Human Rights Council

18^th regular session

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Concluding remarks of Idriss Jazaϊry

Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Algeria

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Geneva, 30 September 2011

Madam President,

At the time when the Council is about to conclude its 18th session, my delegation would like to make the following concluding remarks:

1. We agreed during the review of the work and functioning of the Human Rights Council to streamline its workload per session. However, we continue to witness an inflation in the number of resolutions and panels: 33 resolutions for this session compared to 28 in the Fall 2010 session and twice as many panels. No progress towards consensus has been made. Only resolutions initiated by developing countries were voted upon and, as was to be expected, at the sole request of developed countries. For 2011, the inflation rate in terms of adopted resolutions is 25%, compared to 2010.

2. We are delighted to welcome Southern Sudan. Congratulations to the Sudan for the referendum that has been conducted in an exemplary manner. We welcome the adoption of the resolution on the resumption of Libya’s membership to the Human Rights Council.

3. We welcome the adoption of the resolution enhancing periodic reporting by the Secretary-General on the death penalty. In this Year dedicated to people of African descent, our thoughts go to Troy Davis, an emblematic man and an African American who has just undergone this extreme punishment while his main accusers recanted on their testimonies.

4. Our thanks go to all of you for the support to the African Group resolution on human rights and issues related to terrorist hostage-taking. The study to be prepared by the Advisory Committee will help us better understand the impact of terrorist hostage-taking and of the payment of ransoms on the human rights of actual and potential hostages and of members of local communities in areas affected by this scourge.

5. Op 10 of resolution L.24 on technical assistance stipulates that such technical assistance must comply with three principles:

·        to respond to a request of the concerned State

·        to be drawn up in consultation with the latter

·        to be subject to its consent

This consensual text must, from now on, be complied by the Council in its resolutions on country specific bilateral cooperation. In fact the HRC should comply with previsions of the IB text and with its own resolutions even if concerned countries under pressure accept to depart from such provisions.  

 6. The Council’s decisions must be respected by others. If the Council votes against dispatching an International Commission of inquiry to a country, the Secretariat of the UN cannot request it to discuss the report of a commission that it has mandated with the same purpose. In addition, when a credible internal process is underway, it is not helpful that the Council establish a parallel international process.

7. Finally, Council resolution 16/21, endorsed by the General Assembly, completes the institutional building package for the conduct of the work of the Human Rights Council and also circumscribes it. Except where a follow-up was explicitly provided for, we must refrain, in the day to day work of the Council, from reopening the content of this compromise document.

Thank you for your attention.