CCHR's BBQ Invitation to Mark Cambodia's Universal Periodic Review

Dear Partners,

The Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR), in association with OHCHR Cambodia, invites you to attend a barbeque this Tuesday 8 December to mark the occasion of Cambodia’s inaugural review under the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review process. We hope to enjoy the pleasure of your company to reflect on the UPR process and human rights issues in Cambodia.

Tuesday 8 December from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
CCHR Offices, #798, Street. 99, Phnom Penh

A replay of UPR proceedings will be screened during the course of the barbeque.

We should be grateful if you could confirm your attendance by email to CHAK Sophy, Project Coordinator, CCHR by Tel: 012 862 952, email: chak.sophy@cchrcambodia.org or Ms. Sana Ghouse by Tel: 089 614 334 or email at sana.ghouse@cchrcambodia.org

Kindly find the attach the Programme for the UPR BARBEQUE

Kindest Regards,

CHAK Sophy
Project Coordinator, Business and Human Rights
Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR)
Email: chak.sophy@cchrcambodia.org
Tel: +855 (0)12 862 952
Fax: +855 (0) 23 726 902
Nº798, Street 99, Beoung Trabek,
Khan Chamkar Mon, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Human Rights: War of words between the government and NGOs

Civil society tends to criticize human rights issues in Cambodia, in particular the forced evictions (such as the one in Dey Krahorm shown on Licadho's photos)

05 Dec 2009
By Leang Delux
Radio France Internationale
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
Click here to read the article in Khmer

The Cambodian government and NGOs could never see eyes to eyes when it comes to human rights issues in Cambodia. Criticisms on the lack of respect for human rights led to sporadic violent angry outburst by Hun Xen. This week again, during the UN human rights meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, the topic turned into a fighting forum between the Phnom Penh regime and civil society organizations.

Click here to listen to RFI report (MP3).

Cambodians demonstrate in Geneva

05 Dec 2009
By Moeung Tum and Hassan
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
Click here to read the article in Khmer

More than 100 Cambodians from the US and a number of European countries met to demonstrate on 04 December in front of the UN office in Geneva, Switzerland. The demonstrators demanded for the world to help provide true respect of human rights in Cambodia.

RFA reporter Hassan was on hand at the demonstration and he is reporting about the demonstration by these Cambodians on 04 December 2009.

Hassan: There were more than 100 Cambodians from near and far, some from the USA, such as Georgia, Minnesota and California. There were Cambodians from France, such as Lyon and Paris, and those from Switzerland, such as Zurich and Geneva. There are monks also, such as the abbot of the Zurich pagoda, the abbot of the Chevranche pagoda in France, and the abbot of the Lyon pagoda also came. Based on what I asked all of them, they are meeting to express their opinion that, currently, freedom rights does not exist equally for all Cambodians. This is why they came to express their opinion and it also coincides with the UN Human Rights Universal Period Review (UN UPR) meeting where the Cambodian government was invited to clarify about human rights issues. This is the 6th UN UPR, and the session was held between Tuesday 01 to Thursday 03 December.

French human rights officials also came to encourage the demonstrators.

The demonstrators held posters, they recited nationalist poems and they expressed their opinions under the intense cold weather.

Click here to listen to Hassan’s report (MP3).

KKF participate in the Universal Periodic Review on Cambodia

Friday, 04 December 2009
UNPO

At another meeting, Sam Rainsy, the President of the opposition Party in Cambodia along with NGOs such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) discussed how to put into place procedures to ensure that the Cambodian Government follow recommendations with the ultimate aim of encouraging Cambodia to represent a strong democratic country.

The Universal Periodic Review for Cambodia yields disappointing results as no attention is dedicated to indigenous or minority rights.

On 1st December, Cambodia faced examination of their human rights situation under the sixth session of the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR). A delegation from UNPO Member the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF) attended Cambodia’s review session in Geneva. M Thhai Makarar from the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation Youth Committee said he was ‘disappointed’ by the outcome of the review. He stated that although H.E. Mr. Sun Suon, the Permanent Representative of Cambodia spoke for an hour, the problems facing indigenous and minority peoples were not raised on this crucial international stage.

During the interactive dialogue, questions were put to Cambodia by state representatives expressing concern about land grabbing, freedom of expression, lack of an independent of the juridical system and the immunity of the opposition party. There was controversy however since the list of speakers on Cambodia was cut due to time constraints, which will impact negatively on the scope of the recommendations which will be taken into account in the Report of the Working Group.

The Khmer Kampuchea Krom were mentioned specifically three times in the Joint Stakeholders Submission - the collective contributions from non-governmental organizations on human rights concerns which should be considered during the review process. The report mentions the difficulties faced by the Khmer Kampuchea Krom in obtaining citizenship including the resulting insecurity, the denial of right to vote and inability to occupy property or own land. The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization is quoted in the report recommending that Cambodia should acknowledge the indigenous status of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom and end the forceful repatriation of Khmer refugees from Cambodia to neighbouring countries.

Instead of addressing these pertinent issues and recommendations, the Permanent Representative of Cambodia claimed that the Cambodian Government had ‘achieved a great deal to develop their country.’ UNPO considers it unfortunate that Cambodia neglected to address substantial human rights concerns and failed to respond to constructive recommendations concerning the indigenous status of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom.

Despite being procedurally ineligible to address the Human Rights Council during the review, KKF representatives were able to raise their concerns with the Assistant to the Special Rapporteur on Indigenous People. KKF delegates met with Ms Lydie Vendre at a side event in the Palais Wilson to discuss the widespread violation of religious and cultural rights, repression of the freedom of expression, concern for refugees in Thailand and the confiscation of the ancestral land as the case of M Vinh Ba.

At another meeting, Sam Rainsy, the President of the opposition Party in Cambodia along with NGOs such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) discussed how to put into place procedures to ensure that the Cambodian Government follow recommendations with the ultimate aim of encouraging Cambodia to represent a strong democratic country. The KKF delegation also lobbied countries including Switzerland, Germany and United States of America to assist them to raise their concerns with Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.

The adoption of Cambodia’s report was due to take place yesterday (Thursday 3rd December) and UNPO anticipates the publication of the ‘Outcome Report’ which will be adopted at a plenary session of the Human Rights Council.

A podcast of Cambodia’s UPR can be watched here

Cambodia confronts UN panel

Click here to watch the video online
(scroll down to section on Cambodia (2 videos) and click the appropriate language)

Thursday, 03 December 2009
Sebastian Strangio
The Phnom Penh Post

Free speech, land rights high on list of Western concerns.

LAND rights and freedom of expression dominated discussions as Cambodia came before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva for its formal rights review on Tuesday.

During a three-hour session, the Council’s 47 members questioned Cambodia on rights-related issues after the presentation of a government report by Sun Suon, Cambodia’s ambassador to the UN.

“Cambodia fully shares the view that all human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent,” Sun Suon told the Council, adding that rights promotion should take into account the “historical, political, economic, social and cultural reality of the country and its particularities”.

But in their questions to the Cambodian delegation, several Western nations highlighted the issue of freedom of expression, brought into question after a string of lawsuits against critics of the government.

“We note a number of concerns with regard to the use of justice in order to limit freedom of expression and political freedom,” said John Von Kaufman, representing Canada.

The German delegation pointed to reports of “the intimidation of human rights defenders, NGOs, the media and even in some cases, the lifting of the immunity of parliamentarians”.

“Germany would like to know how the government reconciles such restrictive approaches … with its obligations it entered into when it ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,” said German delegate Michael Klepsch.

Lina Van Der Weyden, representing Sweden, also expressed concern about increased reports of forced evictions resulting from “legally doubtful land concessions”, calling for a moratorium on evictions until the necessary “safeguards” are in place.

Other delegations, however, diverged sharply from the criticisms of Western governments. The Indian delegation, led by Gopinathan Achamkulangare, acknowledged the “challenges and constraints” faced by nations after decades of conflict, and said it “appreciates the prioritising of poverty reduction by the government in its efforts to promote human rights through the National Strategic Development Plan”.

Kyam Myo Htut from Myanmar said he was “delighted to hear of the major achievements which came in the implementation of [government development] strategies”.

When asked whether the presence of known rights abusers – including Myanmar, Russia, China and Vietnam – on the council marred the universal periodic review process, rights defenders said its composition gave little measure of its credibility and performance.

“The most important thing is its own mandate, which is comprehensive and far reaching,” Surya Subedi, the UN special rapporteur on human rights to Cambodia, said by email.

“The UPR is a relatively new mechanism, but it already has delivered some positive results for people around the globe.”

Christophe Peschoux, director of the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Cambodia, said improvements in the rights situation are largely contingent on the government’s actions.

“It’s not just a one-off exercise – the UPR is one moment in a process,” he said. “But what matters more is the extent to which the government takes the [council’s] recommendations into account.”

The results from Tuesday’s session will go towards shaping an outcome document that is set to be adopted by the council today.

Rights Situation Comes Under UN Review

Forced eviction in Russei Keo (Photo: Koh Santepheap)

By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
01 December 2009

As Cambodia undergoes a review at the UN’s Human Rights Council in Geneva, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday member states should be concerned over recent deteriorations of basic freedoms.

Under the Human Rights Council, member states are reviewed every four years. In a submission to the council, Human Rights Watch underscored political violence, impunity for senior government officials in serious rights abuses, forced evictions and land confiscation, among others.

In the past year there’s been a sharp regression in Cambodia’s respect for basic rights, with major setbacks in press freedom and a harsh crackdown on government critics,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Countries should ask Cambodia why it uses repressive tactics to silence peaceful dissent, while thrusting the poor even further into poverty by condoning illegal land grabbing.”

The government increasingly uses the judicial system to muzzle journalists, human rights defenders, and opposition party members, who face charges of criminal defamation and disinformation, Human Rights Watch said.

Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith denied the group’s assertions, claiming Cambodia has 3,000 local non-governmental organizations, as well as media outlets that do not suffer attacks on their freedoms.

The Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee, meanwhile, said it supported the review process, a new rights monitoring mechanism.

The coalition of 21 NGOs appealed to the government to “pay more attention in order to ensure full compliance of all international covenants and conventions in relation to human rights of which Cambodia is a party to and has ratified.”

The coalition urged the government to take considerations of the Human Rights Council’s recommendations to promote freedoms and the respect of human rights.

Govt readies for UN human rights review

Tuesday, 01 December 2009
Sebastian Strangio and Sam Rith
The Phnom Penh Post

The UPR is not the only event in Geneva − this is a continuing process.

Land evictions, judicial reform to feature high on the agenda during the three-day hearing.

JUDICIAL reform, corruption and land rights are expected to be high on the agenda when Cambodia comes before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva for its first formal rights review this afternoon.

A UN summary report compiling the recommendations filed by 23 local and international rights organisations in April flagged concerns including continuing legal impunity and increases in the “rate and scale of land-grabbing and forced evictions” that have plagued the country since 2004.

Surya Prasad Subedi, the UN’s special human rights rapporteur to Cambodia, said the three-day Universal Periodic Review hearing would give Cambodia “an opportunity ... to engage in a comprehensive manner” on rights issues with other member states.

Subedi also said he hoped the government would take the hearing seriously, after it was criticised at a similar review at the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Geneva in May for sending just a single delegate – UN ambassador Sun Suon – to the two-day hearing.

“It is a good opportunity for the government of Cambodia to defend its human rights record before an international human rights body. The more the government appears taking the matter seriously the more the government will receive credit for its endeavours in this regard,” he said by email.

New mechanism

The quadrennial review, established with the reform of the UN’s rights body in 2006, is the main mechanism by which each UN member state is scrutinised on human rights issues.

During a three-hour session today, the Cambodian delegation is expected to answer questions from the council, the result of which will shape an outcome report to be adopted on Thursday.

Om Yentieng, senior adviser to Prime Minister Hun Sen and head of the government-run Cambodian Committee of Human Rights, said on Monday that the government had sent three officials to Geneva, including its ambassador to the UN, to attend the UPR session.

“I do not expect anything from the meeting in Geneva because the situation in Cambodia is not the same as what is written in the human rights reports,” he said. “What we have seen is that Cambodia is getting more progressive from day to day.”

Thun Saray, president of the rights group Adhoc, said the review would not lead to an immediate improvement in the human rights situation, but appealed to the government to accept its recommendations and make a plan for joint NGO-government action to improve the rights situation.

“The UPR is not only the event in Geneva – this is a continuing process,” he said. “We would like to appeal to the government to take this issue seriously.”

Sam Rainsy in Geneva Today

December 1, 2009

SAM RAINSY IN GENEVA TODAY

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy is in Geneva today to attend the 16th Session of the Universal Periodic Review Working Group that will discuss the human rights situation in Cambodia.

SRP Cabinet

To contact Sam Rainsy please call (33) 6 13 06 77 00

Cambodia: UN Review Should Insist on Respect for Rights

Dey Krahorm forced eviction (Photo: John Vink/Magnum)
Silencing and intimidating the opposition

Crackdown on Dissent, Lack of Accountability, Forced Evictions Marr Country’s Record

"In the past year there's been a sharp regression in Cambodia's respect for basic rights, with major setbacks in press freedom and a harsh crackdown on government critics. Countries should ask Cambodia why it uses repressive tactics to silence peaceful dissent, while thrusting the poor even further into poverty by condoning illegal land grabbing." - Brad Adams, Asia director

November 30, 2009
Human Rights Watch

• Related Materials: Universal Periodic Review Submission: Cambodia.

(Geneva) - United Nations member states should express concerns about the dramatic deterioration of freedom of expression, assembly, and association in Cambodia at today's review of the nation's human rights record, Human Rights Watch said today.

Cambodia is undergoing its first Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the Human Rights Council in Geneva. Under the process, the rights record of each member state is reviewed once every four years. In its submission to the Council, Human Rights Watch highlighted political violence, the lack of punishment for senior government officials involved in serious rights abuses, forced evictions and land confiscation, arbitrary detention of drug users, and substandard prison conditions.

"In the past year there's been a sharp regression in Cambodia's respect for basic rights, with major setbacks in press freedom and a harsh crackdown on government critics," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Countries should ask Cambodia why it uses repressive tactics to silence peaceful dissent, while thrusting the poor even further into poverty by condoning illegal land grabbing."

In addition to intimidation, threats, and violence, the government increasingly uses the judicial system to muzzle journalists, human rights defenders, and opposition party members, who increasingly face unwarranted charges of criminal defamation and disinformation, Human Rights Watch said.

In recent months the government has pushed new laws through the National Assembly that further restrict freedom of expression and assembly, with little input from civil society. These include a new penal code and a law restricting demonstrations. A law regulating nongovernmental organizations (NGO) is expected to be taken up by the National Assembly soon, even though civil society groups have not been provided with the draft law for review and comment.

"Given the shrinking political space for human rights and advocacy groups in Cambodia, there's justified alarm that the NGO law will be used to shut down groups critical of the government," Adams said. "Countries at the Human Rights Council should ask the Cambodian government what it fears from a vibrant civil society."

Among Human Rights Watch's recommendations are for the Cambodian government to cease the harassment, arbitrary arrests, and physical attacks on human rights defenders, civil society activists, and opposition party members, and to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators of such attacks. The government should also tackle longstanding cases in which those responsible have not been brought to justice, such as the deadly 1997 grenade attack on an opposition rally. And it should resolve more recent rights violations, such as excessive use of force by soldiers and police in forced evictions; physical abuse in detention centers of sex workers, people who use drugs, and homeless people; and the assassinations of labor leaders and journalists.

To address widespread evictions of people from their homes and their land, Human Rights Watch called on the Cambodian government to enact a moratorium on forced evictions until the government has properly adopted and implemented a strict legislative framework on land and housing rights in general, and evictions and resettlement in particular.

Human Rights Watch also highlighted the need for continued UN engagement in Cambodia, especially given the worsening rights situation. Countries should urge the Cambodian government to continue to work with the Cambodia Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to improve prisons, fight impunity, and enhance the protection of human rights.

"Without an impartial judiciary and other independent institutions to provide checks and balances on the government, a close partnership with the UN human rights office is crucial," Adams said. "Cambodia's worsening rights record should come under careful scrutiny, with the UN and its member states insisting that it abide by its international human rights commitments."

Human Rights Council to review Cambodia’s human rights record

Cambodian Center for Human Rights

PRESS RELEASE
Phnom Penh, 30 November 2009
For immediate release

Human Rights Council to review Cambodia’s human rights record

PHNOM PENH, 30 Nov – Tomorrow, 1 December 2009, the Kingdom of Cambodia will be subject to the first Universal Periodic Review of its human rights record. The Universal Periodic Review, a process created in 2006 to review the human rights record of UN-member states, takes place in Geneva under the auspices of the 47-member United Nations Human Rights Council. The Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) welcomes this opportunity to examine areas where the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) can adjust its policies and behaviour to ensure the protection of the human rights of those it was elected to serve.

The Universal Periodic Review, which takes place every four years, provides an opportunity for each State to outline the action taken in the preceding period to improve the human rights situation in the country and fulfil its human rights obligations. It also allows for civil society organizations to prepare submissions to the Human Rights Council on the state’s human rights record. On 13 April 2009, a coalition of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), coordinated by the Alliance for Freedom of Expression in Cambodia (AFEC) and assisted by the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC), made a Joint Submission to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The Joint Submission, which included contributions by CCHR, raised serious concerns about the decline of freedom of expression and assembly in Cambodia in recent years. The submission, which concluded with a number of recommendations to help increase freedom of expression and assembly in Cambodia, has been incorporated into the stakeholder report compiled by the OHCHR. The full submission is available at www.cchrcambodia.org.

In the week leading up to the review, CCHR has been writing to Human Rights Council member states and other bodies with an interest in the review, including the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression and Information, to highlight recent developments and the recommendations included in the Joint Submission. It implores member states of the Human Rights Council to use the Universal Periodic Review as an opportunity to hold the RGC to account for its frequent violations of its international and constitutional human rights obligations. CCHR hopes that the UPR Outcome Report reflects the concerns outlined in the Joint Submission and that the UPR Working Group finds ways to ensure that human rights have a proper place in Cambodia and are duly respected.

The review process, beginning at 3pm Central European Time (9pm local time), will be available for viewing live via webcast at http://www.un.org/webcast/unhrc/.

The three reports that will be used as the basis for Cambodia’s review are available at http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/Documentation.aspx.

For more information, please contact:
Mr. Ou Virak, President, CCHR
Tel: +855 12 404051
Email: ouvirak@cchrcambodia.org

NGO representatives to attend the UN Geneva Human Rights meeting

28 Nov 2009
By Sok Serey
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer

Representatives for Human Rights NGOs plan to attend a yearly meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, at the beginning of December. The meeting will also be focused on the current situation of human rights violation in Cambodia.
Major NGO activists who will attend the meeting include: Dr. Pung Chiv Kek, Licadho president, and Thun Saray, Adhoc president.

Prior to her departure, Dr. Pung Chiv Kek said that she plans to raise a number of issues during the upcoming meeting. “Land dispute problems in Cambodia, freedom of expression, freedom in the various lawsuits, and the freedom to receive information, even though these freedoms are the bases of the convention for the people’s rights and political rights, I want to see Cambodia clearly put into application this convention,” Dr. Pung Chiv Kek said.

Yim Sovann, SRP MP and SRP spokesman, said that he wants to see SRP MPs being invited to attend the meeting also. “To find a resolution, we must do all we can so that Cambodia does not lose face due to human rights violations because it strongly reflects on our economy, as well as on social and political development in the country,” Yim Sovann indicated.

There is no indication as to whether the Cambodian government plans to send a government representative or Om Yentieng, chairman of the government human rights committee, to attend this meeting.

Tith Sothea, a government advisor and a member of the Press and Quick Reaction Unit of the Council of Ministers said: “I can say that the human rights situation in Cambodia is good, and criticisms on the human rights situation in Cambodia deteriorating is a wrong evaluation. We cannot accept them,” he claimed.

The yearly UN Human Rights Council meeting will take place in Geneva, Switzerland. It will take place on 01 December and it will be attended by 40 important countries that are members of the advisory committee.

The upcoming review of the respect of human rights situation is taking place at the same time when various sources, such as the civil society and international organizations, are criticizing land-grabbing, use of violence in raids, tightening of the freedom of expression, lawsuits against government critics, and lifting of parliamentary immunity of opposition MPs – such as the cases of Mr. Sam Rainsy, Mr. Ho Vann and Mrs. Mu Sochua – that took place in 2009.

UN Human Rights Council to open first session with US as member [-Human rights report on Cambodia will be presented]

Mon, 14 Sep 2009
DPA

Geneva - The United Nations Human Rights Council was opening its autumn session on Monday, with the United States assuming a seat on the body for the first time. However, a debate of how to deal with Honduras was holding up the start by several hours, diplomats said.

The Central American country underwent a military takeover since the last council session, leading to confusion on how to handle the country's representative, who has sided with the coup leaders.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, was expected to criticize the constitutional crisis there in her opening remarks to the council.

Earlier this year, the US was elected to the 47-member council that the administration of former president George W Bush had shunned since it came into existence in 2006, saying it was biased.

The council was created from the ashes of the Commission on Human Rights, which was seen as being generally ineffective and was discredited in certain circles.

US President Barack Obama's administration, as part of its programme of international outreach, decided to run for the council earlier this year, despite some reservations. The move received widespread support from within the UN.

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said last week during a speech that while there were concerns about joining the council, her diplomats would work for "upholding universal standards for freedom of expression as we combat intolerance and discrimination everywhere it rears it head."

Assistant Secretary for International Organization Affairs Esther Brimmer was to represent Washington at the opening session.

In a statement, the US mission to Geneva, where the council is housed, said the government "looks forward to employing its voice in the promotion and protection of fundamental human rights and liberties."

Obama's administration hoped the body would "be the pre-eminent UN forum for the credible, balanced and effective advancement of human rights."

The council was scheduled to remain in session until October 2. Issues to be discussed would include modern slavery, children in war and the right to food and water.

Members would also focus on the global financial crisis in one afternoon meeting this week and later this month were set to hold a session on racism.

Experts on human rights would also deliver reports on situations in specific countries, including Cambodia and the troubled Somalia.

During what is expected to be a heated day at the end of the month, South African Justice Richard Goldstone and his fact-finding team would issue their report on Israel's war earlier this year in the Gaza Strip.

The fighting, which started in late December and lasted for three weeks, saw approximately 1,400 Palestinians killed along with 13 Israelis.

UN Human Rights: China's proposals on country-specific resolutions make headway, says FM spokesman

June 20, 2007

China on Tuesday said its proposals on country-specific resolutions would help avoid political confrontation among countries on the UN Human Rights Council.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Qin Gang made the remarks at a regular press conference on Tuesday afternoon.

The UN Human Rights Council was formally inaugurated on June 19, 2006, to replace the Human Rights Commission.

China has made proposals to "prevent the abuse" of country-specific resolutions, saying that this will help ensure the justice and solemnity of the council's work.

Qin said that China has taken a constructive attitude to ensuring the council handles human rights issues in a fair and objective manner.

Qin expressed his appreciation of the efforts made by Luis Alfonso de Alba, president of the council. The final compromise text states that any future country-specific resolution should gain "broad support" from the 47 member states and requires the signatures of at least 15 member states.

The UN Human Rights Council on Monday agreed on new working rules that oblige all member states to submit to periodic scrutiny of their human rights records.

Source: Xinhua