EUHR Solana welcomes today's adoption of the resolution by the UN General Assembly establishing a Human Rights Council

Javier SOLANA, EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), welcomed today's adoption of the resolution by the UN General Assembly establishing a Human Rights Council :

"The creation of the Human Rights Council is essential to further strengthen the UN human rights machinery, and represents an important step in the UN reform process. Its establishment shows the commitment of the world community to enhance the protection of human rights through constructive engagement and dialogue within the framework of the United Nations. All of us have a responsibility to address human rights emergencies, including gross and systematic violations, in a timely and effective manner. We now have a new Human Rights Council. The task ahead is to make it work", said HR Solana.

The EU voted in favour of the text which it could accept as a compromise, even though it had aimed to achieve an even more ambitious result. It considers the new Human Rights Council to be a genuine improvement on the Commission on Human Rights.

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• EU Council Conclusions on the 2nd Session of the Human Rights Council (15/9/2006)
• Human rights in East Timor, Syria and North Korea (15/6/2006)
• Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on the case of Mr Iskandarov in Tajikistan. (22/3/2006)
• Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on the establishment of the UN Human Rights Council (16/3/2006)
• EU Presidency Statement - Human Rights Council, Explanation of Vote (15/3/2006)
• EU Presidency Statement - Human Rights Council  (6/2/2006)
• EU Speaking Points - Human Rights Council (11/1/2006)