HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL HOLDS SPECIAL SESSION ON THE SITUATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN LIBYAN ARAB JAMAHIRIYA

23 February 2011
http://www.unog.ch/unog/website/news_media.nsf/(httpNewsByYear_en)/45725C91C73DE959C1257840003FB5AC?OpenDocument

The Human Rights Council will hold a Special Session on The situation of human rights in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya” on Friday, 25 February, starting at 10 a.m. in Room XX of the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

The holding of the Special Session comes at the request of Hungary, which was received by the Council on 23 February 2010. The request is signed by the following 47 States, both members and non-members of the Council, from all regions of the world: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Maldives, Malta, Mexico, Moldova, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, Palestine, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Senegal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Uruguay. 

An organizational meeting will be held on Wednesday, 23 February at 5 p.m. in Room XX of the Palais des Nations to discuss the conduct and organization of the Special Session. In conformity with paragraph 10 of General Assembly resolution 60/251, which established the Human Rights Council, the support of one-third of the membership of the Council (16 members or more) is required for a Special Session to be convened.

This will be the 15th Special Session of the Council. Previous Special Sessions have been held on the human rights situations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, in Lebanon, in Darfur, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in Myanmar, and in Sri Lanka, as well as on the world food crisis, the economic and financial crisis and support for the recovery process in Haiti. The last Special Session was on the situation of human rights in Cote d’Ivoire after the elections, and it was held on 23 December 2010. 

It should be noted that this is the first time a Council member will be the subject of a Special Session.