CONSEJO INTERNACIONAL DE TRATADOS INDIOS

Following the two-week suspension of the sixty-second session, and the adoption of ECOSOC resolution 2006/2 last week (which formally requested the Commission to conclude its work at its 62nd session and to hold a short and procedural session), the Expanded Bureau reached an agreement last week on a new agenda for the session, and on a procedural resolution to be adopted. See attached document below.

(See attached file:L.1 FINAL.pdf )

This afternoon, the Commission, met in what was its final meeting and final session. The meeting was formally opened by the Chairperson of CHR 62, Mr. Rodriguez-Cuadros 62 (Peru), with opening statements made by the High Commissioner and the Chairperson of CHR 61, Mr. Wibisono (Indonesia) reflecting on the achievements of the Commission, including its standard-setting activities, the system of special procedures, and the active participation of civil society.

HC's statement attached.

(See attached file: HC.OPENING.FINAL.pdf )

Following the official adoption of the agenda, the Commission then heard statements focusing on the role of the Commission (item 3) by the coordinators of regional groups and by a representative of an NGOs:

(a) The representative of Morocco (on behalf of the African Group); (b) The representative of Saudi Arabia (on behalf of the Asian Group); (c) The representative of Azerbaijan (on behalf of the Eastern European Group); (d) The representative of Brazil (on behalf of GRULAC); (e) The representative of the Netherlands (on behalf of the Western Group); (f) A representative of an NGO (on behalf of 265 NGOs).

Many of the statements similarly highlighted various achievements of the Commission but also outlined the views of the respective regional groups with regard to the future work of the Human Rights Council. Notably, GRULAC made special reference to both the draft Convention for the protection of all persons from enforced disappearance, and the draft declaration on the rights of indigenous people – calling on the Council to adopt both draft texts at its first session in June 2006.

The texts of the above-mentioned statements are available on the CHR 62 extranet: USER NAME: Commission; PASSWORD: chr62.

The Commission then adopted, without a vote, a procedural resolution on the closure of the work of the Commission. Significantly, operative paragraph 3 of the resolution refers all reports to the Human Rights Council for further consideration at its first session in June 2006 and an annex of mechanisms of the Commission. The resolution also expresses the Commission’s appreciation ‘to all those who contributed to the promotion and protection of human rights during its 60 years of existence’.

See attached document. (See attached file: L2_ENGLISH.pdf)

In closing the session, the Commission adopted the draft report for the session and also heard a closing statement by the Chairperson highlighting its achievements. The Commission, led by the Chairperson, also observed a minute of silence for victims of human rights violations.

With this, the Commission officially concluded its final session.