A Review of the Fifty-Sixth Session of the United Nations Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights
| Author | Mayra Gómez,Bret Thiele |
| Published date | 01 March 2005 |
| DOI | 10.1177/016934410502300109 |
| Date | 01 March 2005 |
| Subject Matter | Part C: Appendices |
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A REVIEW OF THE FIFTY-SIXTH SESSION
OF THE UNITED NATIONS SUB-COMMISSION
ON THE PROMOTION AND PROTECTION
OF HUMAN RIGHTS
BRET THIELE*and MAYRA GO
´MEZ**
1. INTRODUCTION
This appendix summarises the 56th session of the United Nations Sub-Commission
on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (Sub-Commission). For those
readers interested in greater detail of certain or all aspects of this session, please
refer to the footnotes which provide citations to relevant Sub-Commission
documents.
The Sub-Commission met at the European Office of the UN in Geneva,
Switzerland, from 26 July through 13 August 2004 for its 56th session. The Sub-
Commission is a subsidiary body of the UN Commission on Human Rights
(Commission) and is comprised of 26 independent human rights experts, elected by
the Commission, who act in their personal capacity rather than as government
representatives. Under the principle of geographic distribution, the Sub-Commis-
sion has seven members from Africa, five from Latin America, five from Asia, three
from Eastern Europe, and six from Western Europe and Other (including Australia,
Canada, New Zealand, and the United States).
The mandate of the Sub-Commission includes human rights standard-setting
and preparing studies of current human rights issues in all parts of the world.
1
Because of its role in initiating action within the United Nations human rights
system and its accessibility to non-government organisations (NGOs), each year
hundreds of human rights activists from scores of countries travel to Geneva to
attend and address the session of the Sub-Commission. Every year, in addition to the
members, the annual session is attended by over 1,000 observers, including
representatives of States, United Nations bodies and specialised agencies, other
intergovernmental organisations and NGOs having consultative status with the
Economic and Social Council. The Sub-Commission adopted 53 resolutions and
decisions at this year’s session.
* Coordinator, ESC Rights Litigation Programme, Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions
(COHRE); J.D. cum laude, University of Minnesota Law School, USA, 1999.
** Research and Policy Officer, Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE); Ph.D., University
of Minnesota, USA, 2001.
1
For further details on the mandate of the Sub-Commission, see the terms of reference of the Sub-
Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities as defined by the
Commission and its particular responsibilities established, inter alia, in Commission Resolutions 8
(XXIII) of 16 March 1967 and 17 (XXXVII) of 10 March 1981, and Economic and Social Council
Resolutions 1235 (XLII) of 6 June 1967 and 1503 (XLVIII) of 27 May 1970.
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