7/73 Report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in relation to conscientious objection to military service

UNITED NATIONS

A

General Assembly Distr. GENERAL

A/HRC/7/73 10 March 2008

Original: ENGLISH

HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL Seventh session Agenda item 2

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND REPORT OF THE OFFICE OF THE HIGH COMMISSIONER

AND OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

Report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in relation to conscientious objection to military service*

Note by the Secretariat

The Human Rights Council (“the Council”), in its decision 2/102, requested the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights to “continue with the fulfillment of their activities, in accordance with all previous decisions adopted by the Commission on Human Rights and to update the relevant reports and studies”.

The Secretariat submitted a note1 to the Council informing it that an analytical report on best practices in relation to conscientious objection to military service2 had been submitted to the Commission on Human Rights at its sixty-second session, pursuant to Commission resolution 2004/35. The information in the report remains relevant.

The Office of the High Commissioner understands decision 2/102 as preserving the

previous reporting cycle of once every two years in respect of this issue until otherwise decided by the Council. Accordingly, the Office of the High Commissioner will submit a biannual report on the present issue to the Council in 2008, unless the Council decides otherwise.

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* Late submission.

1 A/HRC/4/67.

2 E/CN.4/2006/51.

GE. 08-11462 (E)