AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
P u b l i c Sta te me n t
Al Index: News Servrce No: 20 November 2006 lOR41to24l2006 (Public) 300

A m n e s t yl n t e r n a t i o n ad e p l o r e s ' N oA c t i o n M o t i o n ' b y T h i r d l Committee:urges governmentsto consider country situations on merit
AmnestyInternational deplores decision 74 uN Memberstates todayto take procedural the of actionto stop the UN General Assembly's ThirdCommittee from carrying its responsibility addresscountry out to specific humanrights situations. members 69 votedagainst motionand24 abstained. the Amnesty International opposes 'No ActionMotions' a matter principle all as of because they prohibit Committee the from considering countryspecific actionsto improvehumanrights- one of the most important toolsat the Committee's disposal. AmnestyInternational deeplyregrets thata 'No ActionMotion' the draftresolution Uzbekistan on on was adoptedtoday,therebypreventing ThirdCommittee the from actingto improvethe serioushumanrights situation Uzbekistan, in whereindependent critical voiceshaveincreasingly beenstifled the by government. Azerbaijan Chinaspokein support the 'No ActionMotion', and of whileFinland and Canada arguedagainst it. Amnesty International reiterates call on all UN MemberStatesto consider proposals its all dealingwith countrysituations theirmerits, on regardless political of considerations.deciding the country In on issues beforeit' the organization urgesMemberStatesto take accountof the seriou.nursof the humanrights situation the country in concerned, governments'responsiveness the to recommendations UN human by rightsmechanisms, the structures country and the has put in placeto protect humanrights and provide accountability abuses. for The GeneralAssembly's approach country to situations in the pastbeenselective has and serious human 'No rightsviolations powerful in countries have escapedpublicscrutiny.However, ActionMotions' not are a properor effective response such a selective to approach. Moreover, GeneralAssembly the now has the chanceto addresschargesof selectivity actingupon a new proposal addressa majorhuman by to rightsproblemthat has been neglected far too long:a specific for proposal addressthe practice to of secretdetentions and unlawful transfers whilecountering terrorism. This practice involves countries at in leastfour continents, including United the States America. of The strongest possible shouldbe text adopted. Background information No countryhas a perfecthumanrightsrecordand no countryshouldbe shielded from publicscrutiny of its humanrights record.Adopting motion adjourn a to debate a country on underRule 116 of the General Assembly's Rulesof Procedure, 'No ActionMotion', a haltsdiscussion the humanrights on situation in that countryand prevents ThirdCommittee the GeneralAssembly, the of riitn humanrights which Oeats

rights,one of the In arth erero,";";; a,,N Action ;,:Ti"TT?lilff g[j,*:: l*:1""i", R' nestyternation ;; o This year' the Thirdcommittee flembry adopteda resorution Democratic PeopleL nupuori" ruortn-riorJJior*^l g1 on the humanrights or with in favour, asainst 60 21 and of the Genelal

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The Thirdcommitteeof the General Assemblyis yet to consider draftresorutions rightssituations e.et31us dearing in with human (brought bfi; uniteo state"oinr""ri""), canada (brought rran),rran by Mvanmar o'",ghiLvthe European

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Lastyear' GeneralAssembly the heard calls for'NoAction Motions,on outof seven five situations before rhe rivesituatlons country it *"ru, tr"n (NoAction - 23 andtheresorutionj.n Moiion catteo by rran,rejected 70 _ for by rrr thenadopte bv 77 51 ;i; nt|rnn..,r,. Action (No Myanmar' Motion rejected 54 - 77 -35";;il" ! ,ri caredfor by by ';;opted rurorrtion vr-f"nri"rthen on (NoAction adopted byconsensus), Motion calted by N,g;rl; Sudan for "mallri{ by aq ig - 'riJtion ti'[1hevoting'maloriiyfivebeing substantive or 'r, reduction tnezs from a r"rt yearwhentn" *". Joopi"J',on - 67 - 121and thedraftresolution consequentty coniioered); not Turkmuni"t"n' A;ti;il;n:Jrlla'eo (No Turkmenistan' rejected 64 - io za-"iatheresotution tor uy by on-rritr.nistan thenadopted anduzbekistan Action (No by 70 -38_5B); Motion t"rruJlorby Uzebekistan, relecteo 65 - 7s - ,gand theresorution by on Uzbekistan adopted zs - then oy ia sbl rir"* *".'r"itr" i"ion Motion'on resolution thatcountry North on Korea the and was-adopteai--zz- 62.The,.uroi,]ttn a on the Democratic Repubric congo of