IHRC to Host Free Teleconference: An Introduction to the UN Human Rights Council

Please join the International Human Rights Committee on Friday, September 24, from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. ET, for a free teleconference on the UN Human Rights Council. The UN Human Rights Council succeeded the UN Commission on Human Rights in 2006 and is responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe.

Lawrence Moss, an international lawyer based in New York, will lead the discussion. Mr. Moss represented Human Rights Watch as Special Counsel in the negotiations to create the Council and the elections for its members, and has closely followed the development of the Council. He previously served as Chair of the Special Committee on the United Nations of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and as the Association’s Representative to the United Nations. Mr. Moss authored "Will the Human Rights Council Have Better Membership than the Commission on Human Rights?" in 2006, and "Opportunities for Nongovernmental Organization Advocacy in the Universal Review Process at the UN Human Rights Council" (available at http://jhrp.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/2/1/122) and "Renewing America's Commitment to International Law" in 2010.

This teleconference will address the following topics:

• mandate and procedures of the UN Human Rights Council;
• election of Council members;
• role of the universal periodic review mechanism, which allows assessment of the 192 Member States; and
• special procedures of the UN Human Rights Council, which address specific country situations and thematic issues.

To participate in the teleconference, please use the following call-in information:

Dial-in Number: 1-219-509-8111
Participant Access Code: 153417

Participants who join the call are muted but may unmute themselves during the question and answer portion of the teleconference. It is important to remain on mute while not speaking to avoid complications with feedback. The teleconference is limited to 150 participants, so please join us early to ensure your participation. Participation in the teleconference is on a first-come, first-served basis.

If you are interested in contributing to the blog or have suggestions for additional teleconferences, please contact Committee Vice-Chair Erin Louise Palmer at erinlouisepalmer@hotmail.com. Following the teleconference, a recording of the teleconference will be posted on the Committee's web site (http://www.abanet.org/dch/committee.cfm?com=IC950000) under the "Committee Resources" tab.