Sub-Commission on the Promotion and
Protection of Human Rights
Final report of the fifty-eighth
session (Arabic, Chinese, French, English, Russian and Spanish)
58th session, Geneva (7 - 25
August 2006)
Pursuant to General Assembly
resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006 entitled 'Human Rights Council',
all mandates, mechanisms, functions and responsibilities of the
Commission on Human Rights, including the Sub-Commission on the
Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, were assumed, as of 19
June 2006, by the Human Rights Council.
In its decision
1/102 of 30 June 2006, the Human Rights Council decided to extend
exceptionally for one year, subject to the review to be undertaken
by the Council in conformity with General Assembly resolution
60/251, the mandates and mandate-holders of the Sub-commission. The
Council, in this regard, requested the Sub-Commission to continue
with the implementation of its mandate.
The Council also
decided that the final session of the Sub-Commission should be
convened 'starting 31 July for a period of up to four weeks, if so
decided by the Sub-Commission, including its pre-sessional and
in-sessional working groups'. The Council further decided that 'the
working groups and the Social Forum of the Sub-Commission shall be
convened to hold their annual sessions in accordance with current
practices'.
The schedule of meetings of the Sub-Commission and its subsidiary
bodies as announced on 30 June 2006, during the first session of the
Human Rights Council, was as follows:
- From 31 July to 4 August 2006: Working Group on Indigenous
Populations;
- From 3 to 4 August 2006: the Social Forum;
The following weeks were dedicated to other working groups of the
Sub-Commission and to its plenary meetings as follows:
The Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery and the
Working Group on Minorities met alternatively in parallel to the
plenary during the first week of the session of the Sub-Commission
(7 to 11 August);
At the 2nd meeting of its fifty-eighth session, on 7 August 2006,
the Sub-Commission decided to utilize all three weeks of meeting
time available to it in order to be able to carry out its programme
of work. See decision 2006/101.
Background information on the
Sub-Commission:
The United Nations Sub-Commission on
the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, the main subsidiary
body of the former Commission on Human Rights, was established in
1947 with 12 members. Originally the 'Sub Commission on Prevention
of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities', it was renamed in
1999.
Today, it is comprised of 26
independent experts in the field of human rights who were elected
with due regard to equitable geographical distribution, and who act
in their personal capacity. In 2006, the membership consists of
seven experts from Africa, five from Asia, five from Latin America ,
three from Eastern Europe and six from Western European and other
States.
The Sub-Commission's main functions are to undertake
studies on human rights issues, to make recommendations concerning
the prevention of discrimination of any kind relating to human
rights and fundamental freedoms and the protection of racial,
national, religious and linguistic minorities, and to carry out any
other functions which may be entrusted to it. Studies undertaken
have addressed various aspects of the realization of human rights,
the administration of justice, combating discrimination and
protecting the human rights of minorities, indigenous peoples and
other vulnerable groups. The Sub-Commission is often described as a
'think tank'. |