UNHRC to take up migrants', women's issue at next session

Geneva: Issues like human rights of migrants, the 2014 Gaza conflict, women's rights and early and forced marriages will figure prominently at the new session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) beginning in Geneva next week.

The UNHRC will begin its 29th session from June 15 lasting three weeks and covering a wide agenda including presentation of reports by UN Special Procedures mandate holders, interactive dialogues with mandate holders, panel discussions, new resolutions and presentation of a report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the activities of his office since the last session.

"We have some 160 NGO side events and another 60 from states," said Joachim Rucker, the current President of the UNHRC.

"We will most probably have an enhanced interactive dialogue on human rights of migrants pending a decision by the Council on Monday morning."

The important report of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) on the 2014 Gaza conflict will be presented to the Council by its two commissioners.

The Council will also get an oral update by the independent CoI on human rights violations in Syria.

Women's rights will be a prominent item on the agenda with a full day discussion, including on issues such as right to education, women in economic and political decision-making and preventing domestic violence against women and girls.

"We have a resolution on child early and forced marriages and we have an OHCHR (the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights) report on female genital mutilation a sensitive but important topic and a possibly we have resolution on that," added Rucker.

The UNHRC will also consider the updated report of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on discriminatory laws and practices and acts of violence against individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity.

There will also be series of interactive dialogues with 21 mandate holders on issues like, summary executions, extreme poverty and racial discrimination.

The UNHRC is an inter-governmental body of the UN composed of 47 member states responsible for the protection and promotion of human rights across the global. India is currently a member of the Council.