21/57 Preliminary study on promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms through a better understanding of traditional values of humankind - Note by the secretariat

GE.12-16170

Human Rights Council Twenty-first session

Agenda items 3 and 5

Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil,

political, economic, social and cultural rights,

including the right to development

Human rights bodies and mechanisms

Preliminary study on promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms through a better understanding of traditional values of humankind

Note by the secretariat*

1. In its resolution 16/3, the Human Rights Council requested the Advisory Committee

to prepare a study on how a better understanding and appreciation of traditional values of

dignity, freedom and responsibility could contribute to the promotion and protection of

human rights, and to present that study to the Council before its twenty-first session.

2. At its seventh session, the Advisory Committee decided to establish a drafting

group, consisting of Ahmer Bilal Soofi (Chairperson), Vladimir Kartashkin (Rapporteur),

Obiora Chinedu Okafor, Anantonia Reyes Prado, Mona Zulficar, Dheerujlall Seetulsingh,

Laurence Boisson de Chazournes, Shiqiu Chen, Alfred Ntunduguru Karakora and Chinsung

Chung, and requested it to prepare the above-mentioned study and to submit it to the

Committee for consideration at its ninth session.1

3. At its eighth session, the Advisory Committee took note of the comments and

suggestions made during the discussions on the preliminary study prepared by Mr.

Kartashkin, and requested the drafting group to submit a revised preliminary study to the

Committee at its ninth session for further consideration.2

4. At its ninth session, the Advisory Committee took note of the study prepared by the

drafting group (A/HRC/AC/9/2), and requested it to finalize the study in the light of the

discussions held by the Committee at that session and to circulate it to all members of the

Committee for final review and approval by the end of November 2012. In view of the

challenges facing the drafting group in its efforts to reflect in the study the wealth of input

* Late submission. 1 A/HRC/AC/7/4, text 7/1. 2 A/HRC/AC/8/8, text 8/6.

provided by participants in the discussions, the study requested by the Council for its

twenty-first session will be presented at its twenty-second session. Consequently, the

Committee recommended that the Human Rights Council consider adopting a decision,

according to which it takes note of the progress of work on the study on promoting human

rights and fundamental freedoms through a better understanding of traditional values of

humankind (A/HRC/AC/9/2), and requests the Committee to submit the final report to the

Council at its twenty-second session.3

3 A/HRC/AC/9/6, text 9/4.