Human Rights and Democracy - Official Documents

case of Haiti, helped direct the UN technical assistance in support. Both sessions
benefited from the active role played by Latin American and African countries.
The Council kept its focus on countries of concern. It passed resolutions on Burma
and DPRK, confirming the mandates of special rapporteurs. The Council’s vote to
extend the mandate of the independent expert on Sudan ensured that he was able
to assist the whole of the country during the referendum on the future of the South.
The Council also agreed to continue the mandates of the special rapporteurs for
Cambodia, Somalia and Haiti. At its June session the Council adopted resolutions
on the human rights situations in Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan. At the same
session we joined more than 50 UN members in signing a cross-regional statement
expressing concern about the human rights situation in Iran.
The US, which joined the Council in 2009, has given an impetus to its work, including
by establishing a mandate for a Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Association and
Assembly in September. At the same session we supported a Mexican initiative to
create a Working Group on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. Both
mandates were agreed by consensus. This should encourage the mandate holders
to go about their work with purpose.
At the September session we initiated a resolution to renew the mandate of the
Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery. This was adopted by
consensus and with an increased number of co-sponsors. This demonstrates the
priority that UN members attach to tackling modern-day slavery and their
appreciation for the work of Special Rapporteur Gulnara Shahinian. Minister of State
Jeremy Browne welcomed Ms Shahinian to the UK on 2 December, when he had the
opportunity to discuss, and put on record, our support for her work.
We were concerned by General Assembly and Human Rights Council resolutions in
2010 recognising a right to sanitation. Rights are legal obligations, created by treaty
or customary international law. We recognise a right to water as a part of the right to
an adequate standard of living in the International Covenant on Economic, Social
and Cultural Rights, but we do not believe that there is sufficient legal basis to
recognise a self-standing right to sanitation distinct from other rights such as the right
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