General Assembly resumes talks on Human Rights Council
11 January 2006 – The United Nations General Assembly today resumed closed-door talks on setting up the new UN Human
Rights Council to replace the Commission on Human Rights, as called for by leaders meeting at the 2005 World Summit last
September.
The creation of a new Council is widely seen as an opportunity to open a new chapter in the UN’s human rights work,
which, though comprehensive and respected, suffered from the tainted reputation of the Commission.
The Secretary-General, who proposed the creation of the Council last March, subsequently explained that the Commission
“in its current form has some notable strengths and a proud history, but its ability to perform its tasks has been
overtaken by new needs and undermined by the politicization of its sessions and the selectivity of its work.”
He envisioned the Human Rights Council as a standing body, able to meet regularly and at any time to deal with imminent
crises while conducting timely and in-depth consideration of related issues. National leaders meeting at the 2005 World
Summit resolved to create the Council and asked the General Assembly president to conduct negotiations on the issue.
In November, Assembly President Jan Eliasson recalled that the Summit had called for dealing more effectively with key
issues, including human rights. “We are now challenged to produce multilateral solutions,” he said. “And if we do not
pass that test of multilateralism, I think we are facing a very bleak future.”
At this critical juncture, governments must hammer out the details of the Council’s workings. Mr. Annan has been
actively engaged in diplomacy on the issue, raising the subject whenever possible and pledging to continue advocating
for progress.
The new Council is one piece of human rights reform. Together with the doubling of regular budget resources for the UN
High Commissioner for Human Rights over the next five years, officials said the Council signals the revitalization of
the Organization’s work in the field of human rights.