005 on Friday in Geneva. The Human Rights House Foundation (HRH) followed debates in Geneva on impunity , North Korea, Uganda, Colombia, Sudan , Belarus, and human rights defenders . (25-APR-05)
 
The UN Commission on Human Rights is the world´s foremost human rights forum. It consists of 53 states, including the US, the Russian Federation, the People´s Republic of China, Sudan, Egypt, and Cuba, each with their own agendas. The Commission meets annually for six weeks in Geneva. Over 3,000 delegates from member and observer States and from non-governmental organizations participate.

During the session, which began on 14 March, the Commission adopted 86 resolutions, 16 decisions and four statements by its Chairperson, Makarim Wibisono of Indonesia. The Commission debated a wide range of human rights issues under its agenda items from crosscutting thematic issues, to country situations, to the organization of its work.

HRH welcomes and regrets
HRH welcomes the adoption of the basic principles and guidelines on the right to a remedy and reparation for victims of gross violations of international human rights law and serious violations of international humanitarian law.

HRH welcomes the resolution on North Korea, one of the world´s most repressive regimes, and on Belarus, Europe´s last dictatorship. Further, HRH welcomes the Chairpersons statement on the violence-ridden Colombia.

HRH also welcomes the resolutions on human rights defenders (coordinated by Norway) and on terrorism (coordinated by Mexico).

Moreover, HRH welcomes the resolutions on the rights of the child, but regrets that no reference was made to the situation in Northern Uganda, where thousands of children are abducted and used as soldiers and slaves. 

HRH further regrets that the Commission failed to adopt resolutions on the human rights violations in the Chechen Republic and Guantanamo.

Recommendations from the Norwegian NGO Forum
Every year the Norwegian NGO Forum for Human Rights make recommendations to the Norwegian government on priorities towards the UN. The seventeen NGOs in the Forum, including the Human Rights House Foundation (HRH), selected six countries and five topics.

Niels Jacob Harbitz and Borghild T. Krokan from HRH participated at the Commission on Human Rights in Geneva from 7-19 April and followed up the NGO Forums recommendations on impunity, Uganda, and North Korea. HRH also followed other debates, mainly on Colombia, Sudan, and human rights defenders. In addition, HRH supported the participation of a representative from the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), one of the NGOs involved in the establishment of a Human Rights House in Minsk.

Two other NGOs from the Norwegian Human Rights House also participated and followed up two recommendations each: The Helsinki Committee followed Russia/Chechnya and terrorism, while PEN followed up Tunisia and norms for business. In addition, Amnesty International Norway, the Norwegian People´s Aid and the Norwegian Refugee Council participated from the NGO Forum.

Mandates
According to the Round-up by the UN Commission on Human Rights, the Commission is to establish mandates for experts on minorities, transnational corporations, international solidarity, countering terrorism and Sudan. It also adopts basic principles on right to remedy and reparation for victims of gross violations of human rights law.

High Commissioner concerned
In closing remarks at the Commission´s final meeting, UN High Commissioner Louise Arbour said the current forum had been both a source for encouragement and a cause for concern. Several new resolutions had helped advance understanding and commitment to the rule of law as an indispensable prerequisite for the protection of human rights and consensus had been reached on protecting human rights while combating terrorism. However, the Commission´s ability to address issues of human rights concerns at the national level remained demonstrably deficient.

The Commission should consider the concept of peer review, which underpinned the Secretary-General´s proposal for a Human Rights Council. The High Commissioner said she would submit her action plan to the Secretary-General on 20 May 2005. That action plan would be based upon the three concepts that human rights were universal and indivisible; that States remained the primary actors in the field of human rights; and that there must be implementation of human rights.

Reforms
The Chairperson of the Commission, Makarim Wibisono, said in closing remarks that the spirit of consensus had pervaded this year, and this had helped smooth out the resolution of sensitive or potentially divisive documents. The quality of the interactive dialogue with the special mechanisms had been strengthened. The session had been exceptional in the fact that reform of the United Nations, including its human rights mechanism, formed the background to the debates and discussions.