HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL TO HOLD SPECIAL SESSION ON THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN IRAQ ON 1 SEPTEMBER
27 August 2014
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The Human Rights Council will hold its twenty-second Special Session on Monday, 1 September, entitled “the human rights situation in Iraq in light of abuses committed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and associated groups.” 

The President of the Human Rights Council received a letter on 26 August by the Permanent Mission of Iraq, and co-signed by the Permanent Representatives of Egypt, on behalf of the Arab Group, Pakistan, on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation, Iran, on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, and the European Union, containing the request to convene the Special Session. 

In order for a Special Session to be convened, the support of one-third of the Council – 16 or more - is required. This request was thus far supported by the following States Members of the Council (29): Austria, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Chile, China, Congo, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Gabon, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Maldives, Montenegro, Morocco, Pakistan, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States. 

The request was also supported by the following observer States (29): Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Senegal, Sweden, Sudan and Switzerland. 

The Special Session will be held on Monday, 1 September in Room XX at the Palais des Nations. The time of the start of the meeting has not yet been determined.