Historic new developments but growing threats to OHCHR's independence vis-a-vis the Human Rights Council

Human Rights Monitor 2008 on developments at the General Assembly's 63rd session.

Historic new developments but growing threats to OHCHR's independence vis-a-vis the Human Rights Council

Human Rights Monitor 2008 on developments at the General Assembly's 63rd session.

This year’s session of the General Assembly (September – December 2008) coincided with the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), and a number of significant initiatives were undertaken
to mark the occasion. These included the adoption of the optional protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), the adoption of a General Assembly declaration on the UDHR, and a number of unprecedented statements on sexual orientation and gender identity. Although some of these initiatives reaffirmed the unifying power of the UDHR, they also exposed the fragile nature of international consensus on human rights issues. Read more...