ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL ABOLISHES HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION

Economic and Social Council

2006 Organizational Session

5^th Meeting (PM)

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL ABOLISHES HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION

Also Adopts Decision on Operational Activities Segment of Substantive Session

The Economic and Social Council this afternoon decided to abolish the Commission on Human Rights with effect from 16 June 2006.

Adopting a resolution without a vote, the Council requested the Commission to conclude its work at its sixty-second session, which should be short and procedural, and transmit its final report to the Council.

In another action, the Council adopted, by a roll-call vote of 51 in favour to 1 against (United States), with no abstentions, a decision on operational activities segment of its 2006 substantive session (document E/2006/L.3).

The representative of the United States, speaking in explanation of vote, said that the General Assembly and other United Nations entities were currently engaged in the reform process laid out in the 2005 World Summit Outcome.  The Economic and Social Council had once again demonstrated its fecklessness by failing to include any reference in the text to the 2005 World Summit Outcome.  The United States had, therefore, voted against the text.

And in other business this afternoon, the Council elected, by acclamation, Dalius Ĉekuolis, the new Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the United Nations, as a vice-president on its Bureau to fill the unexpired term of his predecessor, Gedeminas Šerkšnys.

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For information media • not an official record