SI MONTHLY NEWS May 2007 UN and Comments
From SI Exco News
SERVAS INTERNATIONAL AT UNITED NATIONS GENEVA, 2006
COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS BECOMES COUNCIL ON HUMAN RIGHTS
On 27 March 2006, the last meeting of the Commission on Human Rights (the Commission) has taken place. It has adopted a resolution to remit all reports to the Council on Human Rights (the Council) to be examined at its first session. The creation of this Council is based on Assembly General Resolution 60/251 of 15.03.2005. Whereas the Commission had 53 members, the Council has 47 members.
During the first session the Council, meeting from 19 to 30 June 2006, discussed the reports of the different Working Groups. In his opening statement to the Council, Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations, said the Council’s work should mark a break from the past. The Council should never be allowed to become caught up in political point scoring or petty manoeuvres; it should always think of those whose rights were denied. In presenting her annual report, High Commissioner on Human Rights, Louise Arbour said poverty continued to be the most serious, invidious and widespread human rights violation to be confronted.
In August the final session of the Sub-Commissi8on has taken place, following the adoption of resolution 2006/102 by the new Council.
The second session of the Council, which started on 18 September was suspended on 6 October until 27 November to take action on all the draft proposals that it could not consider given their high number and the insufficient time available in order to guarantee the due and balanced consideration of all proposals. The Council terminated the work of the second session on November 27 and 28.
The third session of the Council took place from 29 November to 8 December. This was largely devoted to organization of future work. Other items on the agenda: the Durban Review Conference; the Elaboration of Complementary Standards in the Fight against Racism; the Arab-Israeli conflict; the Prevention of Genocide; the Commission of Inquiry on Lebanon; missions to the Occupied Palestinian Territories; the Declaration on the Rights of indigenous Peoples; the review of mechanisms.
The Council’s fourth special session, on 12 December 2006, considered the situation in Darfur/Sudan.
The fourth regular session of the Council will be held from 12 March to 5 April 2007.nUniU
The above forms part of my activity report.
Hilda Burer
Representative of SERVAS INTERNATIONAL
to the United Nations in Geneva
TOPICS NEEDED, PLEASE
I joined the NGO Working Group on Human Rights Education and Learning (NGO WG on HREL) which is studying - also together with Mr. Vernor Munoz, the UNO Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, together also with a representative of UNESCO - the best possible ways and methods to mainstreaming Human Rights Education & Learning into the Special Procedures Mechanism. This WG meets once a month.
The representation to UNO in Geneva would be grateful if SIEXCO members could be helpful in providing topics and texts of statements to be submitted on items on the Agenda of the session of the Human Rights Council. The next session, the fifth, will take place from 18 to 29 June 2007.
Hilda Burer, Geneva, 14.05.2007
Servas Britain - * in the host list
Various travellers have commented on the * which appears in the British Host list.. There appears to be some confusion as to the meaning of it. At the front of the host list it says:
- host wishes to meet more British travellers.
This means what it says. However it does not mean the host only wants to meet British travellers. It encourages British travellers and hosts to visit each other.
It goes back many years when there was discussion, in Britain, as to whether one should visit hosts in one's own country. Some people said yes and others said no. A number of us were keen to encourage people to visit people in their own country and so a * was put by those who especially wanted visitors from their own country as well as overseas. The * is less relevant now but has stayed in the book rather than being removed.
Stationery Design on offer
I am working on some stationery design for Servas Australia and am happy to share this. I am a graphic designer, a Servas host, and doing it for free. I am happy to share this and tap into the international Servas community for feedback.
I aim to update the materials (and ideally the logo) to something more contemporary, with strong appeal to the next generation.
At the same time, as an older host myself, I want things that are clear and easy to read...
Russell Shiells, Australia
uploaded by Amelia
